2024.11.29

【Final round Preview】 Everything gets decided here at the season final! Who will grab the glory?

The 2024 AUTOBACS SUPER GT is finally reaching the last race. With the postponement of Round 5 Suzuka, which was planned to race on September 1st, due to an effect of typhoon, the Round 5 "SUZUKA GT 300km RACE GRAND FINAL" will be held as the last event of this season at Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture on December 7th (Sat) and 8th (Sun).
Being the last race, the hottest topic is the conclusion of 2024 series title. There are four teams including No.36 au TOM’S GR Supra in the GT500 class and three teams including No.65 LEON PYRAMID AMG in the GT300 possessing a possibility to clinch the driver's title. Nevertheless, this is a race which all participating teams want to win since, basically, the success weight will be removed because it is the last race of the season. In addition, the upcoming event will be the first "race of winter" for SUPER GT taking place in December. Tire selection and vehicle set-up that each team have to decide under an unusual circumstance of low air and track surface temperatures could have unignorable impact to the race development. Even without such unconventional situation, the last race of SUPER GT has seen surprising outcomes in the past. What kind of drama awaits at the last race of 2024 in Suzuka?　Don't miss any moment of the last battle of 2024 from the green light at the commencement of qualifying to the checked flag waived at the end of the race.

※: Since the reduction of success weight to 0kg is applied only for eighth race participation, a car with absence would mount a weight as per the rule.
◎Above photo is from 2023 Round 3 Suzuka.

 

■Suzuka Circuit information
◎Track details
Length: 5,807m
Width: 10 to16m
Elevation difference:52m

◎Track records
GT500
1'44.112 Yuji Kunimoto / No.19 WedsSport ADVAN GR Supra 2022 Round 3 Qualifying - Q2 (May 28)
GT300
1'55.531 Yuichi Nakayama / No.96 K-tunes RC F GT3 2018 Round 3 Qualifying - Q2 (May 19)

 

 

　The highest seat of the driver standing is occupied by No.36 au TOM’S GR Supra (Sho Tsuboi / Kenta Yamashita) before going into the last event. In fact, the TOYOTA GR Supra GT500 squad has three members remained with a possibility for the title, the third-ranked No.38 KeePer CERUMO GR Supra (Hiroaki Ishiura / Toshiki Oyu) and No.37 Deloitte TOM'S GR Supra (Ukyo Sasahara / Giuliano Alesi) at fourth in the point standing in addition to the point-leader.
　No.36 car that is attempting for a consecutive title captured its second win of the season at previous Motegi race and created a huge gap in points against the cars at second and below. The title will fall in their hands regardless of others if the car can finish the race in sixth place or above even if it ended the qualifying with no points. In addition, the success weight will be 0kg for all cars in the GT500 class and that could make the situation more advantageous to No.36 car because it won the season opening race that was held under the same conditions,.
　On the other hand, No.38 and 37 cars have a point-deficit of 22 and 23 points against No.36 car, respectively. Their privilege for challenging for the title would immediately vanish if they failed to capture the pole-position (3 points) or if No.36 scored a point in the qualifying. Even if they clear the prerequisite on the first day, the situation is still very difficult because they would need the win and have No.36 car finish with no points in the race.
　Tsuboi of No.36 car commented, "We will come in to fix it (consecutive title) in the qualifying", as he takes on the final round while No.38 and 37 cars should also be exerting everything they have from the qualifying as long as they have the possibility. "You never know what would happen at the final race of SUPER GT. I have experience of being in the opposite position". Tsuboi emphasized that the final race is not always so easy by referring to the last race of 2021 where the point-leader No.1 NSX-GT (currently No.100 CIVIC TYPE R-GT) ended pointless due to a crash with other car which enabled No.36 car driven by the duo of Sekiguchi and Tsuboi that was aiming for its first victory of the year to accomplish a come-from-behind title.
　It is undeniable that there is possibility at some extent that the title contention could be going through turbulence generated by competition among other GR Supra teams, including No.39 DENSO KOBELCO SARD GR Supra (Yuhi Sekiguchi / Yuichi Nakayama) that won Round 7, wanting to capture the victory of the final race of the season.

