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Toyota reveals 2021 Super GT drivers, GT500 grid complete

Toyota has revealed its driver line-up for the 2021 SUPER GT season, meaning the full GT500 grid for the new campaign is now known.

#37 KeePer TOM'S GR Supra、#36 au TOM'S Supra、#39 DENSO KOBELCO SARD GR Supra

#37 KeePer TOM'S GR Supra、#36 au TOM'S Supra、#39 DENSO KOBELCO SARD GR Supra

Masahide Kamio

The Japanese auto giant is once again entering six Toyota GR Supras in the top class of the series following its narrow title defeat to rival marque Honda in 2020.

As previously reported by Motorsport.com, the major changes are Sacha Fenestraz partnering Ryo Hirakawa in the #37 TOM'S car and Kenta Yamashita returning full-time to the series alongside Kazuya Oshima at Rookie Racing, recreating the 2019 title-winning line-up.

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Fenestraz takes the seat that had been occupied since 2017 by Nick Cassidy, who is leaving the championship to participate in Formula E with Envision Virgin Racing.

Sho Tsuboi meanwhile replaces Fenestraz as Yuhi Sekiguchi's teammate in the #36 TOM'S car after spending a season with Oshima in what was effectively Cerumo's second car in 2020.

Rookie Racing has also got a new title sponsor in the shape of former Team LeMans sponsor ENEOS, which replaces chemical brand Wako's.

#6 Lexus Team LeMans Eneos Lexus SC430: Kazuya Oshima, Yuji Kunimoto

#6 Lexus Team LeMans Eneos Lexus SC430: Kazuya Oshima, Yuji Kunimoto

Photo by: SUPER GT

The remaining three line-ups within the Toyota are unchanged from last year.

Cerumo's #38 entry is sticking with veteran pairing Hiroaki Ishiura and Yuji Tachikawa, SARD keeps ex-Formula 1 star Heikki Kovalainen and Yuichi Nakayama, while Racing Project Bandoh maintains its pairing of Ritomo Miyata and Yuji Kunimoto.

Five of the six Toyota entries are on Bridgestone tyres, with Racing Project Bandoh maintaining its long-standing association with Yokohama.

Three GR Supras in GT300

Toyota has also announced that three of its GR Supra GT300 machines will be on the grid this year, following Thursday's news that LM Corsa will be using the car in 2021.

Joining LM Corsa and Saitama Toyopet in running the JAF GT300-spec car is Max Racing, which like LM Corsa is switching away from the increasingly out-of-favour Lexus RC F GT3.

However, the Lexus brand will remain on the grid via K-tunes Racing, which is running an unchanged line-up of Morio Nitta and Sena Sakaguchi.

Max Racing meanwhile has recruited Yuui Tsutsumi to join Atsushi Miyake in its Supra.

Elsewhere, apr will continue to field its pair of GR Sport Prius PHVs. Hiroaki Nagai and Manabu Orido remain a duo in the #30 car, while Koki Saga and Yuhki Nakayama pilot the #31.

#31 TOYOTA GR SPORT PRIUS PHV apr GT

#31 TOYOTA GR SPORT PRIUS PHV apr GT

Photo by: Masahide Kamio

A seventh Toyota entry was listed as TBA, but using the #35 that has been the preserve of the Team Thailand squad and its Lexus RC F GT3.

However, it's not known if Team Thailand or its 2020 drivers, Sean Walkinshaw and Mathias Beche, will be back for another season.

Full 2021 SUPER GT grid (GT500 class):

Manufacturer

Team

Tyre

No.

Drivers

Nissan

 

 

 

NISMO

Michelin

23

Italy Ronnie Quintarelli

Japan Tsugio Matsuda

Kondo Racing

Yokohama

24

Japan Mitsunori Takaboshi

Japan Daiki Sasaki

Team Impul

Bridgestone

12

Japan Nobuharu Matsushita

Japan Kazuki Hiramine

NDDP/B-Max Racing

Michelin

3

Japan Kohei Hirate

Japan Katsumasa Chiyo

Toyota

 

 

 

 

 

TOM’S


 

 

Bridgestone

 

36

Japan Yuhi Sekiguchi

Japan Sho Tsuboi

37

Japan Ryo Hirakawa

France Sacha Fenestraz

Racing Project Bandoh

Yokohama

19

Japan Yuji Kunimoto

Japan Ritomo Miyata

SARD

Bridgestone

39

Finland Heikki Kovalainen

Japan Yuichi Nakayama

Cerumo

Bridgestone

38

Japan Hiroaki Ishiura

Japan Yuji Tachikawa

Rookie Racing

Bridgestone

14

Japan Kazuya Oshima

Japan Kenta Yamashita

Honda

 

 

 

 

Team Kunimitsu

Bridgestone

1

Japan Naoki Yamamoto

Japan Tadasuke Makino

ARTA

Bridgestone

8

Japan Tomoki Nojiri

Japan Nirei Fukuzumi

Team Mugen

TBA

16

Japan Toshiki Oyu

Japan Ukyo Sasahara

Nakajima Racing

TBA

64

Japan Takuya Izawa

Japan Hiroki Otsu

Real Racing

Bridgestone

17

Japan Koudai Tsukakoshi

Belgium Bertrand Baguette

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