Why Dunlop believes Nakajima, not Mugen, is its only wager

Remaining month’s fourth spherical of the season at Suzuka become as soon as a bolt that promised much for Dunlop, which is peaceable trying to get a predominant GT500 take in four years, as the two Honda NSX-GTs it affords locked out the entrance row in qualifying.

But after the #64 Nakajima Racing entry that had began on pole become as soon as removed from rivals by an early brake failure-introduced about smash, the #16 Mugen vehicle slid from an inherited lead the total procedure all of the procedure down to a lowly ninth set aside aside on the attain.

Key to that disastrous consequence become as soon as a faulty switch to a more difficult compound of tyre mid-bolt, as Toshiki Oyu’s struggles within the first stint cheerful the crew that a commerce become as soon as foremost. But falling temperatures within the latter section of the bolt only made the downside worse.

But Ukyo Sasahara, who took over from Oyu for that long, painful 2nd stint, hinted in a put up-bolt interview with Motorsport.com that the competitiveness of the tyres bring together been not the one thing responsible, hinting at space-up disorders with the Crimson Bull-liveried Mugen NSX-GT.

Dunlop Japan’s motorsport department supervisor Yoshinao Yasuda elaborated on this topic speaking to Motorsport.com this week following additional evaluation of the #16 vehicle’s struggles.

“They bring together been combating take-up,” Yasuda acknowledged. “The reason that vehicle has take-up is partly related to the tyre profile itself, however additionally the vehicle space-up.They’re not the utilization of the rear tyre successfully.

“They’re trusty the utilization of the threshold of the rear tyre, overheating the initiate air shoulder, and the within of the rear tyre isn’t making contact with the bottom, so it’s laborious for them to protect the tyre tidy.

“I feel the tyre contact is finest [for the #64] than the #16 vehicle. They additionally had take-up [prior to the crash], however it wasn’t that faulty. I feel they’d bring together been in a bunch aside aside to close shut to the entrance, however their vehicle is aggressive on the tyres, so per chance there would bring together been some tumble-off.”

Yasuda went on to demonstrate that Nakajima Racing has a bonus over the Mugen crew in that the #64 vehicle is Dunlop’s nominated in-season check vehicle (Tyre testing is proscribed to 1 vehicle per tyre dealer per manufacturer).

That intended Mugen went into the Suzuka bolt successfully flying blind, because it had not had probability to envision out the latest compound beforehand.

“I feel we are in a bunch aside aside to fight with the #64 vehicle, however the #16 vehicle has not been in a bunch aside aside to envision the latest tyre [introduced at Suzuka],” he acknowledged. “There’s an agreement one day of the season the total testing must be completed by one vehicle, and so only the #64 vehicle has been in a bunch aside aside to envision with the latest tyre.

“The #16 vehicle has only been in a bunch aside aside to are attempting it one day of the bolt weekend, so I feel this also can very properly be laborious for the #16 vehicle [to win a race this year].”

Yasuda additionally printed that Mugen overlooked out on a rare probability to non-public part in a non-public check at Autopolis closing week – the set aside aside Yokohama’s GT500 cars bring together been in stream – that Nakajima Racing couldn’t be latest for.

“We bring together been planning to envision there, however the #64 vehicle become as soon as peaceable being repaired after the Suzuka smash, so we requested the #16 vehicle to envision there as an different,” he acknowledged. “But there become as soon as a COVID-related self-discipline in that crew, so we needed to cancel.

“Now we have got rescheduled the check, so we are going to check there later this month with the #64 vehicle, earlier than the bolt [in October].”

The aim for Dunlop remains that elusive first victory in four years, and on that entrance the following two races at Sugo and Autopolis – earlier than the success ballast starts being removed – have a tendency to be pivotal, as both the Nakajima and Mugen Hondas dwell gentle (carrying 4kg and 20kg respectively).

“For Sugo we are attempting to use the tyre more successfully, and if we are going to attain that I feel we also can additionally be aggressive,” he acknowledged. “We bring together been getting files [on the new tyre construction and compounds] from the Motegi and Suzuka races, so I feel we’ll be better than Suzuka.

“But we’re not cheerful the least bit. The outcomes are better than closing 365 days, so we are doing okay, however it’s not enough.”