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Renault development driver Rowland to attend Suzuka Super Formula test

Renault Formula 1 development driver and Formula 2 star Oliver Rowland is to attend next week's Super Formula test at Suzuka

Rowland, the 2011 McLaren Autosport BRDC Award winner, is eyeing the Japanese single-seater series as one of his options for 2018.

He will visit the Super Formula test, which takes place at Suzuka on Wednesday and Thursday, to have discussions with Team Le Mans, the squad that ran Felix Rosenqvist to third place in the 2017 standings.

It is unclear whether Rowland will get behind the wheel at Suzuka, as Team Le Mans already has four drivers confirmed over the two days for its pair of Dallara-Toyotas.

As well as Kazuya Oshima, who partnered Rosenqvist at the team in 2017, Team Le Mans will run Formula 3 European Championship driver Maximilian Gunther, ex-Indy Lights and F3 ace Felix Serralles and F2 racer Ralph Boschung.

Autosport understands that while Rosenqvist would like to race again in Japan next season, it depends on how his other racing commitments take shape.

Rowland, who has been driving alongside Gunther with Racing Engineering in the post-season F2 test at Yas Marina, told Autosport: "I'm really looking forward to heading out to Japan to meet with Team Le Mans.

"It's a fantastic country and my trip will bring back special memories as I won the world championship there in 2010 during my karting career.

"Super Formula has really progressed in recent years and has provided a great platform for Stoffel Vandoorne and Pierre Gasly to progress to Formula 1.

"To follow in their footsteps would be fantastic but we will have to see."

Newcomers to try Super Formula in test

Apart from the Team Le Mans drivers, a host of newcomers will occupy the cockpits of Super Formula machinery at the Suzuka test.

Ex-F1 racer Rio Haryanto will share the Honda Test Car with the marque's Japanese F3 protege Hiroki Otsu.

GP3 Series driver Nirei Fukuzumi - who will race in F2 next season - will test with Honda-powered Team Mugen in the entry taken to runner-up in the points this year by Gasly.

New Japanese F3 champion Mitsunori Takaboshi (pictured above) will share B-Max Racing's Honda-engined car with Daiki Sasaki.

Versatile Spaniard Alex Palou - who has raced this season in Japanese F3, World Series Formula V8 3.5 and F2 - will get his maiden Super Formula test with Honda team Nakajima Racing.

Another FV8 3.5 racer, Yu Kanamaru, joins Team Impul to share a Toyota-powered car with Jann Mardenborough.

Some ex-SF racers are returning to the series for the test, including James Rossiter (with TOM'S) and current Super GT champion Ryo Hirakawa (with Impul).

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