The third of seven stages of the 2020 Super Formula season ended on Sunday (18). In the selective layout of Sportsland Sugo the driver Sérgio Sette Câmara (YOUSE | MRV | XP Investimentos | Energisa | CBMM | Gasmig) made his debut in the category and, impressively, scored the pole position in his first race in the Japanese category.
Sette’s participation at the weekend started on Saturday, when, with the track wet and quite rainy, the first training session was held. Without ever having driven the # 50 car of the Buzz Racing by B-Max team, the driver was initially concerned with understanding the new equipment in those conditions, as well as the performance of Yokohama tyres on a wet track. After inevitably leaving the track, Sergio returned to the practice and ended the session in the 17th place. Also on Saturday, the second free practice took place and, with the track dry, Sérgio showed his progress. With the time of 1´06s396 he reached the eighth place overall, but in his second attempt at a quick lap he ended up failing to complete the three sectors fully and ended up with the 13th time.
The Super Formula has a qualifying system similar to that of the F 1, divided into three parts. All drivers go on the track in the first part Q1. In this session Sérgio took the eighth place and, therefore, continued in the dispute for Q2. In this second part the driver improved his own mark in a second and, with that, won the right to participate in the third part. Finally, in Q3, with the 1m04s235 mark, he secured the pole position in his debut race with a margin of 53 thousandths to the second place.
“It was an incredible feeling to win this pole right in my first race. Since December last year, I have not competed on such a fast track and on such a fast car. Besides, after so many problems to get here to Japan, already showing my potential in my first stage in the category, this is a beautiful business card. I was also very happy to have given HONDA the first pole position of the engine of the year. I sincerely appreciate the attention that everyone on the team, as well as the engine engineers, has had with me. Now it’s about focusing on a good strategy and getting on with the race ”, commented the driver right after the qualifier.
The race had its start authorized at 2:40 am in Brasília time. Sette, very focused, had a good start and stayed ahead. However, as in Sugo the pole position is “outside” the ideal layout, the competitor in the second position took the lead and Sette Câmara, right behind him. With a good race pace, the driver managed to stay in second place, controlling his distance in about one second for the first place and also a second for the third. The laps were being completed and the teams were already preparing for the mandatory pit-stop when, with 17 laps completed, Sérgio started to lose performance and lost two positions falling to fourth place. At that moment he entered the pit, made his pit-stop and returned to the track. On his return to the track, however, the problem in the car worsened and right at the second corner the suspension broke and he went on straight, hitting the tyre barrier.
“Unfortunately, problems happen and are part of the races. We had a very good car, a race pace that would certainly allow me to fight for the victory, but, unfortunately, the crash made me leave the race. We show speed, constancy and we are going to the next stage, ”concluded the 22-year-old.
Photos: Publicity