P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Super Formula Suzuka: Nojiri wins season-opener, Pourchaire 18th on debut
Mugen driver Nojiri had a flawless start from third and took the lead from surprise poleman Sakaguchi and Ota at the start of the race, maintaining his position throughout the 31 laps. Yamashita and Yamamoto completed the podium after gaining ground with early pitstops. Both front-row starters, Sakaguchi and Ota, lost positions off the start, with Sakaguchi slipping to third and Ota dropping to seventh. Nojiri extended his lead, pitted on lap 13, and maintained his position ahead of Yamashita and Yamamoto, who had earlier stops. The order at the front remained unchanged, with Nojiri clinching his 12th career victory, followed by Yamashita and Yamamoto. Sakaguchi slipped to seventh after a late pitstop, and the points scorers were completed by Matsushita, Iwasa, and Makino. Top rookie Iwasa passed Makino to finish ahead, while Pourchaire had a tough Super Formula debut, finishing 18th after an off that required a front wing change during his pitstop.
