Cassidy’s bid for Super Formula title in Japan

Nick Cassidy heads to the final round of the Super Formula single seater series leading and with a good chance of winning - the Japanese category this weekend.

Cassidy is on a ‘high’ after he and his team mate Ryo Hirakawa (Lexus LC500) won last weekend’s Super GT race at the Autopolis in Japan.

This win now sees them first equal with ex

F1 driver Jensen Button and his co-driver Naoki Yamamoto (Honda NSX-GT), with one more round left.

Cassidy is in a unique situation of leading both top Japanese categories and is in with a very good chance of winning both.

He is a calculated driver who can analyse what is required and then set about a strategy to put him and his team in a winning position.

He has 29 points in Super Formula, ahead of second placed Hiroaki Ishiura (25) and third placed Naoki Yamamoto (24).

Pole position will bring with it one point, a victory 10 points, second place eight and third place six points.

The winner will also be awarded an additional three points.

In the event of a tie, the driver who has won the most points in the most other races will be crowned champion.

Hartley must remain optimistic for Mexico GP

Another strong performance from Kiwi F1 driver Brendon Hartley at the US Grand Prix may be too late to help retain his Scuderia Toro Rosso seat for 2019.

Hartley finished ninth overall and ahead of his team mate Pierre Gasly after starting from the back of the grid.

This weekend is the Mexican Grand Prix, again at a track that Hartley knows well.

Sources are saying that he will be replaced by Formula 2 driver Alexander Albon who had early this season signed for Nissan for the

2018/19 Formula E series.

Other than currently being second overall in the 2018 F2 championship, Albon has yet to win a single seater championship.

F1 is a fickle business where decisions can be made without apparent good reason.

Heading to the Mexican Grand Prix, Hartley can only be optimistic and aim to deliver more than what is required. Armstrong for Macau Grand Prix Marcus Armstrong has been confirmed as one of five drivers his Prema Team will send to compete in the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix 18 November.

Macau shares the unique situation with New Zealand of having the only two single seater Grand Prix races outside of Formula One.

The Macau race is a highlight of the Formula 3 calendar and success there is guaranteed to open doors for young drivers.

This was the case for Kiwi Nick Cassidy when he finished third back in 2014.

This gave him the opportunity to compete further in both Europe and Japan.

Armstrong, who hails from Canterbury, recently finished fourth overall in the F3 European Championship after a disappointing final round at Hockenheim where he didn’t finish any of the final three races.

Overall victory went to his team mate Mick Schumacher, son of seven-times World Championship F1 driver Michael.

Benjamin Carrell is the online editor of talkmotorsport.co.nz