The three-time champion finished third in Sunday’s opener at Suzuka, which marked his first appearance since last August’s Motegi round as he was ruled out of the final races of 2023 after sustaining serious neck and spine injuries in a SUPER GT crash at Sugo.
Yamamoto explained ahead of last month’s pre-season test at Suzuka that he had opted to undergo surgery in a bid to regain the mobility in his neck needed to continue his top-line career, spending two months in hospital following his crash.
