On Saturday, Nojiri seemed well on his way to defending his Super Formula title. He had just taken his third pole position on the trot, extending his championship lead over Ryo Hirakawa to 19 points in the process, and went into the race with the bonus of starting Sunday’s race seven places clear of his main rival – and on a track where passing is notoriously tough.
And yet, come 4pm on Sunday, it was Hirakawa who was celebrating an improbable win from eighth on the grid, while Nojiri trailed home fourth, his points lead slashed to seven.
