Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Matsumoto-san Report from the ground

Preview AUTOPOLIS at the foot of Mount Aso at about 900m above sea level, the highest among all circuits in Japan.


As you know aero (body panel) packages and suspensions are heavily regulated so they can't be changed during the season. Engine development is still allowed but 3 engines per car, per season are allowed, so we'd have to wait 3 races before we could put in the new engine with the new developed parts.

How about the Hybrid, you ask?

Hybrid system is highly regulated, too. Any changes to the hybrid outputs or the power band are not allowed although it could only shorten the time comma 2 or 3 (i.e. 0.2 or 0.3, not sure what Matsumoto is referring to here) so it wouldn't really change anything today.

Only thing left there to do is the car settings. It is clear now that our current challenge is the car settings. Hopefully we'll do better jobs this time though we won't be challenging the top.

We're anticipating #18 Weilder Modulo with Michelin's would perform better at Autopolis considering the results after the tire tests.

We're doing the best we can as always. We appreciate your unconditional supports. We thank you very much. 

Translation (very much appreciated) provided by TOVA reader 'CR-V9'

2 comments:

CR-V9 said...

Ok, this is nothing to do with the SuperGt. It's just ... the shrimps-on-the barbie pansy bothers me, again.
I don't know anything of Soichiro Jr. but here is another Soichiro story. Every story I site is from my memories because I don't have the 10-15 books I had about Soichiro are gone now. I don't know if it's true or not. I don't have no inside info.
One reporter stayed with Soichiro for a week. The oldman was already in his retirement. Everywhere Soichiro went he went along. One day he was at the grassroots motor racing event. His Jr was there too with his kids. They came to pay the respect to the oldman. The grandkids hugged him and everything but their father just said an obligatory "Hello" to him from distance. The reporter talked to him. Jr said he was rebellious to his father all his life. He did something just to despise his father sometimes when he was younger. he said his younger brother was different. His younger brother adored their father.

Can you imagine if you were a son of Soichiro, a legend, a genius as a car mechanic and as an car engineer? He also was an eccentric genius. People would always compare you to your genius and eccentric father. No matter what your accomplishments were or how good you did things people would always say they were not good enough, comparing to the father. You're always living in his shadow. It happens to any kids whose parent is famous, eccentric and genius.

Jr told the reporter his younger brother adored his father and the father adored him as well. They often played shogi (Japanes chess) together. They laughed together, always.
His younger brother suddenly passed away when he was in his late teen (or early 20's). It was devastating to Soichiro as well as the whole family. Jr. felt his father's pain and anguish and felt closed to him (but still wasn't able to reconcile relationship fully).

It said that Jr. spend a lot money in his F1 project after 90's, after Soichiro's passing and Honda's absent from F1.
His company Mugen was completely a different company. It wasn't Honda's subsidiary neither. However, it would be natural to guess that there must have been personal, personnel connections to Honda. Almost every time Mugen participated in one of the grassroots motor events there the few Honda engineers from Honda R&D were to cheer. After all Jr. is the Soichiro's son even though Jr. never worked in Honda. He wasn't allowed to.
He was accused of the tax evasions but never convicted. I personally don't think he intentionally did it. His people probably might have tried to fund his F1 project. He was voted out of his company, Mugen, and the company has been restructured and renamed the M-tech. Jr. is no longer anything to do with the company.
I think he's sort of retired. He however ended up as the biggest Honda share holder though he doesn't hold the controlling share though.

CR-V9 said...

They won. They won.
#55 CR-Z GT started from 2nd and won the race.

#100 Raybrig NSX Concept GT started from 6th and finished in 6th.
#18 Weider finished in 7th
#10 Epson finished in 10th
2 other NSXs retired.

It was a hot day. 28c, 43c (road surface temp)
It seems they will use the new engines in the next race.

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