Sekiguchi halts Gasly’s bull charge
SUGO (J) SEPTEMBER 24
ROUND 6/7
YUHI SEKIGUCHI RESISTED A LATE charge from Pierre Gasly to hold on for the win in the penultimate round.
Sekiguchi, who won at the same venue from pole position in 2016, started second this year but got his Team Impul Dallara-toyota in front from the off as polesitter Nick Cassidy made a slow getaway and dropped to fifth. Gasly, who lined up third, made a good start to follow Sekiguchi, ahead of Andre Lotterer and Kazuki Nakajima.
Sekiguchi stopped for fuel on lap 43 of the 68-lap race, but was able to move back into the lead as others came in. Gasly was one of the drivers to stay out longer before pitting on lap 58. Faced with a gap of just under five seconds to the leader, the Red Bull junior pushed his Honda-powered Team Mugen car hard over the remaining laps and crossed the line just 0.243s behind Sekiguchi.
Nakajima rose to third when his TOM’S team-mate Lotterer made a mistake at the first corner on lap seven, and he then put in a very consistent drive to take his first podium since he won the opening race of the season.
Yuji Kunimoto finished fourth ahead of Felix Rosenqvist, who maintained his third place in the championship.
Series leader Hiroaki Ishiura started eighth and finished sixth after Kamui Kobayashi had fuel problems and lost a position. Although Ishiura is still in front, Gasly is now just half a point adrift with only the double-header at Suzuka left to run.