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The possibilities of Sasahara discovering a berth in Japan’s prime single-seater collection this season took a blow earlier this week, when rookie Atsushi Miyake was unveiled as Workforce Goh’s second driver for its first season as an unbiased workforce.
It leaves solely the second seat at B-Max Racing unassigned with lower than a month to go till the beginning of pre-season testing at Suzuka.
Sasahara’s solely confirmed programme for 2022 thus far is in SUPER GT with Honda outfit Workforce Mugen, with which he additionally contested the 2020 Tremendous Formulation season as an alternative to absent Crimson Bull junior Juri Vips.
He then stuffed in for an unwell Tadasuke Makino at Dandelion Racing for the opening two races in 2021, scoring a podium at Suzuka, however was handed up for a full-time seat on the workforce this yr in favour of Hiroki Otsu – who additionally changed him at Mugen for 2021.
B-Max had been concentrating on a overseas driver with a funds to fill its second seat alongside Nobuharu Matsushita, however with Japan’s journey restrictions nonetheless stopping newcomers from coming into the nation, it’s probably the workforce must signal a home driver if it nonetheless needs to discipline a two-car entry.
“In relation to contract negotiations, the individuals supporting me are searching for potentialities,” Sasahara advised Motorsport.com’s Japanese version. “In fact, I need to race in Tremendous Formulation and I’m working exhausting to attain that.
“It isn’t like I am doing nothing. The individuals supporting me are doing their greatest to permit me race in Tremendous Formulation.”
Goh workforce boss Kazuhiro Ikeda clarified on Twitter that the newly-independent outfit held talks with Sasahara, however that they “could not attain an settlement about our situations and goals earlier than time ran out”.
Sasahara stated he was comfortable to see that so many followers had responded together with his identify to a Goh social media submit final month asking who ought to fill the squad’s second seat alongside the previously-announced Ren Sato.
“I’m actually grateful that so many followers recognise me as ‘a driver that deserves to be in Tremendous Formulation’,” stated the 25-year-old. “I’m grateful for his or her assist.”
F4 race winner Otaki concentrating on SF transfer
Sasahara may have a shock rival for the second B-Max seat within the type of Japanese Formulation 4 race winner Takuya Otaki.
A brochure aimed toward potential sponsors produced by Otaki was posted on Fb final week, showing to disclose that the 26-year-old is attempting to assemble a funds to compete in Tremendous Formulation in 2022.
Otaki (proper) is a former rival of now-AlphaTauri Formulation 1 racer Yuki Tsunoda (center)
It claimed that Otaki had been made a suggestion for a Tremendous Formulation drive for 50 million yen (approx. $430,000) with out specifying a workforce, though B-Max is now the one workforce on the grid with a emptiness out there.
Within the occasion Otaki is ready to land the drive, it could mark his first full season in single-seaters since he contested the 2018 Japanese Formulation 4 collection, though he did contest a partial marketing campaign within the collection final yr.
Motorsport.com has reached out to Otaki for remark.
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