Jonny Edgar unlucky to leave Fuji without silverware
Cumbria’s Jonny Edgar and his #33 TF Sport Corvette squad left the penultimate round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at Fuji Speedway with an 11th place finish, despite showing strong qualifying pace and competitive race speed.
Fresh from a top five result at the IMSA “Battle on the Bricks” at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, BRDC Superstars driver Edgar made the long-haul journey to Japan to rejoin teammates Dani Juncadella and Ben Keating for the seventh round of the season at the iconic Fuji circuit.
The opening practice sessions suggested a tough weekend ahead, with the team struggling to crack the top ten. But the TF Sport mechanics and engineers dug deep overnight, unlocking new performance from the Corvette Z06 GT3R. The turnaround paid off in qualifying: for the third consecutive WEC round, Ben Keating guided the car into Hyperpole, before Edgar delivered an exceptional lap to earn sixth on the starting grid.
Race day brought early promise. Keating made a blinding start, climbing into the top three while calmly navigating incidents involving both LMGT3 rivals and Hypercars. With the Corvette comfortably running among the lead group, a podium looked like a real possibility. Unfortunately, a sequence of safety car periods swung the strategy balance against the #33 crew, shuffling them down the order as rivals on alternate pit cycles capitalised.
Edgar took the wheel for the middle stint, showcasing the car’s improved speed and pushing hard to regain ground. Juncadella brought the car home after an intense closing phase, but a costly 10-second pit stop penalty ultimately confined the team to 11th place. A bittersweet contrast capped off the race when Corvette stablemates in the ’81 car claimed victory.
Despite the result, the #33 crew remains mathematically in contention for the LMGT3 championship, though they now sit fourth in the standings heading into the finale.
Edgar reflected: “The result of course is disappointing, we had turned around our performance over the weekend, and the car was great to drive. It does mean we’ve lost the chance to score some points that would have really helped us with our title chances, but we still have a chance, and I’m looking forward to the season finale in Bahrain in November. Big thanks to the team for their hard work and also to the fans for their passionate support. The autograph sessions were quite entertaining.”
Next up, Edgar returns to the United States for one of endurance racing’s crown jewels – the IMSA Endurance Cup season finale, the legendary Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta, running 8-11 October. UK and European fans can follow the action live on the IMSA YouTube channel. After that, the D Tolson & Sons supported driver’s attention shifts back to Bahrain on 8 November, where Edgar and the #33 TF Sport squad will fight for a chance at the LMGT3 World Championship.