 

 

   

 

 

　The only hope for the title out of the Honda CIVIC TYPE R-GT fleet is No.100 STANLEY CIVIC TYPE R-GT (Naoki Yamamoto / Tadasuke Makino) at second place in the driver standing, but No.100 car is 18 points behind the top ranked No.36 GR Supra and the gap is not small. Even if No.36 car ended the qualifying and race with no points, No.100 car would need to finish in second place or higher in the race even after capturing the pole position, and if no points in the qualifying, then the win is a must. The car must go for a pole-to-win just like No.3 and 4 cars ranked third and fourth in the point standing, respectively. No.100 car's Yamamoto is going full-throttle for their first win of the season as well as a huge come-from-behind title at the same time, "It's difficult in terms of possibility, but I will just aim for winning the final race."
　Since just debuting this season, CIVIC TYPE R-GT only has one win from Round 4 Fuji. The CIVIC TYPE R-GT fleet must be keen to mark a win at Honda's home circuit, Suzuka. Eyes should also be kept on No.8 ARTA MUGEN CIVIC TYPE R-GT #8 (Tomoki Nojiri / Nobuharu Matsushita) that won the Round 4 race and No.16 ARTA MUGEN CIVIC TYPE R-GT #16 (Hiroki Otsu / Ren Sato), the winner of last year's Round 5 Suzuka.

 

   

 

 

　Unfortunately, the NISSAN NISMO GT500 squad that could not produce a result it wanted at the previous Motegi race has lost its chance for the title before going into the final event. The Z squad, however, must be having a strong desire to score a win at the last race no matter what since the squad only has a win this season captured at the Round 2 Fuji.
　Furthermore, the upcoming race became an important event for NISMO. Quintarelli of No.23 MOTUL AUTECH Z (Katsumasa Chiyo / Ronnie Quintarelli) had announced retirement from SUPER GT after this season and this will be his last race. After moving to a NISSAN team in 2008, Quintarelli captured GT500 title four times (out of which two times were with NISMO) and holds the record of highest number of titles. The Italian driver, who made his way up from the All Japan F3 and other domestic races after coming to Japan in 2003, has not only NISSAN fans but also many more fans who are attracted by his fluency in Japanese and friendly personality. No.23 team must be determined to put all the effort to celebrate Quintarelli's exit with a win at his last Suzuka race.

 

   

 

 

 

　The team that is standing at the highest position of the driver standing prior to the final race in Suzuka is No.65 LEON PYRAMID AMG (Naoya Gamou / Takuro Shinohara / Haruki Kurosawa). The point leader is followed by No.88 VENTENY Lamborghini GT3 (Takashi Kogure / Yuya Motojima) at 11 points behind and the third-ranked No.2 muta Racing GR86 GT (Yuui Tsutsumi / Hibiki Taira) with a 20-point difference, and these three teams are only teams that still possess a possibility of winning the title.
　The situation, though, is not so easy for No.2 car to capture the title. The car has to accomplish pole-to-win and have No.65 at ninth or lower and No.88 car finishing in second place or lower (if both cars ended the qualifying with no points). No.2 car will have to face a nerve-wracking fight from the qualifying as it must get the pole position. Contrastingly, No.65 car at number one place in the point standing can secure the title with its own hands by finishing in second place or higher in the race or becoming number one in the qualifying and third place or higher in the race because these results will make No.88 car falling short even if the Lamborghini wins the race. No.88 car chasing from behind, on the other hand, would need to be number one in qualifying and finish in fourth place or higher in the race or finish in third place or higher in the race if it qualified in second or lower even if No.65 car ended with no points. Given the situation, No.88 car has no choice but to aim for a podium-finish from the beginning. Considering the speed and strength that No.88 car possesses, which enabled the car to win the previous race held at Motegi after starting from 17th in qualifying, No.65 car would want to put pressure on No.88 car by targeting top 3 in the qualifying. It is anticipated to be a severe battle from the qualifying for the three victorious candidates.

 

   

 

　Aside from the title contention, all teams must be wanting to win or finish on the podium given upcoming race will be the last race of this season. Special attention could be given to No.777 D'station Vantage GT3 (Tomonobu Fujii / Charlie Fagg) that pulled off a pole-to-win at the Round 3 that was held at the same Suzuka track and No.7 Studie BMW M4 (Seiji Ara / Niklas Krütten / Bruno Spengler), the winner of Round 3 Suzuka from 2022 and 2023. These two cars could be very fast since there will not be any success weight for the final race. Defending champion No.52 Green Brave GR Supra GT (Hiroki Yoshida / Seita Nonaka) boasting successes with no-tire-change strategy and No.18 UPGARAGE NSX GT3 (Takashi Kobayashi / Syun Koide / Yusuke Mitsui) that made a come-from-behind win after starting from 16th on the grid at the Round 5 Suzuka in 2023 are certainly the teams that should not be underestimated.

 

   

 

 

 

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