Team Kahama: Difference between revisions

From Formula Rejects Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
 
(20 intermediate revisions by 6 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Racing team
{{Racing team
|Short_name    = Kamaha
|Short_name    = Kahama
|Logo          = File:KamahaNew.png
|Logo          =
|Long_name    = Kamaha Motorsports
|Long_name    = Bentley Team Kahama
|Base          = Brands Hatch, Kent, England
|Base          = Brands Hatch, Kent, England
|Founders      = Tatsuya Kahama
|Founders      = Tatsuya Kahama
|Team Principals     = [[Barii Mori]]
|Team Principals     = Rheon Miller
|Technical Director    = Nigel Stroud
|Technical Director    = Hirofumi Sato
|Drivers      = #21 - [[File:Flag of Japan svg.png]] [[Akira Yamamura]]<br>#22 - [[File:Flag of Australia svg.png]] [[Daniel Melville]]
|Drivers      = #3 - {{DE}} [[Kay Lon]]<br>#4 - {{CAN}} [[Pierre St. Laurent]]
|Noted Drivers = [[Kay Lon]]<br>[[Simon Redman]]<br>[[Barii Mori]]<br>[[Nicolas Steele]]<br>[[Tomo Kazama]]<br>[[Hagane Shizuka]]
|Noted Drivers = [[Simon Redman]]<br>[[Barii Mori]]<br>[[Nicolas Steele]]<br>[[Tomo Kazama]]<br>[[Nathan McKane]]<br>[[Hagane Shizuka]]<br>[[Akira Yamamura]]
|Debut        = [[2010 F1RWRS German Grand Prix|2010 German Grand Prix]]
|Debut        = [[2010 F1RWRS German Grand Prix|2010 German Grand Prix]]
|Races        = 123 (260 entries)
|Races        = 281 (330 entries)
|Cons_champ    = 0
|Cons_champ    = 0
|Drivers_champ = 0
|Drivers_champ = 0
|Wins          = 3
|Wins          = 4
|Podiums      = 21
|Podiums      = 26
|Points        = 241
|Points        = 964
|Poles        = 3
|Poles        = 3
|Fastest_laps  = 1
|Fastest_laps  = 1
|}}
|}}
 
'''Bentley Team Kahama''', commonly known by just '''Kahama''' is a Japanese racing team that is currently competing in the [[AutoReject World Series]]. As one of the founding teams of the [[F1RWRS]] set up by businessman Tatsuya Kahama (under the founding name of '''Kahama Motor Sport'''), they have had some flashes of briliance but have generally struggled. The team was bought out by [[Barii Mori]] at the end of the [[2012 Formula 1 Rejects World Race Series season|2012]] season; he renamed it to '''Ka''m''a''h''a'''. The team is the last of the original founding teams of [[F1RWRS]] to still be competing in the category, and is the only team with the distinction of entering every single race in the category's history. Following the merger with the financially struggling [[Revolution Motorsports]] in mid-[[2018 ARWS sason|2018]], the team became known as '''Kamaha Revolution Motorsports'''. In 2022, under the ownership of [[Kay Lon]], the team entered a partnership with Bentley to rebrand as '''Bentley Team Kahama'''; the British marque already having sponsored Kahama in its [[2021 Yaname Electronics Super Formula season|2021 Super Formula campaign]].
'''Kamaha Motorsports''' is a Japanese racing team that is currently competing in the [[Formula 1 Rejects World Race Series]]. As one of the founding teams of the F1RWRS set up by businessman Tatsuya Kahama (under the founding name of '''Kahama Motor Sport'''), they have had some flashes of briliance but have generally struggled. The team was bought out by [[Barii Mori]] at the end of the [[2012 Formula 1 Rejects World Race Series season|2012]] season; he renamed it to it's current name, Kamaha.  


== History ==
== History ==
Line 26: Line 25:
The team despite being very Japanese, set up their base just outside Brands Hatch as Tatsuya Kahama knew that having a UK base would be central to the team having any success. They hired the young German driver [[Kay Lon]] who had won the German F3 series a few years previous and had been racing in GP2. They struggled to find a driver of experience until the second race of the season when they signed experienced Australian journeyman driver [[Simon Redman]]. They started their long relationship with Ford by using the Ford ED engine.
The team despite being very Japanese, set up their base just outside Brands Hatch as Tatsuya Kahama knew that having a UK base would be central to the team having any success. They hired the young German driver [[Kay Lon]] who had won the German F3 series a few years previous and had been racing in GP2. They struggled to find a driver of experience until the second race of the season when they signed experienced Australian journeyman driver [[Simon Redman]]. They started their long relationship with Ford by using the Ford ED engine.


== 2010 and a poor start ==
=== 2010 and a poor start ===


The 2010 season would be one to forget as a fifth in the [[2010 F1RWRS Belgian Grand Prix|Belgian Grand Prix]] would be the best result of the season. Five more point scoring positions would mean they end up bottom of the constructors championship equal with [[KQ Motor Sports]].
The 2010 season would be one to forget as a fifth in the [[2010 F1RWRS Belgian Grand Prix|Belgian Grand Prix]] would be the best result of the season. Five more point scoring positions would mean they end up bottom of the constructors championship equal with [[KQ Motor Sports]].
Line 32: Line 31:
The new chassis looked promising so Tatsuya decided to struggle on and the 2011 season did start much better with a win for Redman at the Norisring for the Bavarian Grand Prix. However apart from Lon getting a well deserved second place at Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix, the team struggled with both drivers getting only four more point scoring positions, Lon was also disqualified from the Belgian Grand Prix for dangerous driving. At the end of the season Simon Redman had enough and decided to hang up his helmet and retire.
The new chassis looked promising so Tatsuya decided to struggle on and the 2011 season did start much better with a win for Redman at the Norisring for the Bavarian Grand Prix. However apart from Lon getting a well deserved second place at Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix, the team struggled with both drivers getting only four more point scoring positions, Lon was also disqualified from the Belgian Grand Prix for dangerous driving. At the end of the season Simon Redman had enough and decided to hang up his helmet and retire.


