GTA “Not Giving Up” on Indy Starts After Fuji U-Turn

GTA boss Masaaki Bandoh insists he is “not giving” up on his idea of introducing Indy starts to SUPER GT in future despite the series going back on its original plan to implement them for last weekend’s Fuji sprint race.

All three races that made up the fourth round of the season at the Toyota-owned venue were held using the regular start procedure, despite Bandoh repeatedly expressing a preference for more tightly-packed Indy-style starts in the run-up to the event.

That was despite plans to use Indy starts for the two single-class Sunday races having been initially communicated to teams back in March.

Addressing the topic in his regular press conference last weekend, Bandoh said that concerns about safety from race control were behind the U-turn.

He added that, even though categories such as GT World Challenge Asia powered by AWS have proven Indy starts at Fuji are viable, the SUPER GT field needs more practice with the system before it can be adopted in a race situation.

“There is no issue with the starting position, as GTWC Asia is able to do it, so thinking it about it simply, I am sure we can do it as well,” said Bandoh.

“As was the case with the full-course yellow procedure, the issues are safety and driver familiarity. Basically, if drivers had enough practice or were always doing it that way, I’m sure we can do it. I think it would work at Suzuka and Fuji.

“This time, the people at the top [race control] said it would be difficult to guarantee safety at this point.

“Going forward, firstly we’ll make the starts more tightly-packed and use the inside of the grid markings, and have a clean start that way. Then we’ll look at Indy starts again.”

SUPER GT had its first experience of Indy starts in the one-off ‘Dream Race’ that was held at Fuji together with the DTM, then running to Class One regulations that still govern today’s GT500 cars, at the end of the 2019 season.

The Japanese series then experimented further with Indy starts at the Fuji pre-season test in 2021, performing two trials over the course of the test, only to abandon plans to use the system amid a lukewarm reception from drivers and teams.

Bandoh said that the GTA could implement Indy starts as early as next year if the current issues surrounding safety can be overcome with the consensus of the paddock.

“In other categories where they use Indy starts, the way they are doing them has changed a little recently, so we’ll have some more exchanges with them,” he added.

“We’ll also contact the team directors and drivers for their opinions and move forward with the intention of implementing Indy starts for next year.

“I’m sure the drivers have the skill to handle it and we can deliver a reasonable amount of quality, so we’ll also continue to discuss the safety aspects with race direction.

“It’s not that we have given up — we’ll revisit the things that are stopping us from doing Indy starts now, and move forward.”