Whether it’s children moving from kindergarten to elementary school or university students completing their studies to enter the workforce, March is a time of graduation in Japan.
Juju Noda is also graduating this spring, but with a twist: Instead of donning a cap and gown, the 18-year-old will be strapping on her crash helmet and racing suit as she makes the move from junior racing categories to Super Formula, the second-fastest racing series in the world.
When Noda lines up on the grid for the Japan series’ season-opening race at the legendary Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture on Sunday, she’ll be sharing the track with a mix of young racers knocking on the door of Formula One, such as F2 standouts Theo Pourchaire and Ayumu Iwasa, and those who have been racing at elite levels since Noda was a toddler, like former Sauber F1 driver Kamui Kobayashi and two-time Super Formula champion Tomoki Nojiri.