They are such a strong team, and fighting them alone felt almost hopeless. This time it was a Honda 1-2-3, and I thought Team Mugen would use team orders. “I really didn’t think I would become champion. There’s a video that I watch when I am stressed, and after watching it I thought, ‘It’s better not to think at all’. “Also, I haven’t been strong at starts, so I was just thinking about how to get through the opening lap without dropping any positions. The main thing I was worried about was qualifying.
“For the past month or so, I’ve been restless and not sleeping well,” said the 24-year-old. Looking back on the events of Sunday, Miyata said he feared Mugen could even deploy team orders in a bid to ensure the team’s third consecutive drivers’ title, and was not expecting the final showdown to go his way. Second behind Nojiri in a crash-shortened opening race of the weekend on Saturday meant Miyata’s lead was cut to just 4.5 points over the reigning champion after qualifying for Sunday’s decider.Īfter qualifying fourth, TOM’S man Miyata crucially passed Nojiri for third off the line and held the place to finish in the same positions behind Kakunoshin Ota and Lawson to guarantee himself the crown, a first for Toyota since 2019.