== 2012 and so close ==
=== 2012 and so close ===


For the 2012 season, the team struggled to find another driver and decided to focus all their efforts in Lon, and the first race would see Lon lead the Bavarian Grand Prix, only for him to be involved in a large accident which would put him 7th and 15 laps down. However the next three races would see him get three second places in a row, lifting him to second place just 2 points behind [[Pippa Mann]]. However, the next four races would just see some minor points and [[Chris Dagnall]] would leapfrog both Lon and Mann. A second at the English Grand Prix would keep him in it, but a third at the Surfers SuperPrix and a second at the Australian Grand Prix as well as poor results for Dagnall and Mann would see Kay Lon lead the championship.  
For the 2012 season, the team struggled to find another driver and decided to focus all their efforts in Lon, and the first race would see Lon lead the Bavarian Grand Prix, only for him to be involved in a large accident which would put him 7th and 15 laps down. However the next three races would see him get three second places in a row, lifting him to second place just 2 points behind [[Pippa Mann]]. However, the next four races would just see some minor points and [[Chris Dagnall]] would leapfrog both Lon and Mann. A second at the English Grand Prix would keep him in it, but a third at the Surfers SuperPrix and a second at the Australian Grand Prix as well as poor results for Dagnall and Mann would see Kay Lon lead the championship.  
Line 38: Line 37:
The Australian GP would also see [[Barii Mori]] join the team, although he failed to get to grips with the car designed for Lon. The Chinese Grand Prix saw Chris Dagnall equal Lon on points, with two races to go it could have been anybody's championship. A fourth at Laguna Seca for the United States Grand Prix would see Lon take the championship lead again. Sadly a second for Pippa Mann and a forth for Chris Dagnall at the F1RWRS 500 would mean that the fifth that Kay Lon managed to get (a lap down too) meant nothing as he would drop to 3rd in the championship.  
The Australian GP would also see [[Barii Mori]] join the team, although he failed to get to grips with the car designed for Lon. The Chinese Grand Prix saw Chris Dagnall equal Lon on points, with two races to go it could have been anybody's championship. A fourth at Laguna Seca for the United States Grand Prix would see Lon take the championship lead again. Sadly a second for Pippa Mann and a forth for Chris Dagnall at the F1RWRS 500 would mean that the fifth that Kay Lon managed to get (a lap down too) meant nothing as he would drop to 3rd in the championship.  


== 2013 and a drunken name change ==
=== 2013 and a drunken name change ===


Soon after the race, Tatsuya Kahama had enough; he said he had spent far too much money on the team with only a single win and a large bill for heart medicine for the 2012 season to show for it. He sold the team to Barii Mori for 500 yen or the  
Soon after the race, Tatsuya Kahama had enough; he said he had spent far too much money on the team with only a single win and a large bill for heart medicine for the 2012 season to show for it. He sold the team to Barii Mori for 500 yen or the  
Line 47: Line 46:
Things were however not well with the team. Kay Lon was a second off the pace of Mori in qualifying of the first two races and retired early on in both races. Lon expressed his concerns vocally to the press and before the third race of the season he was sacked (later rumors suggested that he actually drove badly in exchange for money by match-fixers) and replaced by journeyman and as some of his sponsors would say, a wasted talent, [[Nicolas Steele]]. The team managed to score enough points to save themselves from slipping into prequalifying with Mori scoring two fifth places at the 7th and 8th races of the season at the British and German GPs, to score 4 points which would just be enough to save them. Mori completed a hat trick of 5th places at the Dutch Grand Prix. Mori has stated in the press that he does think the Ford ED engine is gutless and is looking for a new engine to replace it.
Things were however not well with the team. Kay Lon was a second off the pace of Mori in qualifying of the first two races and retired early on in both races. Lon expressed his concerns vocally to the press and before the third race of the season he was sacked (later rumors suggested that he actually drove badly in exchange for money by match-fixers) and replaced by journeyman and as some of his sponsors would say, a wasted talent, [[Nicolas Steele]]. The team managed to score enough points to save themselves from slipping into prequalifying with Mori scoring two fifth places at the 7th and 8th races of the season at the British and German GPs, to score 4 points which would just be enough to save them. Mori completed a hat trick of 5th places at the Dutch Grand Prix. Mori has stated in the press that he does think the Ford ED engine is gutless and is looking for a new engine to replace it.


== 2014 and a change for the better ==
=== 2014 and a change for the better ===


The team merged with [[FAT Turbo Racing]] after the Japanese Grand Prix. The merger gave them funds from the sale of the chassis and engine. Kamaha would sell the entry and FAT Turbo Racing's base to [[Hagane Shizuka]] for a plate of Sushi, however it would transpire that the entry was worthless without the chassis or engine which meant the Shizuka would have to enter the team from scratch, creating [[Shonan DMS Racing]] inn process. It is rumoured that Barii Mori knew this as the withdrawal of [[Flying Fish Motorsports]] the team would escape having to prequalify as the defacto 11th best team as long as FAT Turbo Racing were not given their entry.  
The team merged with [[FAT Turbo Racing]] after the Japanese Grand Prix. The merger gave them funds from the sale of the chassis and engine. Kamaha would sell the entry and FAT Turbo Racing's base to [[Hagane Shizuka]] for a plate of Sushi, however it would transpire that the entry was worthless without the chassis or engine which meant the Shizuka would have to enter the team from scratch, creating [[Shonan DMS Racing]] inn process. It is rumoured that Barii Mori knew this as the withdrawal of [[Flying Fish Motorsports]] the team would escape having to prequalify as the defacto 11th best team as long as FAT Turbo Racing were not given their entry.  
Line 57: Line 56:
Mori on the other hand has been plagued with problems, with only 4 race finishes although this did include two 2nd places.
Mori on the other hand has been plagued with problems, with only 4 race finishes although this did include two 2nd places.


