Round 4, titled “SUPER FORMULA HALLOWEEN,” was held at Fuji Speedway as the second co-event of the season with the All-Japan Super Formula Championship. In a complete turnaround from the rain of the previous race, the team enjoyed perfect conditions with sunny weather on both days. The nat team KCMG had its best weekend yet as a team, sweeping the front row in qualifying, winning the Sprint race, and securing a double podium finish in both main races.
Qualifying began under crisp, sunny autumn skies. With less than 8 minutes remaining in the session, Onaga set the fastest time, and immediately afterward, Chiconte moved into third place and Sasaki into second. The three cars from the nat team KCMG ended up dominating the top four positions. Furthermore, with less than 5 minutes remaining, they still held the top three spots. However, Joanne was overtaken by Sato and dropped to fourth place.With less than one minute remaining, a stopped car appeared on the track, prompting a red flag, which brought the session to a close. Onaga secured pole position with a time of 1:44.155. Sasaki followed in second place, just 0.031 seconds behind, marking the team’s best qualifying result of the season as nat Team KCMG swept the front row.
A rolling start was used for this race, and during the formation lap, a striking sight unfolded as the two cars driven by Ohnaga and Sasaki—both sporting the nat team KCMG livery—led the pack.Starting from pole position, Onaga accelerated strongly to maintain the lead. From the second to the fifth lap, he set the fastest lap four times in a row, establishing a commanding lead with an overwhelming pace. By the end of the sixth lap, he had extended his lead over the runner-up to more than two seconds, and he went on to take the checkered flag without ever relinquishing the lead, securing his first victory of the season.Chikonte also moved up from fourth on the grid to finish third, securing a one-two finish on the podium for the team. Pinkowski, who started 20th, made contact with the car in front of him at GR Corner on the second lap, causing his front wing to detach; he was forced to retire on the fifth lap.
Starting from the front of the grid, Oonaga held the lead as she aimed for her second consecutive Sprint victory. However, a collision on the second lap brought out the safety car. After the safety car was withdrawn on the fifth lap, Oonaga began accelerating at the restart, but on the sixth lap, she locked her tires at the GR Corner, drifted wide to the outside, and allowed Sato to take the lead. Furthermore, her teammate Joanne didn’t miss Oonaga’s opening as she tried to reclaim the lead, overtaking her at Turn 100 on the seventh lap.While Joanne moved up to second place, Onaga dropped to third. Joanne went on to defend her second-place position and took the checkered flag. Onaga set the fastest lap on Lap 9 and improved upon it on Lap 11, winning the Fastest Lap award. Following their success in the Sprint, the team secured a one-two finish on the podium with both cars in the Final as well.Sasaki struggled early on but staged a determined comeback in the second half of the race, finishing 10th within the points. Pinkowski bounced back from his retirement the previous day to cross the finish line in 15th place.
nat Team KCMG Overall Results
| No | Driver | Preliminary Round | Sprint | Final |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #7 | Miki Onaga | PP (1st place) | Champion 🏆 | 3rd Place 🏁FL |
| #10 | Joanne Chikonte | 4位 | 3位 | 2位 |
| #8 | Aisa Sasaki | 2位 | 8位 | 10位 |
| #9 | Kelsey Pinkowski | 20位 | DNF | 15位 |
🏁 Fastest Lap (Final) 🏆 First Place (Sprint)
Drivers' Championship — As of the End of Round 4
★ nat team KCMG / Chikonte is in second place, 5 points behind the leader. Ohnaga also remains in contention for the title with 59 points in fifth place. The champion will be decided in the final round!
Driver Comments
I got off to a good start and maintained a very strong pace afterward, so I managed to open up a gap early on. Since I was anticipating a safety car period and had been focusing on how the race would unfold after that, I think I was able to stay composed and do my job well. The situation changed completely when two cars passed me. I was able to drive without panicking, but I misjudged when to play it safe and when to push, and I’m frustrated that I wasn’t able to move up in the standings.To avoid contact with my teammates, I had to maintain a safe margin during the battle—that was definitely a factor. I believe I have plenty of speed, so I don’t want to waste even a single second leading up to the final race. I’ll give it my all and fight for the win once again.
Race 4 ended in a very disappointing result. I feel deeply sorry toward everyone who cheered me on, as well as my entire team. I qualified in second place and had the speed to contend for the win, so it’s especially frustrating that I couldn’t turn that opportunity into a result. On the other hand, this race has made my personal challenges and areas for improvement even clearer. While I have the speed for a single lap, I feel that my main challenge is maintaining consistent speed throughout the entire race.Moving forward, I plan to study racing strategies and how to navigate battles by analyzing other races, and I intend to actively engage in simulator training. I also keenly realized that I still lack the ability to adjust my driving to changing track conditions lap by lap, as well as the ability to maintain my own driving style even when surrounded by other cars. I will do everything I can to prepare for the final race and give it my all to perform at my absolute best.In the final race, which will be the culmination of this season, I will do my absolute best to stand on the podium. I appreciate your continued warm support.
Final Match — The Decisive Battle for the Title
Chikonte finished second in the championship and Onaga fifth, with both still in contention for the series title heading into the final round. The nat team KCMG demonstrated strong competitiveness throughout the weekend, sweeping the front row in qualifying, winning the Sprint race, and securing double podium finishes in both races. Aiming for a Final victory—which they have yet to achieve this season—and the series championship, they will give it their all until the very end in the final round.
Since I started from third place, I think finishing second was a good result. My pace was good today, so I was actually aiming for first place, but I’m glad I was able to earn some points. During the race, my top priority was moving up in the standings. In my battle with Onaga, it was a tough situation where if I didn’t pass him, he would pass me, but I attempted an overtake to seize the opportunity. Being able to move up in the standings at that moment was incredibly significant.My goal for this entire series is to push myself to an even higher level and achieve strong results. As a result, I believe I’ll be able to secure a good position in the championship, and I think there’s a very good chance I can win the title. To be honest, this turn of events was unexpected, but I want to stay focused on myself, work together as a team, and aim for the top.