Toyota Presents its 2025 motorsport team setups in Japan
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing (TGR) announced its 2025 motorsport activities plan for Japan on Christmas Day December 25.
- In the top categories in Japan, SUPER GT and the Japanese Super Formula Championship, TGR will strengthen industry collaboration to promote racing in Japan further while aiming for consecutive championships in both the Drivers’ and Teams’ categories.
- A new team called “KDDI TGMGP TGR-DC” will be established in the Japanese Super Formula Championship to develop talent. Based on the systems of training engineers and mechanics created for making ever-better motorsports-bred cars through ROOKIE Racing, which MORIZO initiated, TGR will actively engage in human resource development at the forefront of motorsport, under the planning and supervision of MORIZO, with the cooperation of KDDI. Led by ROOKIE Racing and the new team, TGR will accelerate human resource development in the motorsport field.
- In the Japanese Rally, in addition to the GR Yaris MT that will participate in the MORIZO Challenge Cup for young driver development in the JN2 class starting in 2024, TGR will also enter the commercial model of the GR Yaris equipped with a high-performance 8-speed AT (GR-DAT) in the same class in 2025 to expand the base of motorsport. Furthermore, TGR will welcome Mr. Tomoyuki Shinkai, who served as a TGR driver until last year, as the new director, and implement human resource development with engineers and mechanics, primarily employees.
- In the Super Taikyu series and Nürburgring, TGR will conduct activities with the purpose of making ever-better motorsports-bred cars and developing human resources through motorsport. In the Super Taikyu series, in addition to the above, TGR will continue to take up the challenge of expanding new options to achieve carbon neutrality with “purposeful passion and action”. Additionally, at the Nürburgring, TGR will challenge its car and team by making spot entries in the NLS series and preparing for its entry in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring race.
- In the KYOJO CUP, TGR aims to make motorsport sustainable by increasing the number of competitors and motorsport fans and promoting diversity, with plans to increase support starting in 2025. TGR will work to create an environment where female drivers can thrive in motorsport, supporting each team while promoting the activities of affiliated female drivers.
- In driver development, TGR aims to develop athletes who can excel in top categories both in Japan and abroad, broadening their potential and promoting an environment where they can maximize their abilities.
- In participatory motorsport, TGR will work to expand the motorsport base through initiatives like the TGR Yaris Cup and TGR Rally Challenge, collaborating with circuits and local governments across the country to ensure safer race and rally operations.
TGR will continue its practice of making ever-better motorsports-bred cars and pursuing activities to enhance the appeal and sustainability of motorsports.
Major Results for the 2024 Race Season
| Championships in Japan | SUPER GT | TGR TEAM au TOM’S wins the season championshipjapan •Team Champion •Drivers’ Champion (Sho Tsuboi / Kenta Yamashita) |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese Super Formula Championship | Sho Tsuboi (VANTELIN TEAM TOM’S) wins the Drivers’ Championship | |
| Japanese Rally Championship | The Tomoyuki Shinkai and Yuichi Ando team finishes 10th in the JN-1 class with the GR YARIS GR4 Rally DAT |
2025 SUPER GT
GT500 Class
- The team will compete again in 2025 with the GR Supra GT500.
- Support will be provided to 6 teams and 6 cars through Toyota Gazoo Racing Development (TGR-D).
- Sasha Fenestraz will join the team as a new member.
| Team | Vehicle | No. | Driver | Tires |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TGR TEAM ENEOS ROOKIE | ENEOS X PRIME GR Supra | 14 | Kazuya Oshima (Japan) | BS |
| Nirei Fukuzumi (Japan) | ||||
| TGR TEAM WedsSport BANDOH | WedsSport ADVAN GR Supra | 19 | Yuji Kunimoto (Japan) | YH |
| Sena Sakaguchi (Japan) | ||||
| TGR TEAM au TOM’S | au TOM’S GR Supra | 1 | Sho Tsuboi (Japan) | BS |
| Kenta Yamashita (Japan) | ||||
| TGR TEAM Deloitte TOM’S | Deloitte TOM’S GR Supra | 37 | Ukyo Sasahara (Japan) | BS |
| Giuliano Alesi (France) | ||||
| TGR TEAM KeePer CERUMO | KeePer CERUMO GR Supra | 38 | Hiroaki Ishiura (Japan) | BS |
| Toshiki Oyu (Japan) | ||||
| TGR TEAM SARD | DENSO KOBELCO SARD GR Supra | 39 | Yuhi Sekiguchi (Japan) | BS |
| Sacha Fenestraz (Argentina) |
Tires: BS = Bridgestone, YH = Yokohama
2025 Japanese Super Formula Championship
- Toyota Gazoo Racing Development (TGR-D) will supply the teams with a two-liter in-line four-cylinder direct-injection gasoline turbo engine (TRD 01F).
