Fenestraz ignored Kondo pit call on way to best-ever finish

Fenestraz finished second at the Kyushu track, taking advantage of an overcut strategy that left him behind only race winner Ryo Hirakawa at the chequered flag.

However, it could have been a different story had the Franco-Argentine driver heeded his Kondo crew’s request for him to pit at the start of the window on lap 10 of 42.

Fenestraz instead decided to stay out until lap 28, enjoying a spell in the lead of the race, and when he returned to the track he emerged ahead of several cars he had been running behind in the early stages, including poleman Tomoki Nojiri.

By contrast, Kondo teammate Kenta Yamashita finished 11th and out of the points after stopping on lap 11, despite qualifying one place behind Fenestraz in seventh.

“I didn’t follow what the team said, so they were not too happy, but it paid off in the end,” Fenestraz told Motorsport.com.  “So I’m happy about that decision. 

“I saw the two cars in front [Tadasuke Makino and Ukyo Sasahara] pit in, and then I was like, screw it, I’m not pitting! I had a clean track, and I felt before the stops I was faster than them. Behind the safety car, I was telling the team, ‘guys, I think we can go a bit longer’.

“When the guys ahead came in I was able to take advantage [of the clean air] and increase the pace. It was my decision at the last minute not to come in, and it was the right call.”

Fenestraz (left) congratulates race winner and fellow Toyota man Hirakawa

With Hirakawa stopping on lap 20, overcutting title rival Nojiri in the process, Fenestraz had the advantage of fresher tyres for the latter part of the race and initially closed the gap to his Toyota stablemate.

However, after several laps the Kondo driver had to turn his attention towards defending second from