Ritomo Miyata has experienced a difficult transition to Formula 2. The Japanese driver made the transition from the familiar ground of Super Formula and Super GT at the start of 2024. He sits 18^th in the drivers’ standings, with a pair of fifth-places in Melbourne representing his best results. During the British Grand Prix weekend, Miyata spoke to Feeder Series about his season so far.

By Martin Lloyd

Much was expected of Miyata when he moved to F2. The 24-year-old arrived in the paddock as the reigning Super Formula and Super GT champion, backed by Toyota Gazoo Racing and placed with the front-running Rodin team.

Limitations on track time prove problematic

He was one of three title-holders in the field, alongside Formula 3 champion Gabriel Bortoleto and Formula Regional Europe champion Andrea Kimi Antonelli. While both of those drivers have since won races, Miyata has not yet been able to. He attributes part of this to his lack of experience on F2 tracks.

“In Bahrain, and Barcelona, I knew the track because we tested before,” he said to Feeder Series. “Here [Silverstone], I didn’t know the track because I’ve never driven here before. The team always tries to help me to quickly understand in free practice, and how to make the warm-up and push-lap good in the quali.

It is certainly true that Miyata lacks track time at most of the venues on the F2 schedule. Before the season started, he had tested at Abu Dhabi and Bahrain, while he had competed in WEC at the 6 Hours of Spa. Outside of these circuits, Miyata had no experience at the European venues where many of his competitors on the F2 grid had driven in multiple seasons of junior single-seaters. While he participated in the in-season test at Barcelona, Miyata had never driven at tracks including Imola and the Red Bull Ring.

These tracks are staples of the calendar in series such as F3 and FRECA, among others – Miyata’s competitors have completed hours of running on these circuits, while he has not turned a wheel before every race weekend.

This lack of experience, compared to drivers who have driven on the traditional European pathway, has proved a disadvantage so far in 2024. But Miyata also told Feeder Series that his car has not had enough raw pace.

“The team is always supportive of me. Last week in Austria, I also made a good run but unfortunately our car performance is not enough in quali. That’s why our car has not got good results.”

Combining F2 with endurance

The transition from Super Formula to F2 would be enough of a challenge, but Miyata is also continuing his racing programme outside of junior single-seaters with a programme in the European Le Mans Series. In conversation with Feeder Series, he discussed the differences between the championships that make it easier to adjust to driving in the endurance championship.

“It’s not too difficult, with F2 to LMP2 and LMP2 to F2,” he said. “I know how to change the driving style – in Japan I was always doing Super Formula to Super GT. But every time it’s my first time driving on the new track. LMP2 has a lot of free practice, many sessions, much more run time.”

Miyata is sharing Cool Racing’s #37 LMP2 machine with Malthe Jakobsen and Lorenzo Fluxá. The trio won the opening round in Barcelona, before retiring from the lead in the following event at Paul Ricard.

“F2 is really short – 45 minutes and only one practice. It’s really difficult to prepare for quali and the races, LMP2 has more free practice sessions, so I have more preparation for the quali and the races.”

The lack of practice before the start of a meaningful session has evidently affected Miyata’s first half of the season – for others, they can focus immediately on achieving their run-plans, while he must learn the track first. With the weekend-defining qualifying session taking place just a few hours after the conclusion of practice, he has faced an uphill battle to challenge those drivers, qualifying in the top 10 on just two occasions.

Maloney’s help

Importantly, it was in Bahrain and Barcelona that Miyata was able to do this – the two tracks where he had previous experience. At each track, Miyata has looked across the garage to his Rodin teammate, Zane Maloney. The Bajan driver has risen through the junior single-seater categories on the European circuits that have proved difficult for Miyata. The latter told Feeder Series about how Maloney, competing in his second year of competition in F2, has helped him to adapt to the new series.

“Zane is always telling me about how to drive these tracks, how to fight in F2, always helping me a lot. I feel like I want to say ‘thank you so much’ to him, because he is always supporting me. He is my teammate, but normally the teammate is the biggest rival, but we have lots of respect. He’s really kind.”

Header photo credit: Dutch Photo Agency