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Super Formula reveals Suzuka rookie test entry list

Super Formula has released an entry list for this week's two-day post-season rookie test at Suzuka with some surprise additions and absences.

Tomoki Nojiri, TEAM MUGEN

Tomoki Nojiri, TEAM MUGEN

Masahide Kamio

Published on Monday, the list contains a total of 24 names that will be in action on Wednesday and Thursday, including six rookies.

As reported by Motorsport.com, Ukyo Sasahara is set to share the cockpit of the #36 TOM'S car with Giuliano Alesi as the Toyota flagship team weighs up who will partner Ritomo Miyata in 2023.

Red Bull junior Liam Lawson will get his first taste of the Dallara SF19 as he prepares to take over Sasahara's place in the second Team Mugen entry alongside reigning champion Tomoki Nojiri, who is skipping the test. 

Along with Lawson, the other rookies set to participate in the test are Kakunoshin Ota, Raoul Hyman, Igor Fraga, Seita Nonaka and Cem Bolukbasi.

Super Formula Lights runner-up Ota is a surprise inclusion for Dandelion Racing alongside Hiroki Otsu, with the team's other driver from the 2022 season, Tadasuke Makino, absent from the test.

As previously reported, Hyman is set to join Nobuharu Matsushita in an expanded two-car line-up for B-Max Racing in 2023 after winning the HPD scholarship fund for his Formula Regional Americas title win.

Brazilian-Japanese driver Fraga has been handed a full two days of running for Team Impul in the #19 car usually driven by Yuhi Sekiguchi.

The #20 car will be shared by Sekiguchi and Ryo Hirakawa, who will be absent for the second day as he prepares to attend this week's FIA Prize Giving ceremony in Italy following his FIA World Endurance Championship title triumph.

Both Hyman and Fraga are also confirmed to be in action for B-Max in the concurrent Super Formula Lights test.

KCMG has already announced that Nonaka, who races in Super Formula Lights for TOM'S, will take over Kamui Kobayashi's car on the second day of the test as Kobayashi heads to Italy for the FIA Prize Giving.

Another surprise addition the entry list is Turkish driver Bolukbasi, who drove a part-season for Charouz Racing System in Formula 2 this year and will be participating at Suzuka with a yet-to-be-announced team with Honda power.

As well as Nojiri and Makino, Toshiki Oyu is also missing from the test entry list amid uncertainty over his Super Formula future.

Oyu is known to be leaving Nakajima Racing, with his place in the team alongside Naoki Yamamoto having already gone to Ren Sato, and has identified Team Goh as his destination of choice.

His absence from the test suggests that efforts are proceeding to find a second driver with significant funding to keep the team running following the loss of its Red Bull deal - and Bolukbasi participating in the test suggests he could be being lined up to partner Oyu in 2023.

Suzuka test entry list (December 7-8):

Team/Engine No. Driver
Kondo Racing/Toyota 3 Japan Kenta Yamashita
4 Japan Kazuto Kotaka
Dandelion Racing/Honda 5 Japan Hiroki Otsu
6

Japan Kakunoshin Ota

KCMG/Toyota 7

Japan Kamui Kobayashi (Day 1)

Japan Seita Nonaka (Day 2)

18

Japan Yuji Kunimoto

Drago Corse/Honda 12

Japan Nirei Fukuzumi

Japan Atsushi Miyake

Rookie Racing/Toyota 14

Japan Kazuya Oshima

Mugen/Honda 15

New Zealand Liam Lawson

Impul/Toyota 19

Brazil Igor Fraga

20

Japan Ryo Hirakawa (Day 1)

Japan Yuhi Sekiguchi (Day 2)

TBD/Honda 33

Turkey Cem Bolukbasi

TOM'S/Toyota 36

France Giuliano Alesi (Day 1)

Japan Ukyo Sasahara (Day 2)

37

Japan Ritomo Miyata

Inging/Toyota 38

Japan Sho Tsuboi

39

Japan Sena Sakaguchi

B-Max Racing/Honda 50

Japan Nobuharu Matsushita

51

United Kingdom Raoul Hyman

Nakajima Racing/Honda 64

Japan Naoki Yamamoto

65

Japan Ren Sato

Bold indicates driver confirmed for 2023

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