Sven Mueller knows the truth about the Seven x Seven Racing GT300 title fight. The Porsche driver finished just six points short of the crown after a strong weekend at Motegi. He says the championship was lost long before the final race on Sunday. Errors earlier in the year, including a disqualification at Autopolis, created a gap that proved too wide to close.
With a narrow opportunity to surpass Kondo Racing’s Joao Paulo de Oliveira and Iori Kimura, they approached the concluding 250km race. Mueller took the lead during the race but could not hold it. The JLOC Lamborghini of Daniil Kvyat passed him in the closing stages to secure the points needed for the title.
Mistakes Cost the Championship
The German driver feels the team made too many errors to win. He told Sportscar365 that the team was not consistent enough throughout the season. Their prospects suffered further due to a drive-through penalty imposed at Suzuka for exceeding track boundaries. Mueller admitted that the team simply did not do what was needed to be consistent.
He pointed to the disqualification at Autopolis as a major setback that likely cost them the title. The team failed to complete both mandatory refuelling stops at that event and was stripped of a runner-up finish. Consequently, the points forfeited created a deficit entering Motegi that proved insurmountable, despite a vigorous last effort. Mueller noted that you do not win a championship in the last round if you are not consistent through the year.
Speed Gap Too Wide to Close
Even with good strategy and great tire management, the Porsche lacked the raw pace to win. Mueller said the pure speed in qualifying was always around the P10 to P12 mark. In the race, they managed to get to the front, but the speed difference was way too much against other cars. The Lamborghini just drove by him when it mattered.
Mueller recalled the duel with Kvyat, noting the former Formula 1 racer executed a victorious overtake on Turn 4’s exterior while all four wheels left the surface. Kvyat and his partner Takashi lost the lead during the pit stop, swapping two tires while the Porsche kept its tires unchanged. When Kvyat passed, he overtook off the track and gained an advantage. Mueller recalled that he was consistently on the limit, pushing like crazy, but the pace difference was too great.
Final Standings and Next Steps
The two second-place finishes at Motegi stand as the second-year outfit’s best results. Mueller and Watarai ended the season in second place in the GT300 standings. They were six points away from the top spot.
Seven x Seven Racing finished the season six points behind Kondo Racing in the GT300 championship standings.
