Third place in the final race of the season at Suzuka on Sunday, behind first-time winner Kakunoshin Ota and Lawson, was enough for Miyata to seal the championship.
Team Mugen’s Lawson improved his odds of snatching the title away from Miyata by scoring his first pole of the season and the three bonus points that come with it, but he was never able to wrest back the lead from Ota after dropping to second at the start.
Lawson fell eight points short of TOM’S rival Miyata in the final analysis, despite having scored more wins over the course of the year (three to Miyata’s two).
The New Zealander however suffered a non-score at Motegi, where he was involved in a first-lap crash, while Miyata was on the podium six times out of nine, never finishing a race lower than fifth.
“It’s been an amazing season,” reflected Lawson. “I always knew it would be tough coming here, I was told that by all the drivers who came here before me, like Nick Cassidy and Pierre Gasly, so I knew it would be a big challenge.
“It was obviously close at the end and it was disappointing to miss the title, but Miyata has been super-consistent. It’s something we’ve been missing.
“The speed has always been there, the results have been strong, but I think Miyata has been on the podium in almost every single race, which made it very difficult for us.”
Lawson added that the events of Saturday, where a red flag ruined his qualifying chances and left him seventh on the grid, combined with the race ending early due to a huge crash at 130R, was detrimental to his hopes of overhauling Miyata.
“I have no regrets, but you always look at things you could have done better, and the outcome of yesterday really hurt our chances,” he said.
“The speed we had in qualifying and the race today, we also had yesterday, but we didn’t get the chance to show it.”
After losing the lead to Ota at the start, Lawson spent the opening phase of the race close behind the Dandelion Racing rookie, with Miyata in close pursuit after passing Tomoki Nojiri for third place on the opening lap.
Miyata was the first of the leaders to complete his mandatory pitstop on lap 12, with Lawson coming in the following lap and Ota following suit on lap 14.
Lawson conceded that a slower-than-usual out lap, in which he had to fend off the advances of Miyata, ended any realistic hopes he had of ending the season with a fourth win.
“The car was fast throughout the race, we were always putting on the pressure on Ota, but it wasn’t enough,” said Lawson. “We tried to undercut him, but the out lap wasn’t strong, and I think that’s why we couldn’t overtake for the lead.
“We had to cover off Miyata and go for an undercut at the same time. I was able to fend off Miyata, but I didn’t have the speed to pass for the lead.
“It’s true this year it’s been a strong point for us, but today we struggled a lot, the first lap was tricky, and I think in the end it’s why we couldn’t get back into the lead.”
