Maiden Wins Galore on Formula Hololive Day at Okayama and Singapore

25 October 2024 - The racing action over the weekend of 19-20 October 2024 delivered spectacular moments across both Formula Hololive Japan’s Tsuyo and Zako Cups at the Okayama SP, alongside the intensity of Formula Hololive International at the Singapore SP. Drama, maiden victories, and shifting title dynamics were the key takeaways from an action-packed weekend.

The Tsuyo Cup, held at 11 AM JST, saw Danilo Goyena take his first career victory in Formula Hololive Japan, ending a streak of near-misses and finally reaching the top step of the podium. Driving with a perfect balance of aggression and consistency, Goyena, representing Usada Pekora, made a series of crucial overtakes to secure a much-needed win.

With this victory, Goyena now sits second in the Tsuyo Cup standings with 421 points, closing the gap to series leader Michael Turner, representing Shirogane Noel, who remains at 444 points after finishing second. Turner’s consistent run has kept him atop the standings, but Goyena’s resurgence has turned the title fight into a nail-biting contest.

The current Tsuyo Cup standings reveal the fierce battle for supremacy:

Michael Turner - 444

Danilo Goyena - 421

Kaminari Riba - 412

Lorenzo Ricci - 369

Farah Bashirah - 359

Jake Goodwin - 307

Daniel Barguer - 283

Vladislav Domaschnev - 247

With just a handful of races left, the likes of Riba, Ricci, and Bashirah remain in striking distance, making every race crucial from this point forward.

The Tsuyo Cup also marked the final race of the day in Japan for drivers like Tyler Williams, Kaminari Riba, Jake Martinez, and Alticer Antanarau, who immediately flew out to Singapore after the race to participate in the Formula Hololive International event later that night. However, Shaneil Marcman, who also competed in the Zako Cup, opted for a private flight to Singapore and barely made it to the track in time for qualifying for the international race.

Originally scheduled for Saturday but delayed to Sunday afternoon at 3 PM JST, the Zako Cup saw Inugami Korone representative Sean Poly take his maiden victory in a thrilling contest. A composed performance by Poly ensured a solid win ahead of Hiyuta Asano, who remains a key contender for the Zako Cup title. Asano, driving for Minato Aqua, fought hard but could only manage second, increasing his season tally to 632 points, still a considerable lead over Poly’s 487 points.

Due to Jake Martinez's participation in the Formula Hololive International race, Joshua Azurid stepped in to replace him, delivering a steady performance that allowed Martinez to focus on his home race in Singapore.

In a gripping Formula Hololive International race at the Singapore SP held at 10 PM JST, Ryan Kagawa earned his maiden win after a near-flawless performance where he lost the lead to Javier Lusby but reclaiming the lead on the final quarter, tightening his grip on the championship lead. Kagawa’s first victory came after several consistent top 5 finishes earlier in the season, giving him a commanding total of 1,065 points in the standings.

However, the race was marred by multiple incidents, including a first-lap collision involving Mohd Shazren Redza and Dan Evans. Redza was spun around by Evans and collected by Evelyn Kuromi, resulting in a double DNF that has severely impacted Redza’s title hopes. He now sits third in the standings with 742 points, behind Javier Lusby with 946.

Elsewhere, the FuwaMoco drivers faced a weekend to forget, both being involved in separate incidents at Turn 1.

Meanwhile Marcman managed to participate in both the Zako Cup and International race, despite crashing in the Singapore SP.

As the series moves into its next phase, the top drivers in Formula Hololive International standings are as follows:

Ryan Kagawa - 1,065

Javier Lusby - 946

Mohd Shazren Redza - 742

Juani Castanto - 712

Haziq Yazid - 676

Aziz Muazif - 660

Yuri-Rafael De Oliviera - 658

Corey-Rico Mendez - 641

Hanaori Miyuki - 629

Hinochi Taiyo - 619

Kaminari Riba - 619

With seven rounds left in the season, Kagawa’s commanding lead makes him the clear favourite, but with unpredictable races like Singapore, the championship could still be up for grabs.

As Formula Hololive Japan and International inch closer to their respective season finales, the title battles in both the Tsuyo/Zako Cups and Formula Hololive International are heating up. Fans eagerly anticipate the next rounds, with high drama and competitive racing expected, as the conclusion of Formula Hololive Japan in 2024 looms, while in International, the next race is a stone's throw.