Race 1 of Round 5, the finale of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli Japan, unfolded at Okayama International Circuit. Under heavy clouds threatening rain, 26 drivers put on a fierce display of wheel-to-wheel battles.

Nobuhiro Imada, winner in the Trofeo Pirelli: “Starting fourth after a difficult qualifying, I made up ground at the start and claimed my second win of the season in a chaotic race. When the leaders collided, I avoided unnecessary risks and focused on consistency. The 296 Challenge is powerful, light, and brakes superbly, though its sensitivity took time to master. Tomorrow’s wet race will be another chance to maintain this form.”

Tsutomu Shimoyama, winner in the Trofeo Pirelli Am: “Having no prior experience at Okayama, I had little simulator time and lost most of free practice to a mechanical issue. Today, my focus was on finishing safely. I managed my pace carefully, staying out of trouble while keeping a comfortable gap both ahead and behind. I’ve grown fond of this technical track and want to master it. With rain expected tomorrow, I’ll take the same cautious approach.”

Michito Hirota, winner in the Trofeo Pirelli 488 Challenge Evo: “After crashing my 296 Challenge in the opening round, I’ve been competing in this class, so taking my first Ferrari win feels incredible. I spun from pole and dropped back but fought through to retake the lead. I’m happy to keep my promise to my daughters to bring home a trophy, and last year’s practice at Okayama really paid off.”

Norikazu Shibata, winner in the Coppa Shell: “I’m delighted to finish second overall. The team worked late into the night to fix the car after repeated troubles, and despite going straight into qualifying without practice, I secured class pole. Okayama’s technical layout might suit me — using my past experience of overtaking 11 cars from 19th on the grid, I made a strong start and climbed to third overall. This season has had many retirements and mechanical issues, so I’m not high in the points, but this class is incredibly rewarding and fun. With rain forecast tomorrow, and as I don’t mind wet races, I’m looking forward to it.”

Yasuhito Fukui, winner in the Coppa Shell Am: “It was my first time starting from the front row, but I stayed calm. Okayama is tough for overtaking, and while my pre-race simulations didn’t go as planned, a strong restart after the red flag allowed me to build an early lead. When the points leader closed in, I picked up the pace. Taking my first win in the final round of my debut season is truly special.”