How Honda's brightest young talent shone after missing out in Europe

After missing out on a chance in Europe and being handed an unexpected chance to step up to Super Formula in 2020, Toshiki Oyu has shone in Japan’s premier single-seater series. Having shown highly-rated team-mate Naoki Yamamoto the way this year, the Honda youngster is well-placed to achieve his lofty ambitions extending beyond his home country

A little over two years ago, when a certain Yuki Tsunoda was unavailable for a round of the Euroformula Open series at Silverstone owing to a clash with his primary FIA Formula 3 programme, Honda called upon another of its junior drivers to fill the breach at the Motopark squad. The replacement proceeded to blow the field away with two poles and two victories.

Unfortunately, those two races were the first and only ones that Toshiki Oyu contested in Europe. After returning to his main duties in the All-Japan F3 series, Oyu was handed an unexpected chance to step up to Super Formula in 2020, and last month at Suzuka, he completed an accomplished second season in Japan’s premier single-seater series that has marked him out as perhaps the brightest young talent on Honda’s domestic roster.