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Super Formula plans even faster new car for 2019

The organisers of Japan's flagship Super Formula series plan to introduce a new car for 2019 that is even faster than the current racer

The existing Dallara SF14 is currently in its fourth season, and was second only to Formula 1 in Autosport's extensive speed-comparison survey of February 2016 - ahead of IndyCar, GP2/Formula 2 and LMP1.

It is understood that promoter JRP is presently discussing plans for a new SF19 - which would almost certainly be an evolution by Dallara of the SF14 - with the teams, and that the project will go ahead subject to their approval.

JRP president Akira Kurashita told Autosport: "It's possible that we may release the SF19 in 2019.

"Just as we have a very good car with the SF14, we plan to use the SF19 to make the series even better and make it more interesting.

"It's not set in stone that the car will be released then, but that's what we're planning on now - we would like to build up the Super Formula brand and grow it to make it more popular."

Organisers are hoping to address the category's biggest problem: its lack of overtaking.

The existing Yokohama tyres are viewed by some as too durable - in the recent Okayama round, many drivers set their fastest laps right at the end of the races after long stints on the rubber.

Now Yokohama is to be asked to look into providing a second compound to not only make lap times faster but also increase degradation, and to provide strategic variation by having 'prime' and 'option' tyres available.

The company did this on a one-off experimental basis for last year's Motegi round, but the two different compounds had a similar lifespan.

Super Formula looks likely to stick with the IndyCar-style push-to-pass system.

Shiro Matsunaga of Le Mans Company, the country's Dallara importer, said: "We are considering DRS, but some say this makes overtaking too easy."

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