== 2015 a new hope... ==
=== 2015 a new hope... ===


Mori has resigned Nicolas Steele for another season with a hope that the car can be improved and finish more races and they can challenge for the title. However the car is still plagued with relability issues. Steele has posted 5 straight retirements and Mori has only managed to finish two races.  
Mori has resigned Nicolas Steele for another season with a hope that the car can be improved and finish more races and they can challenge for the title. However the car is still plagued with relability issues. Steele has posted 5 straight retirements and Mori has only managed to finish two races.  
Line 63: Line 62:
However one race he did finish was in Monaco where he started 15th on the grid and got a 5th and was awarded driver of the race.
However one race he did finish was in Monaco where he started 15th on the grid and got a 5th and was awarded driver of the race.


== F1RWRS Results ==
Mori would perform admirably for the balance of the season, scoring two more podiums for the team in Germany and Japan, but unfortunately Steele's performance was not up to the standard of 2014. After the Austrian GP, Steele mutually parted ways with the team, opening the door for Chinese paydriver [[Du Lon|Du Lei]] to provide some much needed funds to the team's bank balance.
 
Although ultimately, 2015 would not see an improvement in Kamaha's standing, as they slipped to equal 7th in the Constructors, there was a foundation for improvement in this regard for 2016
 
=== 2016 - a false dawn ===
The start of 2016 saw all-change at Kamaha - Barii Mori would step aside to focus on the team's management, paving the way for young potential superstars [[Tomo Kazama]] and [[Nathan McKane]]. The updated KM-6B was brilliantly quick in testing, aided substantially by their switch to Suzuki power. Everything seemed to be set for Kamaha's most successful season under Mori's stewardship, but things quickly went awry, as Kazama DNQ'd in the season opening Australian GP.
 
Reliability was a constant bugbear, as a 7th place in Italy was their only finish through the first 12 races. Kazama and McKane both earned race bans - forcing Mori to call on old friend [[Hagane Shizuka]] to fill in for a couple races. McKane would quit the team after a stretch of 3 successive DNPQs, forcing Mori to return to the drivers' seat himself in Belgium in addition to calling on Shizuka to return for the rest of the year.
 
Although McKane took the team's first-ever pole position in Austria, and Shizuka added another pair of his own, it was not until Mexico that Kamaha's excellent early-season pace finally bore fruit, as Tomo Kazama ended their long winless drought. Shizuka then added another win in China, but the team's ill fortunes through the year saw them remain 7th in the Constructors - a season full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
 
=== 2017 ===
After having exhausted Kamaha's coffers for their ill-fated 2016 season, 2017 proved a much more quiet season. Unfortunately, this also was a result of the new KM-7 proving something of a dud as a chassis. Though Shizuka remained with the team, he could only wrangle a single point for Kamaha all year, as he and Australian [[Daniel Melville]] were engaged in a season-long battle just to pre-qualify.
 
=== 2018 ===
Fortunes seemed equally dim for Kamaha at the outset of 2018, as Shizuka retired at the end of the season, though this did open the door for the disgraced misogynist [[Rosco Vantini]] to fill in the lead car. The season was a disaster at first, with their switch back to Yamaha power not making much of a difference on the timesheets, and ultimately the team was forced to merge with Shizuka's [[Revolution Engineering]]. This did however prove something of a boon for the team as the Revolution HS18 was actually quite a competitive chassis, and did enable the team to begin qualifying for races once again.
 
However, another wrinkle in Kamaha's fortunes arose after the British Grand Prix, as Vantini was arrested following an argument with Mori, where Vantini punched his boss and damaged the team's office. Mori would again return to drive a couple races before [[Akira Yamamura]] became available following the mid-season collapse of [[Tassie Racing]]. Yamamura quickly proved an inspired signing by Mori, as the enigmatic Japanese driver scored two podiums and a 4th in the only races he finished, catapulting the team from the basement back into the heady heights of 7th in the Constructors Championship
 
=== 2019 ===
Sadly, this newfound glimmer of hope would be snuffed out over the 2019 season, as the team's new KMS-9 chassis was not enough to allow the team to build on their late-season 2018 form. Yamamura was joined by Finn [[Nick Nurmester]] - and it was Nurmester who scored the teams' only points, after being classified 5th in a very attrition-struck Scandiavian Grand Prix. This saw them fall back to 11th in the Constructors, with Kamaha and Mori's finances in very dire shape.
 
== The Lon Era (2020-present) ==
=== 2020 ===
As Mori unfortunately started encountering health concerns, he reluctantly sold the team to one-time teammate and frequent verbal sparring partner [[Kay Lon]]. Lon wasted no time in appointing his wife [[Du Lon]] to the lead driver role, with the second seat filled by promising Spanish rookie [[Carmen Álvarez Torrente]]. The first chassis of the Lon era - the KARWS-Λ - did not prove particularly quick, and only Torrente would get the car on the grid at the season-opening Australian GP before they both failed to qualify in Bathurst. The [[Leonhard von Gottorp scandal]] then ended the season - perhaps something of a blessing in disguise, as Lon turned the organisation's attention towards [[Alternate Super Formula|Super Formula]] until the ARWS returned.
 
=== 2021 ===
For 2021, Lon renamed the team back to Kahama, and negotiated title sponsorship with British manufacturer Bentley. With a Super Formula lineup of [[Nirei Fukuzumi]] and [[Koyomi Setou]], they did achieve 4 podiums, but struggled to score otherwise, leaving the team a disappointing 6th in the Team Standings.
 
=== 2022 ===
Although their inconsistency in 2021 was frustrating, Bentley agreed to buy into Kahama's ownership for 2022 onwards, seeing the potential within the team. This attracted Tropican free agent [[Alberto Cara]] to the team for 2022 to replace the departing Setou, as Fukuzumi stayed with the team for a second season.
 
