Fraga tops final day of Suzuka test, Bearman excels in first Super Formula outing

Igor Fraga led a crop of 12 rookie drivers during the final day of the Super Formula championship’s three-day winter test at Suzuka Circuit. Two 90-minute sessions were scheduled for Friday, reserved for rookie drivers with three or fewer Super …

Igor Fraga led a crop of 12 rookie drivers during the final day of the Super Formula championship’s three-day winter test at Suzuka Circuit.

Two 90-minute sessions were scheduled for Friday, reserved for rookie drivers with three or fewer Super Formula races on their record.

Fraga, the real-world and sim racing crossover star, set the fastest time of the day during the morning session. In fact, his leading time of 1m36.077s was his best time in the No. 64 Nakajima Racing Dallara/Honda all week — and fifth best out of all 30 drivers that participated across all three days. He followed that up with a 1m36.848s in the afternoon session, and officially led all rookie candidates in all six sessions that he participated in.

Second quickest was Seita Nonaka, a leading prospect from the Toyota Gazoo Racing Driver Challenge (TGR-DC) academy, driving the No. 8 KCMG Toyota. Nonaka set a 1m36.383s in the morning, and a 1m36.999s in the afternoon.

Nonaka’s teammate for the day — new Haas Formula 1 racer Oliver Bearman — attracted crowds of local fans for his first real-world experience around Suzuka. The 19-year-old British driver completed 43 laps today and set a top time of 1m36.940s, good for third fastest on the day aboard the No. 7 KCMG Toyota.

Bearman will return to Suzuka next April for the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, using the real-world track knowledge gained today in a test made possible through Haas’ strategic partnership with Toyota Gazoo Racing.

Reigning Super Formula Lights champion and Honda-backed prospect Syun Koide was third quickest in the afternoon driving the No.50 B-Max Racing Honda, and fourth quickest today ahead of Nissan factory driver Mitsunori Takaboshi in the No. 20 Team Impul Toyota (1m37.545s).

The test also featured fellow British drivers Zak O’Sullivan and James Hedley for Kondo Racing, and young Dane Oliver Rasmussen for Team Impul. From Japan, TGR-DC prospects Rikuto Kobayashi and Kazuhisa Urabe got their first tests; Kobayashi (no relation to Kamui) with TOM’S, and Urabe with Cerumo-INGING alongside Super GT GT300 race winner Yuui Tsutsumi.

The test was also to have featured Honda Super GT GT500 driver Riki Okusa in the No. 65 Nakajima Racing Honda. But on his out lap during the morning session, Okusa lost the rear coming through the right-hand 200R bend on cold tires, went into the barriers on the left and did enough damage to the floor that his test was done before he even completed a lap.

Kondo’s British youngsters had their own troubles: Williams Racing Academy member O’Sullivan went off in the gravel at Degner Curve, while GB3 Series race winner Hedley went off at Spoon Curve. Both drivers brought out red flags for their respective incidents but were able to run without much trouble afterwards.

At the very end of the afternoon session, Tsutsumi caught a bit of snap oversteer heading into the S-Curves, and hit the sponge barriers off to the right. The 29-year-old, who had a brief American cameo as a Mazda MX-5 Cup winner at Sebring in 2018, was able to walk away unhurt.

The 2025 Super Formula Championship begins on March 8-9 at Suzuka for the first two rounds of a 12-round championship.