- Tires will be a one-make from Yokohama Rubber.
- New drivers joining include Zak O’Sullivan, Mitsunori Takaboshi, Oliver Rasmussen, and Sacha Fenestraz.
- A new team will develop drivers, engineers, and mechanics.
| Team | No. | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| KONDO RACING | 3 | Kenta Yamashita (Japan) |
| 4 | Zak O’Sullivan (UK) | |
| Kids com Team KCMG | 7 | Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) |
| 8 | Nirei Fukuzumi (Japan) | |
| docomo business ROOKIE | 14 | Kazuya Oshima (Japan) |
| TEAM IMPUL* | 19 | Oliver Rasmussen (Denmark) |
| 20 | Mitsunori Takaboshi (Japan) | |
| VANTELIN TEAM TOM’S | 1 | Sho Tsuboi (Japan) |
| 37 | Sacha Fenestraz (Argentina) | |
| SANKI VERTEX PARTNERS | 38 | Sena Sakaguchi (Japan) |
| 39 | Toshiki Oyu (Japan) | |
| KDDI TGMGP TGR-DC | 28 | Kazuto Kotaka (Japan) |
| 29 | Hibiki Taira (Japan) | |
| – | Seita Nonaka (Japan) |
*Tentative
2025 Japanese Rally Championship
- Starting in 2024, the GR Yaris MT will participate in the JN2 class under the young driver development category MORIZO Challenge Cup. Additionally, in 2025, aiming to broaden the motorsports base, a GR Yaris commercial model equipped with a high-performance 8-speed automatic transmission (GR-DAT) will also compete in the same class.
- Tomoyuki Shinkai, who served as a TGR driver until last year, will be welcomed as the new supervisor, and will implement employee-centered human resource development through engineers and mechanics.
| Team name | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing – WRJ | |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle/class | GR YARIS MT / JN2 (MORIZO Challenge Cup) GR YARIS DAT / JN2 (MORIZO Challenge Cup) |
|
| Main specifications | Engine | 1.6-liter in-line three-cylinder intercooler turbo |
| Drive system | “GR-FOUR” sport 4WD system | |
| Driver/Co-driver | Nao Otake / Misaki Hashimoto Mako Hirakawa / Shizuka Takehara |
|
2025 Super Taikyu series / Nürburgring
- Toyota will participate in endurance races in Japan and abroad with a mixed team that includes the professional drivers listed below and our company employee drivers.
| Driver line-up | Hiroaki Ishiura (Japan) |
|---|---|
| Kazuya Oshima (Japan) | |
| Tatsuya Kataoka (Japan) | |
| Naoya Gamo (Japan) | |
| Masahiro Sasaki (Japan) | |
| Kazuto Kotaka (Japan) | |
| Sho Tsuboi (Japan) | |
| Giuliano Alesi (France) | |
| Yuichi Nakayama (Japan) | |
| Takamitsu Matsui (Japan) | |
| Kenta Yamashita (Japan) |
2025 KYOJO CUP
- Starting in 2025, Toyota will expand our support for the KYOJO CUP, a women’s category promoting diversity.
