Team KCMG showed solid speed in qualifying for Round 4 of the 2022 Super Formula season at Autopolis, as Yuji Kunimoto battled the tricky conditions to start ninth for Sunday’s race.
With changing grip levels on-track a major factor throughout the weekend, both Kunimoto and teammate Kamui Kobayashi showed strong pace in Saturday’s qualifying session. 2016 Super Formula champion Kunimoto progressed into Q2, eventually lining up in ninth for the 42-lap event. After showing excellent pace in Free Practice 1 to set the fourth fastest time, Kobayashi also put in a solid effort in qualifying, missing out on the top 12 by just 0.05 of a second.
Despite clean starts for both drivers, Kobayashi would be forced to retire on the second lap after an incident with another car at Turn 1. Kunimoto continued the hunt for points throughout the contest, just missing out in 11th.
Super Formula moves to Sportsland Sugo for Round 5 on 18-19 June.
#7 KAMUI KOBAYASHI
“It was a shame to retire, because the car has been improving since Fuji and we were aiming to have a strong race. The unpredictable grip levels were a constant factor throughout Saturday, and it made some parts of the circuit very tricky. I was aiming to make it into Q2 and grab a strong position for the race, but we encountered traffic on our Q1 runs and unfortunately I couldn’t progress. I’m looking forward to the next round at Sugo as it’s a circuit I really enjoy racing at, so our focus is on pushing towards that weekend and achieving a good result there.”
#18 YUJI KUNIMOTO
“Autopolis is a track that can be hard on tyres, and although we expected a lot of degradation here, we were able to grab a good position on Saturday and qualify in the top ten. The car is getting better with each round, and despite not scoring points, we’ll keep pushing towards improving and becoming more competitive. Hopefully we can continue moving forward in Sugo and challenge the cars ahead.”
TSUGIO MATSUDA TEAM MANAGER
“It was a difficult weekend for the team at Autopolis, and one where we were hampered by the irregular grip levels. Some corners were more of a challenge than others, but our pace changed completely between Free Practice and qualifying, and the drivers found it really tough to adjust during the afternoon session. I’m glad that Kamui is okay after his accident, and I’m sure he can bounce back strongly in the next round. Sugo is known for being quite narrow, it might be difficult to overtake, but the team is working hard towards achieving a good result with both cars.”
For more information about KCMG please visit www.kcmg.com.hk. To keep track of all the latest updates, please like KCMG’s Facebook page or follow on Twitter and Instagram.
Who is KCMG?
KC Motorgroup Ltd (KCMG) is an international motorsport services group established in 2007 by Paul Ip. The group, with its headquarters located in Hong Kong, has operations reaching across the Asia Pacific region. KCMG operates closely with many partner companies and racing organisations around the world to provide unrivalled motorsport services, equipment, team management and quality distribution in the automotive industry. This includes the FIA Motorsport Games, where KCMG is the official supplier of hybrid F4 cars, and the KCMG Driver Development Project. For more information on all of the team’s activities please visit www.kcmg.com.hk or email info@kcmg.com.hk
