Sacha Fenestraz is poised for a return to Tremendous Components in 2025 with Toyota’s flagship TOM’S crew, Motorsport.com understands.
The Franco-Argentinian driver is about to switch Ukyo Sasahara within the #37 TOM’S automotive as a part of a wider take care of Toyota that will additionally see him race in SUPER GT subsequent season.
Fenestraz admitted when chatting with Motorsport.com within the wake of the information that Nissan can be changing him with Norman Nato in Components E that returning to Japanese motorsport was his probably choice.
Each Toyota and Nissan are understood to have made Fenestraz provides to race in Tremendous Components and SUPER GT, the place he raced in 2020-22 earlier than shifting to Components E.
Nissan’s Japanese arm – which is nearly fully separate from its European-based Components E operation – was ready to supply Fenestraz a seat in its works NISMO SUPER GT squad, plus his previous Tremendous Components berth at Kondo Racing.
However Fenestraz’s unhappiness with the way in which his Components E tenure ended, with Nissan dropping him with two years left to run on his contract, is assumed to have been a consider him pursuing a reunion with Toyota.
Sacha Fenestraz, KONDO RACING
Photograph by: Masahide Kamio
Sasahara’s speedy Tremendous Components future is unclear after a troublesome season wherein he failed to attain factors, whereas team-mate Tsuboi took the title.
Nonetheless, he has been linked to the second seat at Kondo Racing, and might be handed an opportunity to audition to switch incumbent Kazuto Kotaka, who had a equally troublesome yr.
Few different adjustments are anticipated within the Toyota secure, with the Inging, KCMG and Rookie Racing groups all wanting set for unchanged line-ups.
Crew Impul is prone to promote Toyota junior Hibiki Taira to a full-time drive after he was drafted in to fill the seat vacated by Theo Pourchaire for 3 weekends this yr.
Fraga favorite to switch Yamamoto at Nakajima Racing
Igor Fraga has emerged because the frontrunner to take over the seat vacated by three-time champion Naoki Yamamoto, who introduced his retirement from Tremendous Components earlier this month.
Gran Turismo esports star Fraga has spent this season as a reserve driver for Nakajima Racing, which adopted the relaunch of his real-life racing profession in Tremendous Components Lights in 2023 and SUPER GT’s decrease GT300 class.
The previous Pink Bull junior beforehand gained the Toyota Racing Collection in 2020, beating present Components 1 drivers Liam Lawson and Franco Colapinto to the title, however was launched from the power drink large’s scheme after only one season amid a troublesome marketing campaign in FIA Components 3.
He then spent two seasons targeted solely on his digital racing actions earlier than relocating to Japan, the place he was born to Brazilian mother and father and spent the early a part of his life.
Fraga is poised to drive for Nakajima Racing in subsequent month’s rookie check at Suzuka, in what might be considered a remaining audition for a promotion to a race drive.
Iwasa poised to proceed with Mugen
Ayumu Iwasa, TEAM MUGEN
Photograph by: Masahide Kamio
Elsewhere, Ayumu Iwasa appears to be like set to remain on at Crew Mugen for a second season regardless of the crew’s relationship with Pink Bull coming to an finish.
Iwasa completed fifth total in his rookie season with three second-place finishes in between his commitments for Pink Bull’s F1 groups, which included a primary FP1 outing with RB in April’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
Pink Bull advisor Helmut Marko beforehand said in an interview with Motorsport.com’s Japanese version that he anticipated Iwasa to remain in Tremendous Components in 2025.
In the meantime, Honda junior Shun Koide could also be handed the possibility to step as much as Tremendous Components subsequent yr, as he leads the Tremendous Components Lights standings with one spherical to go.
Koide seems to be a candidate to switch Iori Kimura at B-Max Racing, though there’s nonetheless a chance that he might determine in Nakajima Racing’s plans.
The road-ups for the Suzuka rookie check on December 11-13 are seemingly to supply a powerful indication of who will drive the place in 2025.
Kamui Kobayashi is predicted to overlook the check for KCMG as he attends the FIA Prize Giving gala in Kigali, Rwanda, despite the fact that it appears to be like seemingly he’ll proceed to race for the crew.
