Khashiu and Azurii The Big Winners at Autopolis, Ao's Bittersweet Farewell And Martinez's Next Move

Autopolis, Ōita, 9 October - The rolling hills of Kyushu once again played host to a chaotic yet captivating weekend as the Formula Hololive Japan Tsuyo/Zako Cup visited Autopolis for Round 2 of the 2025 season. The high-altitude circuit delivered everything from dominant wins to red-flag drama, as both the Tsuyo and Zako fields endured race-stopping incidents and shifting championship tides.

In the Zako Cup, Aki Rosenthal and her driver Vladislav Domaschnev powered their No.19 entry to their second win this season in Race 1, starting from 6th. The #19 car managed to take the lead with an overcut strategy, pitting later than polesitter Roboco and Callum Gibbens, and held on for the win in the second half of the race despite pressure from Shishiro Botan’s Kaminari Riba in second and Gibbens in third.

Himemori Luna’s Hanami Kiriko and Amane Kanata’s Tyler Williams completed the top five, while Sakura Miko’s Isekaijin Mikolev recovered from an early spin to finish sixth. Not all were as fortunate — Turn 10, the second hairpin became a danger zone, claiming multiple cars including Tokoyami Towa’s Jeff Rohan, Oozora Subaru’s Aqua Azurii, and some others.

Race 2 flipped the script. After a 14th and a win in Okayama, and the earlier DNF in Race 1 at Autopolis, Oozora Subaru’s Aqua Azurii took advantage of her surroundings to claim her second victory after Tokino Sora's Ho Phu-My who led for the first 24 laps went off at Turn 1 on Lap 25 and beached himself. Natsuiro Matsuri’s Chaka Labradores brought home 2nd after his own setback in race 1 where he also DNF'd , while Riba added another podium for Botan in third.

Further back, Williams continued his title bid with another top-five finish, extending his championship lead as others faltered. Kiriko’s retirement after an engine failure was a major setback, while Airi Nakamura endured a torrid second race, collecting minor points in 14th after off-track excursions.

The weekend’s results leave Williams and Azurii firmly in the hunt, separated by just 34 points, with Kiriko and Gibbens not far behind. As the Zako Cup heads to Suzuka, the title picture remains wide open, and it will be interesting to see how Suzuka pans out.

The Tsuyo Cup saw its fair share of drama — and heartbreak — as Tsunomaki Watame’s Mohamed Khashiu and Hakui Koyori’s Joshu Asahi traded blows in another weekend of strategic mastery.

Race 1 belonged to Kazama Iroha’s Ed Skye, who delivered a flawless performance in the No.16 car to take his first Formula Hololive win ahead of Asahi and Ookami Mio’s Jake Goodwin, with La+ Darknesss’s Rustim Kurashio not being able to penetrate Goodwin's 3rd and had to settle for 4th. Shirakami Fubuki’s Sammy Ake netted strong points with 5th. Meanwhile, Hiodoshi Ao’s Jake Martinez, making his penultimate start before Ao’s graduation, battled from the back of the field finished 13th — a quiet but sentimental conclusion to their partnership.

Race 2, however, descended into chaos. A multi-car collision on Lap 1 eliminated several contenders, including Martinez, whose car sustained terminal damage after a chain reaction at the main straight. As Martinez tried valiantly to keep his car on track, by Lap 3, race control decided to red flag the race and made Martinez return to the pits to DNF. Following a lengthy red flag, the restart lasted just 22 laps before another major accident — triggered when Ake went wide at Turn 1 and was collected by Kurashio — halted the race for the second time.

Following the second restart, it was Watame’s Khashiu who prevailed, rebounding from a Race 1 DNF to claim the win and reclaim the points lead. AZKi’s Misaki Sakura took a superb second for her best finish of the year, with Koyori’s Asahi rounding out the podium to keep the championship fight alive.

Yukihana Lamy’s Yukihara Touka and Nekomata Okayu’s Alticer Antanarau filled out the top five, while several big names — including Marine’s Lorenzo Ricci and Suisei’s Daniel Barguer — were victims of Turn 10.

Throught the entire weekend, high kerbs once again became the talking point as Turn 10's off-cambered corner's inside kerbs claimed the races of at least ten drivers the entire weekend.

After Autopolis, Watame and Koyori sit just 34 points apart atop the Tsuyo Cup standings, while Lamy, AZKi, and Pekora round out the top five. In contrast, the Zako Cup sees Amane Kanata inch ahead in consistency over Subaru, though the margin remains razor-thin.

For Jake Martinez, Autopolis marked the end of his ARO chapter for now — a quiet finish in Race 1 followed by an unfortunate retirement in Race 2 as Hiodoshi Ao’s entries bid farewell. It was a stark reminder that these races tell a broader story of competition, representation and history-making. However there may be hints that he won't be out of ARO competitions for long.