Alesi to fill in for Nakajima
Giuliano Alesi, son of Ferrari Formula 1 folk hero Jean, will race for TOM’S in Super Formula this season as a substitute for Kazuki Nakajima, but admits he “doesn’t know what to expect” from his debut.
Alesi has moved to Japan for 2021 after two seasons in Formula 2, and has embarked on a dual campaign in the second-tier Super Formula Lights series with TOM’S and in Super GT’S GT300 class with Toyota Team Thailand.
With Nakajima set to miss multiple races due to clashing FIA World Endurance Championship commitments for Toyota and travel restrictions, Alesi looks set for an early debut in Super Formula, potentially as early as this month’s second round at Suzuka.
“The objective will be to score some points, get a podium if I can,” said Alesi. “But since I have never raced in Super Formula I don’t know what to expect, so it’s a little bit too early [to aim] for that.”
Alesi first drove the SF19 last month in Suzuka pre-season testing in place of Nakajima, setting the fifth fastest time on the second day. “It felt really quick,” he said. “Downforce, tyres, engine, everything. It’s completely different to what I’m used to. When I was driving it, it felt really close to an F1 car. Much faster than F2.”
Alesi’s main campaign in Super Formula Lights kicked off last weekend at Fuji (above), where his TOM’S team-mate, Toyota protege Kazuto Kotaka, stood in for the quarantining Kamui Kobayashi at the KCMG Super Formula squad.
Alesi scored two thirds and a sixth on his Japanese competition debut. The first race went to EX-FIA F3 racer Teppei Natori (B-max Racing Team), the second to Honda youngster Ren Sato (Toda Racing), and the wet finale to another Honda prospect, Atsushi Miyake (Looney Sports). Alesi therefore sits fourth in the points.
The 21-year-old Alesi says he doesn’t view the move to F3 level as a backwards step in his career because he no longer harbours any realistic ambitions of racing in F1. “This is not for one or two years, I want to build my career here,” he said.