WORDS FROM THE PODIUM
“I’m thrilled to have won my third championship. Each title has been significant in its own way. The first was a remarkable comeback, and the second was a hard-fought battle right up to the final race. This year, however, it felt like I had secured the championship even before the final race. While all three championships share the same level of prestige, the journey to each has been unique.
This third title stands out because we maintained the top ranking throughout the entire season. In that sense, I believe this year showcased my speed and strength like never before. I hope this performance made our rivals feel, 'There's no way we can beat the No. 36 car.' I’m deeply grateful to Bridgestone, the team, the staff, and everyone who supported me this season."
Sho Tsuboi, Winning Driver (au TOM'S GR Supra/Bridgestone)
"This year, I joined TGR TEAM au TOM'S No. 36 car and entered an environment where winning the championship was an absolute must. Before the season started, I thought, 'It’ll be fine,' but as the races progressed, there were moments when I struggled to adapt, which put some pressure on me.
As the season drew closer to the final race, Tsuboi had already achieved success in Super Formula, and the double title was within reach in SUPER GT. The team was also aiming for back-to-back championships. This was a completely new experience for me, and I felt a lot of pressure and tension throughout many of the races.
Despite that, I think I delivered the necessary performance to secure the championship. In today’s race, even a momentary lapse in focus could have cost us the win, possibly dropping us to second or third place. But we managed to stay on top, and I’m truly happy that we achieved the championship in such a flawless way. I’m immensely grateful to Tsuboi, the team, the staff, and Bridgestone for their support. ”
Kenta Yamashita, Winning Driver (au TOM'S GR Supra/Bridgestone)
"For this first December race, we selected tyres that offered strong performance in both qualifying and the final race, providing them to all the teams. However, the track temperature dropped by 8 degrees from the start to the end of qualifying. This created a challenging scenario, as the track temperature in Q1 was at the upper limit for the tyres chosen by each team, while in Q2, it was at the lower limit.
Given the conditions, especially at this time of year, we prioritised safe tyre choices over aggressive ones for low temperatures. I believe this approach allowed each team to perform at their best.
In the final, there were some challenges with tyre warm-up, but the champion team—car No. 36 with Tsuboi and Yamashita—had already secured the championship during qualifying. They opted for tyres that delivered stable performance during the second stint. While there were moments when other teams pushed them hard, they stayed strong and claimed victory, bringing the season to a spectacular close."
Takahiko Yamamoto, Bridgestone Motorsport Tyre Development Manager
