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have to be extremely light , but without
resorting to exotic materials, which increase
the running costs.The second request is that
the car must be very effective during
overtaking maneuvers: to me this represents
the most interesting technical challenge
of the entire project. The organizers are
focused on improving the show on track,
without resorting to systems such
as DRS in F1; therefore endowing the cars
with the ability to remain in close contact
with the competitor immediately ahead prior
to a straight stretch of track, is crucial to
achieving this objective. We are working
heavily on the aerodynamics to allow
this to happen”.
Will the new Super Formula be the
opportunity to introduce innovative
solutions also in terms of safety?
“
There will be no innovative solutions other
than those introduced by the FIA. The car
will have to comply with the 2010 FIA F1
rules, just like the GP2. It will therefore
undergo all three crash tests, frontal impact,
lateral impact on dedicated energy absorbing
cones, and rear impact on the structure
attached to the rear of the gearbox and that
also supports the rear wing”.
How useful will the Japanese F3 experience
be in facing this new project?
“
It is certainly useful, some of the teams that
run in the F3 Japan championship also
compete in F.Nippon; this allows us to
understand how the Japanese work, and cater
for their needs, as well as understanding what
they expect from this new car”.
Are you thinking of opening a base in Japan
to follow the car’s development?
“
Not at this time; we will be travelling back
and forth for the developments tests and for
the first races”.
When are the first tests scheduled?
“
The first test will be on July 2013 at Fuji,
with both the Honda and Toyota cars. There
will then be 5 tests, still in Japan, before
delivering the remaining 18 cars to the
teams”.
Can the new adventure in Japan be a useful
experience in terms of exploring a huge, and
still unknown, market such as Chinese
motorsport?
“
The Chinese market is extremely tempting,
and reinforcing our presence in Japan will
allow us to follow the development of
motorsport in China much more closely.
China has only recently begun taking notice
of motorsport, and is therefore in a phase of
growth and development, with new tracks
and different categories; people are gradually
learning about ,and getting involved in
racing. We definitely hope that increasing our
presence in Japan will open doors to new
projects”.
Alessandro Santini
