Alesi gets full-time Super Formula and GT500 promotion at TOM'S

The son of ex-Formula 1 driver Jean steps up to Japan’s two senior categories after a season spent mostly in Super Formula Lights and Super GT’s lower GT300 category.

He also replaced Kazuki Nakajima for five out of this year’s seven Super Formula races at TOM’S this season, and will take over that seat full-time for the 2022 campaign with Nakajima electing to retire from racing altogether.

Alesi, 22, took a shock victory in only his second Super Formula outing for TOM’S back in May, and also finished as runner-up in Super Formula Lights behind Teppei Natori.

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In Super GT, Alesi makes the move to the top GT500 category with the title-winning #36 TOM’S line-up after a season racing with the Team Thailand Lexus squad in the GT300 class, and will partner newly-crowned champion Sho Tsuboi.

Veteran Yuhi Sekiguchi, who won the title last month alongside Tsuboi, will move to the SARD Toyota team in the seat vacated by 2008 Hungarian Grand Prix winner Heikki Kovalainen, who announced last month that he won't continue in Japan next year.

There is change in the #37 TOM’S line-up as well, as Ryo Hirakawa is exiting Super GT to focus on his World Endurance Championship commitments - having been confirmed as Nakajima's replacement in Toyota's Le Mans Hypercar programme - and Super Formula with Impul.

Ritomo Miyata, who has spent the last two seasons at Racing Project Bandoh, replaces Hirakawa as Sacha Fenestraz’s partner in the #37 Toyota GR Supra.

Alesi has been handed a full-time Super Formula drive and steps up from GT300 to GT500 in Super GT

Photo by: Masahide Kamio

Taking over Miyata’s seat at the Bandoh team is Sena Sakaguchi, who gets his first full-time GT500 drive after filling in for an absent Fenestraz at TOM’S for five races this season.

In Super Formula, the remainder of Toyota’s line-up stays the same as it was in 2021.

Sacha Fenestraz had been linked to a possible TOM’S promotion but instead will remain at Kondo Racing for a third season, with Kenta Yamashita continuing as his team-mate.

Kamui Kobayashi, who ended up missing all but one Super Formula race this year due to his Toyota WEC commitments, stays on for another season at the KCMG team.