Takuya Izawa will be the guest star of the WTCC Race of Japan at Suzuka; he will be at the wheel of a Honda Civic car run by JAS Motorsport.
Aged 29, Izawa trained at the Suzuka Circuit Racing School and graduated top of his class in the SRS-F Formula category in 2002. After a few seasons in the German Formula Renault championship he returned to Japan where emerged as a race winner in Formula 3. From 2008 he’s sharing his racing activity between Super GT and Super Formula.
In the current season, Izawa is fighting for the Super GT title in a Honda HSV car run by Team Kunimitsu.
You are facing your first appearance in WTCC, and on your home race. Are you excited?
“I am very excited! I’m not sure how good I can be, but I wish to thank everyone at Honda, Honda Racing Team JAS and everyone involved in WTCC for offering me this opportunity.”
Do you use to watch WTCC races on TV? Who is the driver that impressed you more?
“I’m regularly checking the results of all three Honda WTCC drivers on the internet. I’m especially impressed by Gabriele Tarquini. He is very experienced and is always able to compete for the top positions.”
Last year you had the opportunity to test the Honda Civic WTCC at Portimão. What was your impression?
“Its behaviour is unique and I had the impression that the car was always on the verge of spinning out. On top of this, I realized that there is a significant change of handling while switching from old to new tyres. I was also impressed by the JAS team’s professionalism.”
Jumping from a Super GT car to the front-wheel drive Civic WTCC may be difficult. Do you think this will force you to adapt your driving style?
“We are talking of two different kind of cars: one is a real-wheel driven GT, the other a front-wheel driven saloon. I think I will definitely need to adapt my driving style, although I still haven’t understood the Civic WTCC completely.”
The WTCC format does not offer much track time to newcomers. Are you worried about the lack of time for getting used to the car?
“WTCC is an extremely competitive championship. I would need a lot of practice to be up to the task. Since I have not had enough opportunities to test in a front-wheel drive racing car, it will take some time for getting used to it. However, I have confidence in the team and my own skill, so I wish I can do my best.”
You will team up with two experienced WTCC drivers such as Gabriele Tarquini and Tiago Monteiro. Do you think this will help you to know the car quicker?
“They were both very kind and gave me lots of advice when I tested the car for the first time last year. However, I reckon that I should not expect the same from them during the actual race weekend, because they will be very busy and focused on their own performance. So, I will do my best to learn as much as possible from them by watching how they drive, reading the data logger, listening to them during the technical briefings and so forth.”
What are your expectations for the races at Suzuka in terms of results?
“I would imagine that getting results will be difficult, but competing on a circuit that I grew up on is a new adventure for me, and I am certain that this experience will help me build my future career. I am aware that it will not be that easy, but I wish I could be on the podium.”