=== 2023 ===
With the return of ARWS in 2023, Bentley saw the new regulations as an opportunity to quickly establish themselves as the early favourites for both title. The strong performance of their W12 powerplant, competitive chassis, and adequate reliability made them a force to be reckoned with in the early going. Kay Lon himself had been convinced to return to ARWS competition, seeing his return with the team he now owns as an opportunity to settle unfinished business - having never won a race with the team where he made his debut, much less a championship.
 
Joining Lon would be the tough-as-nails Canadian rookie [[Pierre St. Laurent]], and quickly the pair proved a formidable duo, securing Kahama's first-ever ARWS 1-2 in the Luxembourg GP. However, as reliability of the more powerful Koenigsegg and Ford powerplants improved, this led to Kahama's position weakening, especially when reliability became a concern over the back half of the year. The team still managed to come a very respectable 2nd in the Constructors Championship, their best-ever result - but controversy overshadowed this feat at the Macau Grand Prix, where the team confusingly benched St. Laurent in favour of [[AutoReject 3000 Series|AR3000]] driver [[Zaituni Dileita]], and the team gave a very obviously half-hearted effort on the whole. This led to a heavy fine imposed on Kahama, one which cut significantly into their resources for development for 2024.
 
=== 2024 ===
Despite trialling Dileita at Macau, Kahama retained their 2023 lineup of Lon and St. Laurent for 2024, with their sights firmly set on both titles in spite of the fine that hung over the team all off-season.
 
== ARWS Results ==
{| class="wikitable" border="1" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%;"
{| class="wikitable" border="1" style="text-align:center; font-size:95%;"
|-
|-
Line 563: Line 602:
|
|
|
|
!rowspan=7 | 7th
!rowspan=7 | 22
!rowspan=7 | 22
!rowspan=7 | 7th
|-
|-
|rowspan=3| 13
|rowspan=3| 13
|align=left| {{GBR}} [[Nathan McKane]]
|align=left| {{GB}} [[Nathan McKane]]
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
Line 667: Line 706:
|
|
|-
|-
|align=left| {{AUT}} [[Marko Jantscher]]
|align=left| {{AT}} [[Marko Jantscher]]
|
|
|
|
Line 710: Line 749:
|
|
|
|
!rowspan=4 | 13th
!rowspan=4 | 1
!rowspan=4 | 1
!rowspan=4 | 13th
|-
|-
| 13
| 13
Line 735: Line 774:
|-
|-
|rowspan=2| 14
|rowspan=2| 14
|align="left"| {{AUS}} [[Daniel Melville]]
|align="left"| {{AU}} [[Daniel Melville]]
|bgcolor="#cfcfff"| 10
|bgcolor="#cfcfff"| 10
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
Line 775: Line 814:
|
|
|-
|-
!rowspan=5| [[2018 Formula 1 Rejects World Race Series season|2018]]
!rowspan=5| [[2018 AutoReject World Series season|2018]]
!rowspan=5| Kamaha KM-7Y <br> Kamaha KM-7AY <br> Kamaha KMS-8Y
!rowspan=5| Kamaha KM-7Y <br> Kamaha KM-7AY <br> Kamaha KMS-8Y
!rowspan=5| Yamaha OX64  
!rowspan=5| Yamaha OX64  
Line 798: Line 837:
| [[2018 ARWS Japanese Grand Prix|JPN]]
| [[2018 ARWS Japanese Grand Prix|JPN]]
| [[2018 ARWS Chinese Grand Prix|CHN]]
| [[2018 ARWS Chinese Grand Prix|CHN]]
!rowspan=5| 10*
!rowspan=5| 7th
!rowspan=5| 7th*
!rowspan=5| 13
|-
|-
|rowspan=3| 21
|rowspan=3| 21
Line 859: Line 898:
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#ffdf9f"| 3
|bgcolor="#ffdf9f"| 3
|
|bgcolor="#dfffdf"| 4
|
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|-
|-
| 22
| 22
|align=left| {{AUS}} [[Daniel Melville]]
|align=left| {{AU}} [[Daniel Melville]]
|bgcolor="#ffcfcf"| DNPQ
|bgcolor="#ffcfcf"| DNPQ
|bgcolor="#ffcfcf"| DNPQ
|bgcolor="#ffcfcf"| DNPQ
Line 880: Line 919:
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|-
!rowspan=4| [[2019 AutoReject World Series season|2019]]
!rowspan=4| Kahama KMS-9
!rowspan=4| Yamaha OX64-A
|
|
| AUS
| NSW
| KIN
| ITA
| MAR
| CAN
| 500
| GBR
| AUT
| GER
| SCA
| BEL
| MON
| SAF
| BRA
| ARG
| JPN
| CHN
!rowspan=4| 11th
!rowspan=4| 2
|-
| 13
|align=left| {{JP}} [[Akira Yamamura]]
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#cfcfff"| 8
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#cfcfff"| 12
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#cfcfff"| 10†
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#ffcfcf"| DNQ
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#cfcfff"| 12
|bgcolor="#ffcfcf"| DNQ
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#cfcfff"| 17
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|-
|rowspan=2| 14
|align=left| {{FI}} [[Nick Nurmester]]
|bgcolor="#cfcfff"| 10
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#ffcfcf"| DNQ
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#cfcfff"| 14†
|bgcolor="#cfcfff"| 10
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#ffcfcf"| DNQ
|bgcolor="#dfffdf"| 5†
| EX
| EX
|bgcolor="#ffcfcf"| DNQ
|bgcolor="#cfcfff"| 13
|bgcolor="#ffcfcf"| DNQ
|bgcolor="#ffcfcf"| DNQ
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|-
|align=left| {{AU}} [[Daniel Melville]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|bgcolor="#cfcfff"| 9
|bgcolor="#ffcfcf"| DNQ
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!rowspan=3| [[2020 AutoReject World Series season|2020]]
!rowspan=3| Kahama KARWS-Λ
!rowspan=3| Yamaha OX64B
|
|
| AUS
| NSW
| ARG
| BRA
| 500
| CAN
| GBR
| BEL
| MON
| ITA
| AUT
| GER
| SAF
| IND
| MAL
| PAC
| JPN
| CHN
!rowspan=3| 14th
!rowspan=3| 0
|-
| 19
|align=left| {{CN}} [[Du Lon]]
|bgcolor="#ffcfcf"| DNQ
|bgcolor="#ffcfcf"| DNQ
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
|-
| 20
|align=left| {{ES}} [[Carmen Álvarez Torrente]]
|bgcolor="#efcfff"| Ret
|bgcolor="#ffcfcf"| DNQ
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
| C
|-
!rowspan=4| [[2023 AutoReject World Series season|2023]]
!rowspan=4| Kahama Antares K-Ξ
!rowspan=4| Bentley WR12 48v Supersports ARWS
|
|
| MON
| LUX
| GER
| CZE
| NUS
| GBR
| SCA
| SUS
| MAL
| AUS
| JPN
| KIN
| MAC
|
|
|
|
|
|rowspan=4 bgcolor="dfdfdf" | '''2nd'''
|rowspan=4 bgcolor="dfdfdf" | '''718'''
|-
|rowspan=2| 27
|align=left| {{CA}} [[Pierre St. Laurent]]
| bgcolor="#efcfff" | Ret
| bgcolor="#dfdfdf" | 2
| bgcolor="#dfffdf" | 5
| bgcolor="#cfeaff" | 16†
| bgcolor="#efcfff" | Ret
| bgcolor="#cfeaff" | 15
| bgcolor="#ffdf9f" | 3
| bgcolor="#cfeaff" | 11
| bgcolor="#dfffdf" | 10
| bgcolor="#ffdf9f" | 3
| bgcolor="#dfffdf" | 7
| bgcolor="#efcfff" | Ret
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|align=left| {{SO}} [[Zaituni Dileita]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| bgcolor="#dfffdf" | 6
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| 28
|align=left| {{DE}} [[Kay Lon]]
| bgcolor="#dfdfdf" | 2
| bgcolor="#ffffbf" | 1
| bgcolor="#dfffdf" | 4
| bgcolor="#dfffdf" | 9
| bgcolor="#dfffdf" | 8
| bgcolor="#cfeaff" | 12
| bgcolor="#efcfff" | Ret
| bgcolor="#dfffdf" | 9
| bgcolor="#efcfff" | Ret
| bgcolor="#dfffdf" | 5
| bgcolor="#efcfff" | Ret
| bgcolor="#efcfff" | Ret
| bgcolor="#dfffdf" | 7
|
|
|
|
|
|-
!rowspan=3| [[2024 AutoReject World Series season|2024]]
!rowspan=3| Kahama Antares K-Ο
!rowspan=3| Bentley WR12-24 TFSI
|
|
|
|
| MON
| MED
| LUX
| GER
| CRI
| GRS
| NUS
| ITA
| GBR
| CAN
| RNO
| SUS
| MAL
| KIN
| JPN
| AUS
|
|
!rowspan=3 | NC
!rowspan=3 | 0
|-
| 3
|align=left| {{DE}} [[Kay Lon]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
| 4
|align=left| {{CA}} [[Pierre St. Laurent]]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|-
|}
|}

