Yamamoto 'never imagined' scoring podium on injury comeback in Super Formula

The three-time champion finished third in Sunday’s opener at Suzuka, which marked his first appearance since last August’s Motegi round as he was ruled out of the final races of 2023 after sustaining serious neck and spine injuries in a SUPER GT crash at Sugo.

Yamamoto explained ahead of last month’s pre-season test at Suzuka that he had opted to undergo surgery in a bid to regain the mobility in his neck needed to continue his top-line career, spending two months in hospital following his crash.

February’s two-day test marked his first time driving the Dallara SF23 since the accident, but doubts persisted regarding how Yamamoto would hold up physically with the first race of the season taking place just two weeks later.

In the event however, Yamamoto made up two places from his grid slot of fifth to complete the podium behind Tomoki Nojiri and Kenta Yamashita, marking his best result in a dry race since he joined Nakajima Racing in 2021.

In a tearful parc ferme interview, Yamamoto joked: “I’m just glad my neck made it!”

Expanding on his return in the post-race press conference, the 35-year-old said: “When I drove the Super Formula car again [in the pre-season test], I thought, ‘this will be tough’.

“I didn’t know how much my physical stamina would improve in these two weeks, or how much the pain would abate. But I believed in my physios, and both them and I did everything we could to enable me to go into today’s race in the best condition possible.

“I wouldn’t say that I have recovered fully. But when I was having surgery five months ago, I never imagined that I would stand on the podium again.

“The rehabilitation period was tough, but I’m glad that I was able to overcome it. It was tough, but I want to thank the doctors at the hospital and everyone who allowed my body to get back to the level where I can fight.”

Naoki Yamamoto, PONOS NAKAJIMA RACING

Photo by: Masahide Kamio

With the Suzuka race taking place in unusually cold conditions, Yamamoto added that he expects things to be different when Super Formula returns at Autopolis in late May.

“I think it will be hard to maintain today’s performance,” he admitted. “I think it will be about 10 degrees warmer [at Autopolis], which can have a big effect in Super Formula.

“The teams and drivers that adapt their cars to the conditions best will be the ones who fight at the front, so I want to thoroughly prepare to ensure we don’t slip up.”