De Oliveira Expects More “Challenging” Return to Fuji
Photo: SUPER GT Joao Paulo de Oliveira has set his sights on another strong finish in next week’s Fuji 300km SUPER GT round after ending Kondo Racing’s losing streak at the same venue in May, even if he expects a more “challenging” event this time. Sharing the No. 56 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 with Iori Kimura, de Oliveira scored Kondo’s first lower-division win in three years during the Golden Week fixture to launch himself in contention for a third GT300 crown to add to his 2020 and ’22 successes. However, de Oliveira and Kimura, who are now fifth in the points standings, face a nominal 54 kg success handicap when SUPER GT returns to action after a recess prolonged by the cancellation of June’s Sepang round, and in much hotter weather. Those factors, combined with a shorter race distance compared to the three-hour format used last time, means de Oliveira is expecting a tougher battle this time, even if he hopes to be able to score at least a to...