Latest revision as of 08:06, 7 July 2025

Kahama
[[|150px]]
Full Name Bentley Team Kahama
Base Brands Hatch, Kent, England
Founder(s) Tatsuya Kahama
Team Principal(s) Rheon Miller
Technical Director Hirofumi Sato
Current Drivers #3 - Flag of Germany svg.png Kay Lon
#4 - Flag of Canada svg.png Pierre St. Laurent
Other Noted Drivers Simon Redman
Barii Mori
Nicolas Steele
Tomo Kazama
Nathan McKane
Hagane Shizuka
Akira Yamamura
Debut 2010 German Grand Prix
Races 281 (330 entries)
Constructors' Championships 0
Drivers' Championships 0
Race Wins 4
Podiums 26
Points 964
Pole Positions 3
Fastest Laps 1


Bentley Team Kahama, commonly known by just Kahama is a Japanese racing team that is currently competing in the AutoReject World Series. As one of the founding teams of the F1RWRS set up by businessman Tatsuya Kahama (under the founding name of Kahama Motor Sport), they have had some flashes of briliance but have generally struggled. The team was bought out by Barii Mori at the end of the 2012 season; he renamed it to Kamaha. The team is the last of the original founding teams of F1RWRS to still be competing in the category, and is the only team with the distinction of entering every single race in the category's history. Following the merger with the financially struggling Revolution Motorsports in mid-2018, the team became known as Kamaha Revolution Motorsports. In 2022, under the ownership of Kay Lon, the team entered a partnership with Bentley to rebrand as Bentley Team Kahama; the British marque already having sponsored Kahama in its 2021 Super Formula campaign.

History

The team despite being very Japanese, set up their base just outside Brands Hatch as Tatsuya Kahama knew that having a UK base would be central to the team having any success. They hired the young German driver Kay Lon who had won the German F3 series a few years previous and had been racing in GP2. They struggled to find a driver of experience until the second race of the season when they signed experienced Australian journeyman driver Simon Redman. They started their long relationship with Ford by using the Ford ED engine.

2010 and a poor start

The 2010 season would be one to forget as a fifth in the Belgian Grand Prix would be the best result of the season. Five more point scoring positions would mean they end up bottom of the constructors championship equal with KQ Motor Sports.

The new chassis looked promising so Tatsuya decided to struggle on and the 2011 season did start much better with a win for Redman at the Norisring for the Bavarian Grand Prix. However apart from Lon getting a well deserved second place at Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix, the team struggled with both drivers getting only four more point scoring positions, Lon was also disqualified from the Belgian Grand Prix for dangerous driving. At the end of the season Simon Redman had enough and decided to hang up his helmet and retire.

