Changing conditions deny CUPRA KIRO in Tokyo Race 2
Fresh from victory in Race 1, CUPRA KIRO continued to show promise in Tokyo before challenging weather conditions limited the team’s points-scoring potential in Race 2
After winning the first part of the double-header Tokyo E-Prix, CUPRA KIRO continued to show promise in Race 2, with Dan Ticktum emerging as an early protagonist before having his potential compounded by changing track conditions in the Japanese capital.
When FP3 was cancelled due to adverse weather, Sunday got underway with Qualifying. Both CUPRA KIRO drivers launched their efforts from Group B and while Pepe missed out on the duels by just 0.068 seconds to start ninth, Dan battled into the Semi-Finals to line up in third.
Due to wet weather, the race commenced behind the Safety Car before moving to a standing start. Dan maintained third off the line and settled into an energy-saving rhythm, however, with the track drying out, started to struggle for grip running wet-weather tyre pressures.
Like Dan, Pepe held position at the start to build an energy offset but slipped to 12th as drivers who took an early Attack Mode moved forward. Having already moved up to 11th, with a strong energy advantage and both Attack Modes left to take, Pepe was unfortunately forced to retire after being pushed into the barriers by Sebastien Buemi on lap 15.
To maintain pace with the lead group of drivers after falling to fifth with low grip, Dan took his first Attack Mode on lap 17 and moved up to fourth before taking his final activation on lap 27. Unfortunately, with the track increasingly dry, the Briton was unable to maintain pace and finished 14th with a one-lap sprint to the finish following a late red flag.
Dan Ticktum, Driver, CUPRA KIRO
“A disappointing race today. Overall, our pace in Qualifying was good but, in the race, we went in the wrong direction. We started on full wet tyre pressures which meant that when the track dried, the tyres overheated and the grip dropped off. When you’re starting from third, going for dry-weather tyre pressures when the track is wet is a big gamble, but we had seen the track dry quite quickly earlier in the weekend and we weren’t the only ones who got it wrong. We have London coming up next and on paper, the car suits tight tracks like the ExCeL so we’ll see if we can end the season on a high.”
Pepe Martí, Driver, CUPRA KIRO
“Overall, a disappointing way to end this weekend. We were super close to advancing to the duels today, and in the opening phase of the race, we managed the strategy well to build up an energy advantage. I was then forced into the wall by [Sebastien] Buemi which ended my race, but I think we had good potential up until that point. Because we started on the wet tyre pressures, it’s hard to say how our race would have exactly unfolded, but we’ll keep moving forward. We have London coming up next, and I’m hoping to end the season on a high with a good set of results.”
Russell O’Hagan, Team Principal, CUPRA KIRO
“Today’s result is disappointing, especially after the momentum we built with yesterday’s win. Dan picked up exactly where he left off by qualifying third and immediately put himself in a strong position to fight at the front, but it became clear in the early stages of the race that the track was drying at a faster rate than predicted. We had committed to wet-weather tyre pressures and, once the conditions had evolved, we simply didn’t have the grip to match those who had opted for a drier setup. We used Attack Mode to stay in the fight for as long as we could, but ultimately, there wasn’t a great deal we could do to recover the disadvantage. Pepe was also very unfortunate today. He missed out on the duels by just 0.068 seconds, but his race was unfolding well before he was put out of the running. Although today didn’t end the way we wanted, we can be extremely pleased with the overall picture from this weekend. We came to Tokyo knowing it was a circuit we optimised last season and we delivered on that potential again with the victory in Race 1. Dan and the team deserved the win this weekend, and I’d like to wish a huge congratulations to our technical partner, Porsche Motorsport, for winning the Manufacturers’ Championship title for a second consecutive season. This weekend gives us a huge amount of confidence heading to the finale in London, another track that we were very competitive around last season. There are still big points and championship places up for grabs, and we will give it everything to end the season on a high. We have a lot to fight for!”
