Ayumu Iwasa has had, by all accounts, a fantastic start to 2023. The second-year DAMS Formula 2 driver has taken three wins and one pole position already, giving him the most victories of anybody and a placing of third in the standings after five rounds.
The Japanese youngster won two titles in as many years in 2019 and 2020 and was subsequently snapped up by Honda as part of its Formula Dream project, following in the footsteps of AlphaTauri F1 driver Yuki Tsunoda – with whom the 21-year-old's career has many similarities.
Like Tsunoda, Iwasa has had a rapid rise through the junior ranks. His first full season in cars came in 2019 at the Suzuka Racing School's Single Seater Series, with Iwasa winning the overall title. The following year he progressed to French F4, claiming the crown with nine wins, 15 podiums and six pole positions to finish 80 points clear of closest rival Ren Sato - the previous year's Japanese F4 champion.
Moving into F3 in 2021 was a big step up for Iwasa, who admits he struggled for speed in his Hitech-run entry on his way to a respectable 12th in the standings with one win and two podiums. But it has been since his promotion to F2 in 2022 that Iwasa has really gained attention.
He finished fifth in his rookie season as the second-best newcomer, behind Williams F1 driver Logan Sargeant. Impressively, Iwasa's two wins came in the feature races at Paul Ricard and at the Abu Dhabi season finale, lining him up for a strong start to 2023.
And Iwasa has certainly delivered on that. Wins in Jeddah, Melbourne and Monaco have earned him a hefty 69-point haul, scoring in 70% of the races so far. Although he sits third in the standings behind Prema's Mercedes junior Frederik Vesti and 2022 runner-up Theo Pourchaire (ART), Iwasa is still critical of his performances so far.
“Honestly, I didn't have a good performance in Bahrain and Jeddah,” he tells Autosport in the makeshift Monaco paddock prior to what would be his third win of the season in the sprint race.
Source: Autosport