2012 and so close

For the 2012 season, the team struggled to find another driver and decided to focus all their efforts in Lon, and the first race would see Lon lead the Bavarian Grand Prix, only for him to be involved in a large accident which would put him 7th and 15 laps down. However the next three races would see him get three second places in a row, lifting him to second place just 2 points behind Pippa Mann. However, the next four races would just see some minor points and Chris Dagnall would leapfrog both Lon and Mann. A second at the English Grand Prix would keep him in it, but a third at the Surfers SuperPrix and a second at the Australian Grand Prix as well as poor results for Dagnall and Mann would see Kay Lon lead the championship.

The Australian GP would also see Barii Mori join the team, although he failed to get to grips with the car designed for Lon. The Chinese Grand Prix saw Chris Dagnall equal Lon on points, with two races to go it could have been anybody's championship. A fourth at Laguna Seca for the United States Grand Prix would see Lon take the championship lead again. Sadly a second for Pippa Mann and a forth for Chris Dagnall at the F1RWRS 500 would mean that the fifth that Kay Lon managed to get (a lap down too) meant nothing as he would drop to 3rd in the championship.

2013 and a drunken name change

Soon after the race, Tatsuya Kahama had enough; he said he had spent far too much money on the team with only a single win and a large bill for heart medicine for the 2012 season to show for it. He sold the team to Barii Mori for 500 yen or the "price of a tin of baked beans in Japan", as Mori put it. Mori signed Lon for another season and renamed the team to Kamaha from Kahama as said it sounded better, although it has been pointed out that during the heavy drinking session with Kahama, Mori just wrote the name in incorrectly but it sounded better so it stuck. It is interesting to note that the chassis is still called Kahama for that year.

They extended their contract with Ford for some ED engines for yet another season. Barii Mori celebrated in style by winning the non championship Motegi Charity Race, this being the only win a Kamaha car would see all season.

Things were however not well with the team. Kay Lon was a second off the pace of Mori in qualifying of the first two races and retired early on in both races. Lon expressed his concerns vocally to the press and before the third race of the season he was sacked (later rumors suggested that he actually drove badly in exchange for money by match-fixers) and replaced by journeyman and as some of his sponsors would say, a wasted talent, Nicolas Steele. The team managed to score enough points to save themselves from slipping into prequalifying with Mori scoring two fifth places at the 7th and 8th races of the season at the British and German GPs, to score 4 points which would just be enough to save them. Mori completed a hat trick of 5th places at the Dutch Grand Prix. Mori has stated in the press that he does think the Ford ED engine is gutless and is looking for a new engine to replace it.

2014 and a change for the better

The team merged with FAT Turbo Racing after the Japanese Grand Prix. The merger gave them funds from the sale of the chassis and engine. Kamaha would sell the entry and FAT Turbo Racing's base to Hagane Shizuka for a plate of Sushi, however it would transpire that the entry was worthless without the chassis or engine which meant the Shizuka would have to enter the team from scratch, creating Shonan DMS Racing inn process. It is rumoured that Barii Mori knew this as the withdrawal of Flying Fish Motorsports the team would escape having to prequalify as the defacto 11th best team as long as FAT Turbo Racing were not given their entry.

Kamaha did have talks with Isuzu to supply an engine for the 2014 season but the price was just too high and no amount of haggling could bring the price down, but Yamaha popped up and now they have the rather rhyming name Kamaha-Yamaha.

The season brought 6 podiums including four 2nd places for Nicolas Steele, showing the world that he did have talent, just never the car to show it. However 8 retirements have curtailed what could have been a championship winning season, with a race to go Steele is in 5th place in the championship.

Mori on the other hand has been plagued with problems, with only 4 race finishes although this did include two 2nd places.

2015 a new hope...

Mori has resigned Nicolas Steele for another season with a hope that the car can be improved and finish more races and they can challenge for the title. However the car is still plagued with relability issues. Steele has posted 5 straight retirements and Mori has only managed to finish two races.

However one race he did finish was in Monaco where he started 15th on the grid and got a 5th and was awarded driver of the race.

Mori would perform admirably for the balance of the season, scoring two more podiums for the team in Germany and Japan, but unfortunately Steele's performance was not up to the standard of 2014. After the Austrian GP, Steele mutually parted ways with the team, opening the door for Chinese paydriver Du Lei to provide some much needed funds to the team's bank balance.

Although ultimately, 2015 would not see an improvement in Kamaha's standing, as they slipped to equal 7th in the Constructors, there was a foundation for improvement in this regard for 2016

2016 - a false dawn

The start of 2016 saw all-change at Kamaha - Barii Mori would step aside to focus on the team's management, paving the way for young potential superstars Tomo Kazama and Nathan McKane. The updated KM-6B was brilliantly quick in testing, aided substantially by their switch to Suzuki power. Everything seemed to be set for Kamaha's most successful season under Mori's stewardship, but things quickly went awry, as Kazama DNQ'd in the season opening Australian GP.

Reliability was a constant bugbear, as a 7th place in Italy was their only finish through the first 12 races. Kazama and McKane both earned race bans - forcing Mori to call on old friend Hagane Shizuka to fill in for a couple races. McKane would quit the team after a stretch of 3 successive DNPQs, forcing Mori to return to the drivers' seat himself in Belgium in addition to calling on Shizuka to return for the rest of the year.

Although McKane took the team's first-ever pole position in Austria, and Shizuka added another pair of his own, it was not until Mexico that Kamaha's excellent early-season pace finally bore fruit, as Tomo Kazama ended their long winless drought. Shizuka then added another win in China, but the team's ill fortunes through the year saw them remain 7th in the Constructors - a season full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

2017

After having exhausted Kamaha's coffers for their ill-fated 2016 season, 2017 proved a much more quiet season. Unfortunately, this also was a result of the new KM-7 proving something of a dud as a chassis. Though Shizuka remained with the team, he could only wrangle a single point for Kamaha all year, as he and Australian Daniel Melville were engaged in a season-long battle just to pre-qualify.