- Toyota will support the activities of female drivers affiliated with each team.
| Team | Driver |
|---|---|
| docomo business ROOKIE | Mako Hirakawa (Japan) |
| TOM’S (tentative) | Aimi Saito (Japan) |
| Hana Burton (America) | |
| ITOCHU ENEX TEAM IMPUL with Dr.DRY (tentative) | Rio Shimono (Japan) |
| Kids com Team KCMG | Miki Onaga (Japan) |
| Rami Sasaki (Japan) | |
| CERUMO・INGING | Riona Tomishita (Japan) |
| Kokoro Sato (Japan) | |
| AIWIN Re-Kobe | Itsumo Shiraishi (Japan) |
2025 Driver Development
1) TGR Driver Challenge Program (TGR-DC)
- Toyota will continue the program to develop drivers who can excel in top categories in Japan and abroad.
- Toyota will proceed to create an environment that broadens the athletes’ potential and enables them to maximize their abilities through various challenges.
- In 2025, Toyota will support the activities of the following drivers as TGR-DC drivers:
Ritomo Miyata and Jin Nakamura will be based overseas. Miyata will participate in the FIA Formula 2 Championship with ART. At the same time, Nakamura will compete in the Formula Regional Championship by Alpine (FRECA) and the Formula Regional Middle East Championship (FRMEC) with R-ace GP. - Hitech and TGR will collaborate in the development category and support Miyata’s activities as Hitech TGR.
- Esteban Masson will participate in the Japanese Super Formula Lights Championship and the European Le Mans Series in the LMP2 class as a newly appointed TGR-DC development driver.
- Yuki Sano will compete in the Japanese Super Formula Lights Championship as a TGR-DC development driver.
[2025 TGR-DC Drivers]
| Driver | Category | Team (Provisional name) |
|---|---|---|
| Ritomo Miyata (Japan) | FIA Formula 2 Championship | ART |
| Kazuto Kotaka (Japan) | Japanese Super Formula Championship | KDDI TGMGP TGR-DC |
| SUPER GT (GT500) Reserve | – | |
| Hibiki Taira (Japan) | SUPER GT (GT300) | INGING MOTORSPORT (tentative) |
| Japanese Super Formula Championship | KDDI TGMGP TGR-DC | |
| Seita Nonaka (Japan) | Japanese Super Formula Championship Reserve | |
| SUPER GT (GT300) | Green Brave | |
| Esteban Masson (France) | Japanese Super Formula Lights Championship | TOM’S |
| European Le Mans Series (LMP2) | TBD | |
| Miki Koyama (Japan) | SUPER GT (GT300) | apr |
| Rikuto Kobayashi (Japan) | Japanese Super Formula Lights Championship | TOM’S |
| Super Taikyu Series (ST-X) | apr | |
| SUPER GT (GT300) | TBD | |
| Jin Nakamura (Japan) | Formula Regional European Championship by Alpine | R-ace GP |
| Formula Regional Middle East Championship | R-ace GP | |
| Yuki Sano (Japan) | Japanese Super Formula Lights Championship | TOM’S |
| Kiyoshi Umegaki (Japan) | Formula Regional Japanese Championship | TOM’S |
| Tokiya Suzuki (Japan) | Formula Regional Japanese Championship | TOM’S |
2) TGR-DC Racing School (TGR-DC Racing School)
- Toyota will conduct training to develop drivers who can excel as professional drivers through the FIA-F4 Championship series in Japan.
- Details of the school selection process for 2025 will be announced at a later date. Among the participants in the selection process, Toyota will support promising and outstanding drivers for participation in races in the following year and beyond.
[2025 TGR-DC RS Drivers]
(All drivers are from Japan)
| Driver | Category | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Kiyoshi Umegaki | FIA-F4 Championship in Japan | TGR-DC Racing School |
| Tokiya Suzuki | ||
| Yuzuki Miura | ||
| Takahiro Kikuchi | ||
| Megumu Suzuki | ||
| Masana Muto |
2025 Participatory Motorsport
Toyota will collaborate with circuits and local governments nationwide to provide opportunities to enjoy the true appeal of cars, regarding topics such as controlling cars and enjoying driving. Toyota will also implement support for those who aim to take on the challenge of participatory motorsport, prioritizing the safety of all participants.
