Sasahara is now in charge of testing the Toyota-powered SF23 and got his first taste of the ‘Akatora’ development car recently at Motegi, where Super Formula conducted two hours of wet running with its new contender.
He takes the place vacated by 2015 and ‘17 champion Ishiura, who was recently announced as the new director of the Rookie Racing team.
“I am now a development driver, but first of all I would like to thank the people who have provided me with this opportunity. I am very grateful,” said Sasahara.
“It was the first time for me to drive the SF23, and it was also my first wet-weather test. I didn't have much experience in wet races, even in Super Formula races, but even in such conditions I was able to get a feeling that the SF23 has these characteristics.
“Also, formula racing is fun! For the drivers, it is very important that the car is fun to drive, and if we ourselves are not enjoying the car, I don't think our customers will be able to relate to it either, so I'm happy if they think it's fun and cool.
“If there is anything I can do to help achieve this, I would definitely like to continue working on it.”
Sasahara enjoyed a fruitful 2022 season in Super Formula with Mugen, scoring a maiden victory in the second Fuji event before repeating that result in the final weekend of the year at Suzuka.
He split with Honda during the winter break to join rival marque Toyota, securing a seat with its flagship TOM’S team in SUPER GT.
Sasahara, however, won’t be racing in Super Formula, leaving him free to take up the role of development driver directly with the series.
In his first test at Motegi on February 23-24, the focus was on analysing the behaviour of environmental-friendly tyres and checking the LED lights attached to the wingtips.
It was a part of Super Formula’s push towards a more sustainable racing series, with the move to carbon neutral fuels complemented by the use of hemp fibre bodywork and tyres made up of renewable raw materials.
While Sasahara is now tasked with testing the Toyota-powered SF23, the other development version of the car that features a Honda powertrain, nicknamed Shirotora, will continue to be developed by Koudai Tsukakoshi.
“This was our eighth test after almost a year of development work since last spring, but as it's a development test, there's never enough time,” said Tsukakoshi. “It's been a year in the blink of an eye.
“We've done a lot of testing in the various initiatives of the NEXT 50, and we've given as much feedback as we can. The start of the season is now approaching, and I'm really looking forward to this year's season with the SF23.
“I'm also looking forward to seeing what the drivers have to say about the new aero and tyres of the car.
"We've been doing a lot of testing with an emphasis on creating lots of overtaking and battles, so I'm hoping we'll see a lot more close racing and driver tactics than last year. I'm really excited about it now."