2018

Fortunes seemed equally dim for Kamaha at the outset of 2018, as Shizuka retired at the end of the season, though this did open the door for the disgraced misogynist Rosco Vantini to fill in the lead car. The season was a disaster at first, with their switch back to Yamaha power not making much of a difference on the timesheets, and ultimately the team was forced to merge with Shizuka's Revolution Engineering. This did however prove something of a boon for the team as the Revolution HS18 was actually quite a competitive chassis, and did enable the team to begin qualifying for races once again.

However, another wrinkle in Kamaha's fortunes arose after the British Grand Prix, as Vantini was arrested following an argument with Mori, where Vantini punched his boss and damaged the team's office. Mori would again return to drive a couple races before Akira Yamamura became available following the mid-season collapse of Tassie Racing. Yamamura quickly proved an inspired signing by Mori, as the enigmatic Japanese driver scored two podiums and a 4th in the only races he finished, catapulting the team from the basement back into the heady heights of 7th in the Constructors Championship

2019

Sadly, this newfound glimmer of hope would be snuffed out over the 2019 season, as the team's new KMS-9 chassis was not enough to allow the team to build on their late-season 2018 form. Yamamura was joined by Finn Nick Nurmester - and it was Nurmester who scored the teams' only points, after being classified 5th in a very attrition-struck Scandiavian Grand Prix. This saw them fall back to 11th in the Constructors, with Kamaha and Mori's finances in very dire shape.

The Lon Era (2020-present)

2020

As Mori unfortunately started encountering health concerns, he reluctantly sold the team to one-time teammate and frequent verbal sparring partner Kay Lon. Lon wasted no time in appointing his wife Du Lon to the lead driver role, with the second seat filled by promising Spanish rookie Carmen Álvarez Torrente. The first chassis of the Lon era - the KARWS-Λ - did not prove particularly quick, and only Torrente would get the car on the grid at the season-opening Australian GP before they both failed to qualify in Bathurst. The Leonhard von Gottorp scandal then ended the season - perhaps something of a blessing in disguise, as Lon turned the organisation's attention towards Super Formula until the ARWS returned.

2021

For 2021, Lon renamed the team back to Kahama, and negotiated title sponsorship with British manufacturer Bentley. With a Super Formula lineup of Nirei Fukuzumi and Koyomi Setou, they did achieve 4 podiums, but struggled to score otherwise, leaving the team a disappointing 6th in the Team Standings.

2022

Although their inconsistency in 2021 was frustrating, Bentley agreed to buy into Kahama's ownership for 2022 onwards, seeing the potential within the team. This attracted Tropican free agent Alberto Cara to the team for 2022 to replace the departing Setou, as Fukuzumi stayed with the team for a second season.

2023

With the return of ARWS in 2023, Bentley saw the new regulations as an opportunity to quickly establish themselves as the early favourites for both title. The strong performance of their W12 powerplant, competitive chassis, and adequate reliability made them a force to be reckoned with in the early going. Kay Lon himself had been convinced to return to ARWS competition, seeing his return with the team he now owns as an opportunity to settle unfinished business - having never won a race with the team where he made his debut, much less a championship.

Joining Lon would be the tough-as-nails Canadian rookie Pierre St. Laurent, and quickly the pair proved a formidable duo, securing Kahama's first-ever ARWS 1-2 in the Luxembourg GP. However, as reliability of the more powerful Koenigsegg and Ford powerplants improved, this led to Kahama's position weakening, especially when reliability became a concern over the back half of the year. The team still managed to come a very respectable 2nd in the Constructors Championship, their best-ever result - but controversy overshadowed this feat at the Macau Grand Prix, where the team confusingly benched St. Laurent in favour of AR3000 driver Zaituni Dileita, and the team gave a very obviously half-hearted effort on the whole. This led to a heavy fine imposed on Kahama, one which cut significantly into their resources for development for 2024.

2024

Despite trialling Dileita at Macau, Kahama retained their 2023 lineup of Lon and St. Laurent for 2024, with their sights firmly set on both titles in spite of the fine that hung over the team all off-season.

