TOM’S: Sasahara, Alesi Proved Title Credentials With Sugo Win

Ukyo Sasahara and Giuliano Alesi must be considered real SUPER GT title contenders after their second win of the season last weekend at Sugo, says TOM’S boss Jun Yamada.

In mixed conditions, Sasahara and Alesi came through from 14th on the grid to take an unlikely triumph in their No. 37 Toyota GR Supra and move within a single point of the championship-leading sister No. 36 TOM’S crew.

It marks Sasahara and Alesi’s second win in the space of three races, following on from their maiden triumph in the third round of the season at Suzuka.

Key to Sasahara’s charge up the order in the opening stint of the race was the choice by TOM’S to use a harder compound of Bridgestone wet tire that left the Japanese driver struggling in the early stages but came into its own after ten or so laps.

Yamada acknowledged this choice was open to the No. 37 car after qualifying so poorly, while the No. 36 car of Sho Tsuboi and Kenta Yamashita that led much of the early part of the race adopted a more conventional strategy.

“Because qualifying didn’t go well, I wouldn’t call it a gamble, but we took a slightly peculiar strategy with the tires,” Yamada told Sportscar365. “It all came down to how the track evolved and gradually the conditions moved towards our chosen tire.

“The [first] safety car also helped a lot, and when Giuliano took over, we had the full-course yellow and another safety car, and so he had plenty of time to warm the tires. 

“That was a stroke of luck, and so was the fact that there wasn’t another safety car again after that to close up the field again. It was one of those races where a lot of small pieces of luck accumulated.”

Tsuboi and Yamashita clung on to their championship lead by finishing fourth despite carrying a nominal 82 kg success handicap, including a stage two fuel flow restrictor.

“The No. 36 chose a tire with the expectation that the track would dry quickly, and in the end it was difficult for them,” explained Yamada. “But at the time the tire started going bad, it was still too soon to change to slicks, so they had no choice but to stay out. 

“It’s just one of those things. But even so, fourth place was a good result for them.”

TOM’S now finds itself with both of its cars at the head of the standings for the first time since 2020, when Ryo Hirakawa and Nick Cassidy narrowly missed out on the title.

While acknowledging the good fortune that helped Sasahara and Alesi to victory, Yamada believes they have proven the qualities necessary to be genuine title contenders.

“Nobody would have predicted that [the No. 37 car] would win two races this season,” he said. “It really feels like everything has gone in the right direction. 

“It feels like there was a bit more luck involved this time compared to [the No. 37’s first win at] Suzuka, but equally the result feels more like a reflection of the team’s strength and speed, so I hope they can keep it up for the final three races.

“Now that they have won two races, it’s almost certain they will be championship contenders. As long as they don’t retire or score no points, I think they are in the fight.”

For their part, Sasahara and Alesi both acknowledged the difficulty of the task that lies ahead to beat the sister TOM’S car to the title, especially as they head to next month’s sixth round at Autopolis carrying a stage two fuel-flow restrictor.

“There’s still a long way to go in the title fight,” said Sasahara. “It will be our first time with the stage two restrictor, so that will make Autopolis a very tough race. Then the weight starts coming off for the last two races and it will become more of a real battle. 

“Car No. 36 is sure to be our rival, so I want to do our best not to lose to them. But if we can keep going like we have been in these last few races, then I think we have a chance.”

Alesi added: “Victory feels unreal, and now we can really feel our championship coming alive. But there are still three races to go and our objectives don’t change. We don’t want to give ourselves any additional pressure that isn’t useful. 

“We know we have a quick car and a good team spirit, so it’s all about putting everything together: tire choice, setup, strategy. That is what we will try to achieve race-by-race.”