Naoki Yamamoto
Yamamoto is in a somewhat different position to the rest of the drivers on this list. As a three-time champion and darling of the Honda stable, his position is under no threat – he could probably stay in the marque’s Super Formula line-up almost as long as he likes. But, after a woeful title defence last year, what is at stake is his position as Honda’s top dog.
Tomoki Nojiri’s triumph in 2021 was, almost unbelievably, the first for a Honda-powered driver besides Yamamoto since Loic Duval in 2009. In other words, last year was the first time Yamamoto had found himself beaten to the title by a fellow Honda driver. That will have made the pain of his dismal season at Nakajima Racing, which yielded a measly 13 points and a best finish of sixth, all the harder to swallow.
To Yamamoto’s credit, he has stuck with Nakajima Racing for a second season, although arguably his reputation as a Japan single-seater great depends on making a success of the move. The task…
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