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TGR Driver Challenge Program

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TGR Driver Challenge Program
Founded2001; 24 years ago (2001) (as Toyota Drivers Academy in 2003)[1]
BaseCologne, Germany & Japan
Team principal(s)Kazuki Nakajima
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.

The program was launched in 2001 when Toyota enters Formula 1, and want to promote young drivers from Japan, and other countries that able to reach F1.

Current drivers

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TGR-DC drivers

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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

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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

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TGR-DC drivers

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Driver Years Series competed
Japan Takashi Kogure 2001 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2001)
Japan Norihiko Tasaki 2001 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2001)
Australia Ryan Briscoe[1][8] 2001–2005 Formula Renault 2000 Italy (2001)
Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup (2001)
German Formula 3 Championship (2002)
International Formula 3000 (2002)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2003)
IndyCar Series (2005)
Japan Katsuyuki Hiranaka[8] 2001–2005 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2003–2004)
Formula Nippon (2005)
Super GT – GT300 (2005)
Japan Tatsuya Kataoka 2001–2006 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002–2003)
Formula Nippon (2004–2006)
All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship – GT500 (2009–2011)
Super GT – GT500 (2005–2006)
France Franck Perera[1][8] 2001–2006 Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2002–2003)
Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup (2002)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2004–2005)
GP2 Series (2006)
Sweden Alexander Storckenfeldt 2002 Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup (2002)
Japan Hiroki Yoshimoto 2002–2003 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002–2003)
Japan Naoki Yokomizo 2002–2004 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002–2004)
Japan Taku Bamba 2002–2005 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2003–2005)
Japan Kohei Hirate[8][1][9] 2002–2011 Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2003)
Formula Renault 2000 Masters (2003)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2004–2006)
GP2 Series (2007)
Formula Nippon (2008–2011)
Super GT – GT300 (2008)
Super GT – GT500 (2009–2011)
Japan Wataru Kobayakawa 2002–2005 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2003–2005)
Brazil Roberto Streit[8] 2003–2004 Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2003)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2004)
Japan Kamui Kobayashi[8][10][9] 2003–2011 Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2004)
Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2005)
Formula Renault 2.0 Italia (2005)
F3 Euro Series (2006–2007)
GP2 Asia Series (2008, 2008–09))
GP2 Series(2008–2009)
Formula One (2009–2011)
Japan Kazuki Nakajima[11][10][9] 2003–2011 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2004)
Super GT – GT300 (2004)
F3 Euro Series (2005–2006)
GP2 Series (2007)
Formula One (2007–2009)
Formula Nippon (2010–2011)
United Kingdom Ben Clucas 2004 Formula Renault 2.0 Italia (2004)
Japan Daisuke Ikeda 2004–2005 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2004–2005)
Japan Yuhi Sekiguchi[12] 2004–2005,
2007 		Formula Toyota (2004–2005)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2007)
Japan Kazuya Oshima[10][9] 2004–2011 Formula Toyota (2005)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2006–2007)
Super GT GT300 (2007)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2008)
Formula Nippon (2009–2011)
Super GT – GT500 (2009–2011)
Japan Hideto Yasuoka[10] 2005–2006 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2006)
Japan Hideki Yamauchi[9] 2005, 2008 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008)
Japan Tsubasa Abe[10] 2006 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2006)
Japan Yoshifumi Kubota[10] 2006 Formula Challenge Japan (2006)
Japan Sadaomi Masuda[10][9] 2006 Formula Challenge Japan (2006)
United Kingdom Martin Plowman[10][9] 2006–2007 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2006–2007)
Formula Renault 2.0 Italia (2006–2007)
Netherlands Henkie Waldschmidt[10][9] 2006–2008 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2006–2007)
Formula Renault 2.0 Italia (2006–2007)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2008)
Japan Keisuke Kunimoto[10][9] 2006–2009 Formula Toyota (2006–2007)
Formula Challenge Japan (2006–2007)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008–2009)
Super GT – GT300 (2008)
Formula Nippon (2009)
Japan Takuto Iguchi[10][9] 2006–2011 Formula Toyota (2006–2007)
Formula Challenge Japan (2006–2007)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008–2009)
Super GT – GT300 (2008–2010)
Super GT – GT350 (2008–2011)
Japan Takamitsu Matsui[12] 2007 Formula Toyota (2007)
Formula Challenge Japan (2007)
Italy Andrea Caldarelli[12][9][13][14] 2007–2008 Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2007)
Formula Renault 2.0 WEC (2007)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2008)
Japan Hiroaki Ishiura[12][9] 2007–2011 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2007–2009)
Super GT – GT300 (2007)
Super GT – GT500 (2008–2011)
Formula Nippon (2009–2011)
Italy Kei Cozzolino[9] 2008 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008)
Japan Yuji Kunimoto[9] 2008–2013 Formula Challenge Japan (2008)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2009–2010)
Super GT – GT300 (2009–2011)
Super GT – GT500 (2012–2013)
Japan Naoya Gamou[9][15] 2008,
2010–2011 		Formula Challenge Japan (2008)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2010–2011)
Japan Yuichi Nakayama[9][16] 2008,
2011–2016 		Formula Challenge Japan (2008)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2011–2013)
Super GT – GT300 (2013–2016)
Super Formula Championship (2014–2016)
Japan Takamoto Katsuta[17] 2012–2014 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2012–2014)
Japan Ryo Hirakawa[2] 2013–2017 Super Formula Championship (2013–2015)
Super GT GT500 (2014–2017)
European Le Mans Series - LMP2 (2016–2017)
Japan Kenta Yamashita[2][4] 2014–2020 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2014–2016)
Super GT GT300 (2015–2017)
Super GT GT500 (2018–2019)
Super Formula Championship (2017–2019)
FIA World Endurance Championship (2019–20)
Japan Sho Tsuboi[2][18] 2016–2020 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2016–2018)
Super GT GT300 (2017–2018)
Super GT GT500 (2019–2020)
Super Formula Championship (2019–2020)
  • Championship titles highlighted in bold.

TGR-DC Racing School drivers

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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

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References

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  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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