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TGR Driver Challenge Program

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TGR Driver Challenge Program
Founded2003; 22 years ago (2003) (as Toyota Drivers Academy)[1]
BaseCologne, Germany & Japan
Team principal(s)Akio Toyoda
Current driversFrance Esteban Masson
Japan Rikuto Kobayashi
Japan Kazuto Kotaka
Japan Miki Koyama
Japan Ritomo Miyata
Japan Jin Nakamura
Japan Seita Nonaka
Japan Yuki Sano
Japan Tokiya Suzuki
Japan Hibiki Taira
Japan Kiyoshi Umegaki

The Toyota Gazoo Racing Driver Challenge Program (TGR-DC) formerly known as the Toyota Drivers Academy and Toyota Young Drivers Programme (TDP), is a driver development programme by Toyota Gazoo Racing. It is meant to promote talent in different racing series by helping them with funds, with the hope of finding drivers who will race for the team in the future. Notable graduates of the scheme are Kazuki Nakajima, Kamui Kobayashi; who made their F1 debuts for Williams and Toyota, respectively.

Current drivers

TGR-DC drivers

Driver Years Current Series Titles as TGR-DC driver
Japan Ritomo Miyata[2][3] 2017–2021,
2025– 		Formula 2 Championship 2017 F4 Japanese Championship
2020 Super Formula Lights
Japan Kazuto Kotaka[4] 2019– Super Formula 2022 Super Formula Lights
Japan Hibiki Taira[5] 2021– Super Formula
Super GT – GT300 		None as TGR-DC driver
Japan Miki Koyama[6] 2022– Super GT – GT300 2022 Formula Regional Japanese Championship
Japan Seita Nonaka[6] 2022– Super GT – GT300 None as TGR-DC driver
Japan Rikuto Kobayashi[7] 2024– Super Formula Lights
Super GT GT300 		None as TGR-DC driver
Japan Jin Nakamura[7] 2024– Formula Regional Middle East Championship
Formula Regional European Championship 		None as TGR-DC driver
France Esteban Masson[3] 2025– Super Formula Lights
European Le Mans Series – LMP2 		None as TGR-DC driver
Japan Yuki Sano[3] 2025– Super Formula Lights None as TGR-DC driver
Japan Tokiya Suzuki[3] 2025– Formula Regional Japanese Championship
F4 Japanese Championship 		None as TGR-DC driver
Japan Kiyoshi Umegaki[3] 2025– Formula Regional Japanese Championship
F4 Japanese Championship 		None as TGR-DC driver
  • Championship titles highlighted in bold.

TGR-DC Racing School drivers

The TGR-DC Racing School is a team for young Toyota drivers who compete in F4 Japanese Championship.

No. Driver[3]
TBA Japan Kiyoshi Umegaki
TBA Japan Tokiya Suzuki
TBA Japan Yuzuki Miura
TBA Japan Takahiro Kikuchi
TBA Japan Megumu Suzuki
TBA Japan Masana Muto

