Nirei Fukuzumi Dominates Rain-Hit Suzuka Test as Luke Browning Escapes High-Speed Crash

Nirei Fukuzumi tops Day 1 of Super Formula testing at Suzuka. Williams F1 reserve Luke Browning walks away from a massive airborne accident at 130R.

By: AXL Media

Published: Feb 26, 2026, 7:23 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Motorsport.com

Fukuzumi Sets the Pace in Challenging Conditions

The opening day of the Super Formula pre-season test at Suzuka Circuit was defined by treacherous weather and a high attrition rate. Nirei Fukuzumi, driving for Kids com Team KCMG, emerged as the fastest man on track, navigating the rain-soaked circuit to set a benchmark time of 1m51.352s during the morning session. Despite the worsening conditions in the afternoon, Fukuzumi's early banker remained unbeaten, signaling a strong start for the Toyota-powered squad as they look to challenge the dominance of the Honda entries in the 2026 campaign.

A Dramatic Escape at 130R

The most significant event of the day occurred in the final hour of the afternoon session. Luke Browning, the Williams Formula 1 reserve driver making his highly anticipated debut with Kondo Racing, suffered a terrifying accident at the high-speed 130R curve. Browning’s car appeared to aquaplane on standing water, losing all aerodynamic grip before hurtling across the gravel and vaulting over the tire barriers. The car landed inverted on an embankment behind the safety fence. Miraculously, Browning was able to extricate himself from the wreckage unaided and was cleared by the medical center shortly after.

Red Flags and Disrupted Run Plans

The weather conditions played havoc with the teams' testing programs, forcing a total of five red flags throughout the day. The first major stoppage was caused by Kakunoshin Ohta, who spun and stalled his Dandelion Racing entry early in the morning. Later, Tadasuke Makino and Nobuharu Matsushita also fell victim to the lack of grip, sliding into the gravel traps at different sections of the track. These frequent interruptions meant that few drivers were able to complete their full simulation runs, leaving the true pecking order of the grid somewhat obscured.