CarGuy MKS Determined to Seize First-Year Title Chance

Photo: SUPER GT

CarGuy MKS Racing team director Misato Haga says she is determined to seize the chance for her team to win this year’s GT300 title in its first year of SUPER GT competition with its Ferrari 296 GT3 ahead of this weekend’s Motegi decider.

The newly-formed team, which was a last-minute addition to this year’s GT300 grid, is one of nine outfits going into this weekend’s finale with a chance of winning the crown, with drivers Rikuto Kobayashi and Zak O’Sullivan sitting third in the standings.

Toyota junior Kobayashi and rookie O’Sullivan are just 4.5 points behind LEON Racing Mercedes-AMG pair Naoya Gamou and Togo Suganami, meaning victory at Motegi would be enough to propel them to a historic first-year title for the team.

However, when dropped scores are taken into account, the Ferrari pair are only 1.5 points behind leaders Gamou and Suganami with 25 on offer for victory.

While saying that being able to fight for the title was “beyond expectations” for the team’s first season in SUPER GT, Haga said that she wants to make the most of the chance to fight for the title while all the pieces are in place to do so.

“We were right on the edge of not being able to participate this year, and we didn’t even have one month to prepare for the start of the season, but with the help of many people we were able to get to the starting grid,” Haga told Sportscar365.

“We were given a grid spot just for one year, but we have two fantastic drivers and a brilliant car, so even without having much time, it felt like all the pieces were there.

“Some things didn’t go well at the start with penalties and mistakes, but as we’ve accumulated experience we’ve been able to show our speed more and more. Both drivers have been doing a fantastic job, so I’m sure they will be strong again.

“These chances don’t always come around. If you ask me whether we’ll get a chance like this next year, I can’t be sure, so I want to make the most of this one.

“We just need to make no mistakes and aim for the championship until the end.”

Haga added that she puts the team’s good form in large part down to the drivers, who were provided to CarGuy MKS in agreement with Toyota, with ex-Formula 2 driver O’Sullivan also part of the marque’s Super Formula roster this season.

“Zak and Rikuto seem to be a good match for each other,” said Haga. “Their driving styles are totally different, and the communication has been difficult as Rikuto doesn’t speak much English, but they have been able to spur each other on.

“I think it’s thanks to the drivers that we’ve had such good results this year.”

For his part, O’Sullivan expressed uncertainty about being in a position to fight for victory at a circuit where LEON is historically strong, and with the success weight removed.

“It’s hard to predict to be honest,” O’Sullivan told Sportscar365. “We thought that Autopolis would be a good track for us, but we didn’t think Suzuka would be a good circuit for us and we won there, although Motegi wasn’t great for Ferrari last year.

“The car has been fast all year, I have a very fast teammate, which is useful, and until Autopolis, we didn’t really make any mistakes in terms of execution, so it has been quite a smooth season, which is what you need in this championship.

“We’ll take the same approach as always and see where we end up on Sunday.”

O’Sullivan explained that CarGuy MKS’s last-minute emergency stop that cost he and Kobayashi victory at Autopolis was down to a “miscalculation with the rate we were burning fuel”, which came in addition to a penalty for passing under yellow flags.

“Probably we would have still just about won without the penalty, but to be P2 with a drive-through and an extra stop shows we were quite fast,” he said.

Source: Sports Car 365