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GR86/BRZ Cup
The TGR GR86/BRZ Cup is a one-make race using the GR86/SUBARU BRZ (model: ZN8/ZD8). The participating vehicles are the GR86 Cup Car Basic and SUBARU BRZ Cup Car Basic, which can be purchased at Toyota and Subaru dealerships nationwide. Expect exciting competition with minimal performance differences typical of one-make races. The 2025 series is scheduled to take place at seven major circuits across the country, with seven events.
Detailed URL: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing GR86/BRZ Cup
| Event | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Event | April 6 (Sun) | Autopolis |
| 2nd Event | May 24 (Sat) – 25 (Sun) | Mobility Resort Motegi |
| 3rd Event | June 14 (Sat) – 15 (Sun) | Sportsland SUGO |
| 4th Event | July 12 (Sat) – 13 (Sun) | Tokachi Speedway |
| 5th Event | September 6 (Sat) – 7 (Sun) | Fuji Speedway |
| 6th Event | October 4 (Sat) – 5 (Sun) | Suzuka Circuit |
| 7th Event | November 29 (Sat) – 30 (Sun) | Okayama International Circuit |
TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Yaris Cup
The TGR Yaris Cup’s participating vehicle is the Yaris Cup Car, based on the 1.5-liter engine Yaris, available in both manual and CVT configurations. In 2025, Toyota will hold events divided into five series nationwide, allowing participants to choose a series based on their location and providing a robust support system for those new to motorsports.
Detailed URL: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Yaris Cup
| Series | Round | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido | 1st | June 8 (Sun) | Tokachi Speedway |
| 2nd | July 13 (Sun) | Tokachi Speedway | |
| 3rd | October 19 (Sun) | Tokachi Speedway | |
| Tohoku | 1st | June 14-15 (Sat-Sun) | Sportsland SUGO |
| 2nd, 3rd | October 25-26 (Sat-Sun) | Sportsland SUGO | |
| Kanto | 1st | May 24 (Sat) | Mobility Resort Motegi |
| 2nd | August 31 (Sun) | Mobility Resort Motegi | |
| 3rd | November 15-16 (Sat-Sun) | Fuji Speedway | |
| Kansai | 1st | May 10-11 (Sat-Sun) | Suzuka Circuit |
| 2nd | September 28 (Sun) | Okayama International Circuit | |
| 3rd | November 30 (Sun) | Okayama International Circuit | |
| Kyushu | 1st | April 6 (Sun) | Autopolis |
| 2nd | July 26 (Sat) | Autopolis | |
| 3rd | November 9 (Sun) | Autopolis | |
| Special Event | December 20 (Sat) | Fuji Speedway |
2025 TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Rally Challenge
The TGR Rally Challenge is an entry-level rally designed with a beginner-friendly course, making it safe and easy to enter. With a B-class license in Japan, participants can compete in GR Yaris and GR86 and hybrid vehicles and AT cars like Yaris and Aqua, making it attractive for beginners and women. In 2025, we plan to hold 12 events nationwide, enhancing support systems to ensure that those new to motorsports can participate with confidence.
Detailed URL: TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Rally Challenge
2025 Series Event Schedule
| Rd | Date | Event Name | Location | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | March 15-16 | Okinawa | Okinawa Prefecture | Standalone |
| 2 | April 5-6 | Miyoshi | Tokushima Prefecture | Standalone |
| 3 | April 19-20 | Yatsugatake Chino | Nagano Prefecture | Standalone |
| 4 | May 10-11 | Mt. Fuji Area | Shizuoka Prefecture | Standalone |
| 5 | May 31-June 1 | Rifu | Miyagi Prefecture | Standalone |
| 6 | June 14-15 | Yoshinogari | Saga Prefecture | Cup Event (Regional) |
| 7 | June 28-29 | Shibukawa Ikaho | Gunma Prefecture | Standalone |
| 8 | July 19-20 | Ishikari | Hokkaido | Cup Event (Regional) |
| 9 | August 30-31 | Lake Biwa Takashima | Shiga Prefecture | Standalone |
| 10 | September 27-28 | Dinosaur Katsuyama | Fukui Prefecture | Standalone |
| 11 | October 11-12 | Takaoka Manyo | Toyama Prefecture | Standalone |
| Special Event | November 22-23 | Toyota | Aichi Prefecture | Standalone |