Takodachis' Adachi Triumphs in Indonesia Grand Prix despite Penalties

Lombok, January 28, 2024 - The Mandalika International Street Circuit once again showcased its unpredictability during Round 4 of the 2023-24 Formula Hololive International season, the Indonesia Grand Prix. In a race that unfolded with relentless action and strategy, Takeda Adachi driving for Ninomae Ina'nis, emerged victorious and takes the lead in the championship standings.

In qualifying, Zeke Wimberley secured pole position for Ceres Fauna, however, unlike the previous round, Wimberley faced stiff competition from Bernardo Santiago in car #88 for Watson Amelia, who qualified just 0.178 seconds behind. Nanashi Mumei's Ethan Berthelsen claimed the third spot, while Hinochi Taiyo, the hometown favorite for Hololive Indonesia's Moona Hoshinova, started fourth. Notably, Aziz Muazif, the pole sitter from the Mandalika Superprix the day prior, began in 13th.

Juani Castanto racing for Ouro Kronii in car #92 started 16th, and needs a good haul of points to help limit the damages in his bid for the championship and take advantage of his championship rival, Jake Martinez (who was steering the #4 Mori Calliope car) starting in second-last in 18th.

The race commenced with Wimberley claiming an early lead, pursued closely by Santiago. However, Hinochi Taiyo's race took an unfortunate turn as she misjudged the space into the first corner, going three-wide into Turn 1, spinning her car out and resulting in a collision with Berthelsen, damaging her rear wing and jeopardizing her race.

As the laps unfolded, the pit stops introduced strategic elements, and it was Santiago who outsmarted the competition with a well-timed pit stop on Lap 20. This decision allowed him to lead by a substantial margin of 11 seconds over Garcia in second and Adachi in third after pit stops were completed.

The halfway point witnessed more incidents, with Hinochi Taiyo involved in another collisions, notably with Sean Golael (#99 Gawr Gura) at Turn 1. Meanwhile, Adachi displayed aggressive maneuvers, colliding with Garcia on Lap 45 at Turn 16, prompting the stewards to impose a 5-second penalty later in the race.

In the closing stages, Adachi closed in on Santiago, whose lead had diminished due to traffic with lapped cars. By lap 59, Adachi made the pass for the lead at the final corner with a move around the outside of Santiago. However, the race's turning point occurred on Lap 60 when Adachi, attempting to maintain his lead, collided with Jake Martinez, sending the latter into a spin. Adachi was under investigation for said incident and would be at risk of further penalties.

Undeterred with the 5-second penalty, Adachi managed to extend his lead over Santiago in the final laps, securing victory in the Indonesian Grand Prix. Despite initial penalties, Adachi's gap to Santiago was enough for him to clinch the win by 6 seconds. Muazif crossed the finish line second, 3.7 seconds ahead of Santiago who claimed third.

Post-race, Adachi faced additional penalties for the incident with Martinez, but he retained the win, although the gap to second had reduced to only one second. The championship landscape underwent a significant shift, with Adachi ascending to the lead with 457 points, closely followed by Juani Castanto at 422 points. Muazif's consistent performances at the Indonesia double-header placed him third in the standings with 365 points, while Jake Martinez slipped to fourth with 358 points.