Terrifying accident at Super Formula series
8:46 PM EDT, October 29, 2023
A horrifying accident transpired during the 8th round of the Super Formula series at the Suzuka track in Japan. Hiroki Otsu and Ukyo Sasahara found themselves in a devastating collision resulting in their race cars being completely destroyed. This shocking incident has rapidly made its rounds online.
The Super Formula series, originally known as the All-Japan Formula 2000, was established in 1973. The majority of the competitors are Japanese, but a handful of international racers, including Liam Lawson who has five Formula 1 races under his belt this season, have also participated in this year's series.
The competition transpired at the renowned Suzuka track during the final October weekend. A fierce battle for position occurred during the Saturday race between Hiroki Otsu and Ukyo Sasahara.
They collided at the 130R turn. Neither were able to regain control of their vehicles and ended up crashing into the track barrier with immense force.
The impact was so severe that the rear of one of the race cars was entirely ripped off. Otsu managed to exit his vehicle unaided, however Sasahara required medical assistance.
Sasahara was rushed to the hospital shortly after the collision occurred. Medical examinations revealed that he had a concussion. Fortunately, he did not sustain any severe injuries and was closely monitored overnight as a precaution.
Neither drivers were able to join the final race scheduled the following day. Moreover, it remains unclear whether Sasahara will be partaking in the upcoming weekend's Super GT series race.
The accident footage has gone viral. It was shared on the X portal (previously known as Twitter) and has garnered nearly 450,000 views in a short span of time. Considering the extent of the wreckage, it is indeed fortunate that no one was severely injured.
Ritomo Miyata triumphed in the final series classification. This stellar performance awarded the Japanese driver his first-ever Super Formula title. Liam Lawson, who barely scraped by Tomoki Nojiri with a 0.5 point margin, secured the second place.
