Yep - stayed on formula and entertained me anyway.

I figured Kanata would catch up to the two leaders, then stall there, since just catching up from where he started is sufficient amazing driving by itself, and it’s too soon in the story arc for him to win. And right on schedule, his tires are wearing out.

Neat that that gave him an excuse to pass on the inside on a corner by running his inside tires in a gutter - flashback to the five consecutive hairpins of Takumi’s first race.