Former drivers

TGR-DC drivers

Driver Years Series competed
Australia Ryan Briscoe[1][8] 2003–2005 Formula 3 Euro Series (2003)
IndyCar Series
Brazil Roberto Streit[8] 2003–2004 Formula Renault 2000 Italia
Formula 3 Euro Series
Japan Katsuyuki Hiranaka[8] 2003–2004 Formula 3 Euro Series
France Franck Perera[1][8] 2003–2006 Formula 3 Euro Series
GP2 Series
Japan Kohei Hirate[8][1][9] 2003–2011 Formula 3 Euro Series
GP2 Series
Formula Nippon
Japan Kamui Kobayashi[8][10][9] 2004–2011 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2005)
Formula Renault 2.0 Italia (2005)
F3 Euro Series
GP2 Asia Series (2008–09)
GP2 Series
Formula One
Japan Kazuki Nakajima[11][10][9] 2004–2011 Japanese Formula 3 Championship
Super GT – GT300
F3 Euro Series
GP2 Series
Formula One
Formula Nippon
Japan Hideto Yasuoka[10] 2006 Japanese Formula 3 Championship
Japan Tsubasa Abe[10] 2006 Japanese Formula 3 Championship
Japan Yoshifumi Kubota[10] 2006 Formula Challenge Japan
Japan Sadaomi Masuda[10][9] 2006 Formula Challenge Japan
United Kingdom Martin Plowman[10][9] 2006–2007 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0
Formula Renault 2.0 Italia
Netherlands Henkie Waldschmidt[10][9] 2006–2008 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0
Formula Renault 2.0 Italia
Formula 3 Euro Series
Japan Keisuke Kunimoto[10][9] 2006–2009 Formula Toyota
Formula Challenge Japan
Japanese Formula 3 Championship
Super GT – GT300
Japan Kazuya Oshima[10][9] 2006–2011 'Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2007)
Super GT GT300 (2007)
Formula 3 Euro Series
Formula Nippon
Super GT – GT500
Japan Takuto Iguchi[10][9] 2006–2011 Formula Toyota
Formula Challenge Japan
Japanese Formula 3 Championship
Super GT – GT300
Japan Yuhi Sekiguchi[12] 2007 Japanese Formula 3 Championship
Japan Takamitsu Matsui[12] 2007 Formula Toyota
Formula Challenge Japan
Italy Andrea Caldarelli[12][9][13][14] 2007–2008 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0
Formula Renault 2.0 WEC
Formula 3 Euro Series
Japan Hiroaki Ishiura[12][9] 2007–2011 Japanese Formula 3 Championship
Super GT GT300 (2007)'
Super GT – GT500
Formula Nippon
Italy Kei Cozzolino[9] 2008 Japanese Formula 3 Championship
Japan Hideki Yamauchi[9] 2008 Japanese Formula 3 Championship
Super GT – GT300
Japan Yuji Kunimoto[9] 2008–2013 Formula Challenge Japan
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2010)
Super GT – GT300
Super GT – GT500
Japan Naoya Gamou[9][15] 2008, 2010–2011 Formula Challenge Japan
Japanese Formula 3 Championship
Japan Yuichi Nakayama[9][16] 2008, 2011–2016 Formula Challenge Japan
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2013)
Super GT – GT300
Super Formula Championship
Japan Takamoto Katsuta[17] 2012–2014 Japanese Formula 3 Championship
Japan Ryo Hirakawa[2] 2013–2017 Super Formula Championship
Super GT GT500 (2017)
European Le Mans Series - LMP2
Japan Kenta Yamashita[2][4] 2013–2019 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2016)
Super GT GT300
Super GT GT500 (2019)
Super Formula Championship
Japan Sho Tsuboi[2][18] 2016–2020 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2018)
Super GT GT300
Super GT GT500
Super Formula Championship
  • Championship titles highlighted in bold.

TGR-DC Racing School drivers

Driver Years
Japan Hibiki Taira 2020
Japan Seita Nonaka 2020–2021
Japan Jiei Okuzumi 2020–2021
Japan Eijiro Shimizu 2020–2021
Japan Rin Arakawa 2021–2022
Japan Rikuto Kobayashi 2022–2023
Japan Jin Nakamura 2022–2023
Japan Ryoma Henzan 2022
Japan Shunji Okumoto 2023
Japan Yuki Sano 2023–2024
Japan Kazuhisa Urabe 2024
  • Championship title highlighted in bold.
  • Promoted to TGR-DC drivers highlighted in italic.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Toyota Young Drivers Programme Ready for 2005". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 25 February 2005. Retrieved 25 February 2005.
  2. ^ a b c d "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Outlines 2017 Motorsports Activities". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 2 February 2017. Retrieved 2 February 2012.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Presents its 2025 motorsport team setups in Japan". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 25 December 2024. Retrieved 25 December 2024.
  4. ^ a b "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Outlines 2019 Motorsports Activities". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 7 February 2019. Retrieved 7 February 2019.
  5. ^ "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Outlines 2021 Motorsports Activities". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  6. ^ a b "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing announced its 2022 motorsport team setups". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 6 December 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
  7. ^ a b "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing、2024年SUPER GT GT300クラス、スーパー耐久シリーズ参戦体制、国内レースのドライバー育成計画を発表". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "Toyota launches 'Drivers Academy'". Crash.net. Retrieved 2 January 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p "Toyota Outlines Motorsports Activities for 2008". Toyota. 7 March 2008. Retrieved 7 March 2008.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k "Toyota Outlines Motorsports Activities for 2006". Toyota. 3 March 2006. Retrieved 3 March 2006.
  11. ^ "3 Japanese drivers from TOYOTA Young Drivers Program will participate in F1 tests in 2007". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 10 November 2007. Retrieved 10 November 2007.
  12. ^ a b c d "Toyota Outlines Motorsports Activities for 2007". Toyota. 12 March 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2007.
  13. ^ "Teen tests Toyota". eurosport. 17 December 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
  14. ^ "Toyota give Caldarelli maiden test". autosport. 17 December 2008. Retrieved 17 December 2008.
  15. ^ "TMC Outlines Motorsports Activities for 2010". Toyota. 15 March 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
  16. ^ "Toyota GAZOO Racing Outlines 2016 Motorsports Activities" (PDF). Toyota Gazoo Racing. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2016.
  17. ^ "Toyota Outlines Its Motorsports Activities for CY2014". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 30 January 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2014.
  18. ^ "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Outlines 2020 Motorsports Activities". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
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