Sasaki

I’ve driven the car since the shakedown, and they’ve got it running so smoothly that it doesn’t feel significantly different from a gasoline-engine-powered car in any way.

Right now, we’re still at the starting line. As the technology continues to get better, I hope we can take advantage of the unique features of hydrogen to make a more powerful car, closing the gap and ultimately leaving (gasoline-powered cars) in our wake.

The ignition speed is said to be six to eight times faster. So, if we can revise the programming to optimize this ignition speed and timing, I expect the engine to become more responsive and even more powerful.

Sasaki

This project has just begun and the engine is still very much in its infancy, getting ready to stand on its own two feet. I hope to see it stand firmly, then get to the point where it can run, sprint, and take off.

Although there is virtually no difference in the feel (of the engine), the torque tends to be rather low. I think this lack of torque can be overcome in the near future by effectively combining the engine with turbochargers or superchargers.

It is important to confirm the feelings we have as drivers by looking at the data, testing the car’s endurance through long runs, and continuing to develop the areas that are lacking. I think the speed of (technological) progress really picks up in a racing environment. I hope we can make use of racing to create a better car with a long future.

It has a powerful sound. Getting more power out of the engine should make the sound even more impressive, and I hope this is another aspect everyone can enjoy…

As a sport, I think racing is difficult for the general public to understand. Those with no interest in cars or racing probably wonder why on earth we would do something like this.

I want people to see that the car we drive is evolving, that it runs by emitting clean air and water vapor instead of carbon dioxide. I hope that our efforts will contribute to making more cars on the world’s roads carbon-neutral.

Sasaki

Going under two minutes would prove to the motorsports world that competing in this car is more than just an experiment. I want to show that the hydrogen-powered engine is not just a pipe dream, but a race-ready machine!

Since the qualifying stage of the endurance race is the car’s first chance to shine, two minutes won’t be good enough – I have to get down to the one-minute range!

Sasaki

Last time, the wind direction changed our speed by about 10km/h from the shakedown. This means that we still have much to do. We have really only just found our feet, so we have nowhere to go but up from here.

During shakedown, even a relaxed run clocked in around (2 minutes) 7 seconds, and with a bit of effort I soon got down to the 5-second range, so it was faster than I expected. At first, I thought we would be slower than cars in the lower class, but the car turned out much faster.

Iguchi

Until you’re told otherwise, it feels just like a regular engine – I felt comfortable driving it right away.

The car also comes to life nicely the moment you step on the accelerator, which makes me feel that, with continued improvement, it could have a really exciting future ahead.

From the sound of the engine to the sensation when you’re driving, all of that remains the same, so you really feel like you’re racing. I didn’t feel like I was driving a hydrogen-powered car.

I think we still have a lot of work to do with the settings, but at this stage the car is certainly fit for the circuit. From here, I’m sure we’ll come up against all sorts of issues, such as refueling time, but I’m sure we will overcome them as a team.

Ishiura

The biggest surprise was being able to drive normally without any trouble. Once I got behind the wheel, it felt no different from driving a regular gasoline-engine racing car – there were no new controls or anything else that would make it feel like you’re driving a completely different vehicle. Out on the track, you can forget about it and just concentrate on racing as usual. That’s what it felt like.

The car responds well when you tap on the accelerator, giving you more precise control. In that regard, I felt it was better than a gasoline engine.

However, because we haven’t reached max power yet, the acceleration that follows leaves a little to be desired when compared to a gasoline engine at full throttle. But this is just the beginning, and I think it’s a very exciting first step when you consider that we will continue to build from here.

Ishiura

I think it might sound better than a gasoline-powered car. It was not overly high-pitched at the top, and the underlying sound of the torque gives it a real impact when you’re driving.

As a racing fan, I’ve been going down to Fuji Speedway from a young age, and what really attracted me most was the sound. More than anything else, that’s what drew me into racing as a boy.

I think this hydrogen-powered engine is perfect for motorsports because it fully delivers that all-important sound, which conveys the sense of power from the driver to the crowd.

Ishiura

After hearing the figures on the car’s weight, I assumed it would feel a lot more sluggish than it actually does.

When you hold off on the brakes until the last moment before a corner, then it feels a little heavy, but it’s no different from driving with a weight handicap in Super GT.

Today, I was able to compete with the other cars on the corners and overtake from the outside on the 100R (high-speed corner at Fuji Speedway), so there wasn’t much negative impact from the weight.

Ishiura

Being able to drive longer distances. I think that reducing the number of times we have to refuel hydrogen would set us up for success in many different (race) categories.

Morizo

I heard that hydrogen-powered engines produce a rather high-pitched sound, which made me feel that there is still room for us to find the true “hydrogen sound”. We’re going to be the first to do it. I want our team to define what that sounds like when people say: “Oh, that’s the sound of a hydrogen-powered engine.”

“Fun to drive” is something you can experience with all the senses. And now that we’ve built a new engine that aims for carbon neutrality with environment-friendly green hydrogen, I want to make sure that we get the essential car sounds right, from driving to turning and braking. Especially in a car made for motorsports.