ARWS Results

Year Chassis Engine # Driver 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 CC Pts
2010 Kahama KT-1 Ford EDA GER LUX SAX CHN TAS BHR BEL GBR AUS =9th 23
10 Flag of Australia svg.png Simon Redman 17 7 7 12 14 5 12 16
11 Flag of Germany svg.png Kay Lon 17 9 16 14 15 7 12 13 8
2011 Kahama KT-2 Ford EDB BAV GER SAX LUX BEL GBR ENG KEN NED TAS AUS NSW SUR CHN USA 6th 43
13 Flag of Australia svg.png Simon Redman 1 4 17 DNPQ Ret 8 15 15 15 6 5 DNPQ DNPQ DNPQ 15
14 Flag of Germany svg.png Kay Lon 12 10 19 Ret DSQ 17 DNPQ DNPQ 2 DNPQ 12 DNPQ DNPQ 4 16
2012 Kahama KT-3 Ford EDB Spec III BAV SAX GER LUX BEL NED GBR KEN ENG TAS SUR NSW AUS CHN USA 500 5th 80
11 Flag of Germany svg.png Kay Lon 7 2 2 2 9 5 6 11 2 Ret 3 2 Ret 10 4 5
12 Flag of Japan svg.png Barii Mori 20 Ret DNPQ 15 28
2013 Kahama KM-4L Ford EDCX TAS AUS MEX USA MON FRA GBR GER NED BEL POR MED MAC CHN JPN BRA =12th 7
26 Flag of Germany svg.png Kay Lon Ret Ret
Flag of the United States svg.png Nicolas Steele Ret Ret Ret 7 Ret Ret Ret 10 Ret Ret Ret 10 10 6
27 Flag of Japan svg.png Barii Mori Ret Ret Ret 8 Ret 9 5 5 5 11 11 Ret Ret 15 17 Ret
2014 Kahama KM-5 Yamaha OX10 TAS AUS BRA MEX USA MON FRA GBR GER BEL ITA MED NED MAC CHN JPN 6th 39
22 Flag of Japan svg.png Barii Mori Ret Ret Ret 2 8 Ret Ret Ret 6 Ret Ret Ret 2 Ret Ret 7
23 Flag of the United States svg.png Nicolas Steele Ret Ret 3 Ret 3 2 Ret Ret 9 2 2 Ret Ret 12 Ret Ret
2015 Kahama KM-6 Yamaha OX10A TAS AUS MED MON MEX USA CAN GBR GER BEL AUT ITA NED CHN JPN BRA =7th 16
11 Flag of the United States svg.png Nicolas Steele Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 6 Ret 7 Ret 8 10†
Flag of China svg.png Du Lei 11 14† Ret 13 Ret
12 Flag of Japan svg.png Barii Mori Ret 14 Ret 5 Ret 5 Ret Ret 3 Ret 11† 5 6 Ret 3 Ret
2016 Kamaha KM-6B Suzuki AF1-4 AUS NSW GBR ITA AUT CAN SUS NUS GER NED MON BEL MEX ARG CHN JPN 7th 22
13 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Nathan McKane Ret Ret DNQ Ret Ret Ret EX EX DNPQ DNPQ DNPQ
Flag of Japan svg.png Barii Mori Ret
Flag of Japan svg.png Hagane Shizuka 10† Ret Ret Ret 1 Ret
14 Ret
Flag of Japan svg.png Tomo Kazama DNQ Ret Ret 7 Ret Ret Ret EX DNPQ DNPQ DNPQ 1 5 13† 8
Flag of Austria svg.png Marko Jantscher Ret
2017 Kamaha KM-7 Suzuki AF1-4B AUS NSW GBR ITA AUT CAN SUS NUS GER NED MON BEL MOR ARG JPN CHN 13th 1
13 Flag of Japan svg.png Hagane Shizuka Ret 6 Ret DNQ Ret Ret DNPQ Ret DNQ DNPQ Ret Ret 12 DNPQ DNPQ DNPQ
14 Flag of Australia svg.png Daniel Melville 10 Ret Ret 11† DNQ 10 DNPQ DNQ Ret DNPQ Ret Ret 14 DNPQ DNPQ
Flag of Japan svg.png Barii Mori DNPQ
2018 Kamaha KM-7Y
Kamaha KM-7AY
Kamaha KMS-8Y
Yamaha OX64 AUS NSW ITA MOR CAL USA CAN GBR AUT GER SCA BEL MON RSA BRA ARG JPN CHN 7th 13
21 Flag of Italy svg.png Rosco Vantini DNPQ DNPQ DNPQ Ret 13 Ret 16 12
Flag of Japan svg.png Barii Mori Ret 9
Flag of Japan svg.png Akira Yamamura Ret 3 Ret Ret Ret 3 4 Ret
22 Flag of Australia svg.png Daniel Melville DNPQ DNPQ DNPQ 10 16 13 12 11 Ret Ret Ret 12 Ret 9 Ret Ret Ret Ret
2019 Kahama KMS-9 Yamaha OX64-A AUS NSW KIN ITA MAR CAN 500 GBR AUT GER SCA BEL MON SAF BRA ARG JPN CHN 11th 2
13 Flag of Japan svg.png Akira Yamamura Ret 8 Ret Ret 12 Ret 10† Ret DNQ Ret Ret Ret 12 DNQ Ret Ret 17 Ret
14 Flag of Finland svg.png Nick Nurmester 10 Ret DNQ Ret 14† 10 Ret Ret Ret DNQ 5† EX EX DNQ 13 DNQ DNQ Ret
Flag of Australia svg.png Daniel Melville 9 DNQ
2020 Kahama KARWS-Λ Yamaha OX64B AUS NSW ARG BRA 500 CAN GBR BEL MON ITA AUT GER SAF IND MAL PAC JPN CHN 14th 0
19 Flag of China svg.png Du Lon DNQ DNQ C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C
20 Flag of Spain svg.png Carmen Álvarez Torrente Ret DNQ C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C C
2023 Kahama Antares K-Ξ Bentley WR12 48v Supersports ARWS MON LUX GER CZE NUS GBR SCA SUS MAL AUS JPN KIN MAC 2nd 718
27 Flag of Canada svg.png Pierre St. Laurent Ret 2 5 16† Ret 15 3 11 10 3 7 Ret
Flag of Somalia svg.png Zaituni Dileita 6
28 Flag of Germany svg.png Kay Lon 2 1 4 9 8 12 Ret 9 Ret 5 Ret Ret 7
2024 Kahama Antares K-Ο Bentley WR12-24 TFSI MON MED LUX GER CRI GRS NUS ITA GBR CAN RNO SUS MAL KIN JPN AUS NC 0
3 Flag of Germany svg.png Kay Lon
4 Flag of Canada svg.png Pierre St. Laurent
ARWS Constructors
2019 Season ARWS Constructors
Aeroracing Blokkmonsta Euromotor Fusion Gillet ENB Jones Kamaha Kjellerup Lomas
Mecha MRT Nurminen Simpson USD Venturi Voeckler Vincent
Former ARWS Constructors
Acuri - AMR - ARC - ArrowTech - Autodynamics - Bangelia - Boxtel - Calinetic - CR - DGNgineering - Dofasco - FAT - Flying Fish - Foxdale - Gauthier - Hemogoblin - HRT - Horizon
IBR - JLD - Kingfisher - KQ - Lotus - MAN - Minardi - Mitie - Pacchia - Phoenix - Prospec - Revolution - Rosenforth - SOTL - Sunshine - Tassie - Tropico - Trueba - Virgin - West Cliff - ZimSport