Akita and Kunihiro on pole at Suzuka

Weather and strategy played a fundamental role in determining the first starting grid of the season in the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Japan. At the end of the scheduled thirty minutes, the performance of Akita, the fastest overall despite being entered in the Trofeo Pirelli Am, was rewarded.

The driver from Cornes Nagoya, already among the protagonists in the morning's free practice session, closed a lap of the Suzuka track - made slippery by the light rain that preceded the cars' entrance onto the track - in 2'16"849. Akita was good at anticipating the competition by opting to fit slicks at the end of the session, when the ideal racing line had returned to essentially dry and the rain tyres were no longer able to guarantee the best performance.

The weather conditions helped to shuffle the cards significantly, also offering Coppa Shell Am drivers a chance to prove themselves, as witnessed by Korean Phil Kim's tenth place overall. Back on the front row, Yudai Uchida secured first place in the Trofeo Pirelli with a time of 2'18"314, ahead of Imada and Furatani.

A surprising Ryuichi Kunihiro qualified his 488 Challenge Evo in fifth, first of the Coppa Shell Am drivers, clocking a 2'19"994 which put him just over five tenths ahead of 'Cold Max', the fastest of the Trofeo Pirelli Am drivers.