The four 'gaijins' looking to go big in Japan

After a 2024 season devoid of foreign interest, apart from Theo Pourchaire’s disastrous cameo in the opening round and two outings for Nyck de Vries as his Team Impul replacement later in the campaign, international drivers are well and truly back in vogue in Super Formula this year.

There were set to be no fewer than four gaijins on the grid for the season-opening double-header at Suzuka in early March. Their backgrounds are surprisingly varied too, ranging from a recent Formula 1 academy prospect to a driver better known for driving a Hypercar than a single-seater. Here’s what you need to know about them...

Prodigal son returns to Toyota’s embrace

Fenestraz returns to Super Formula after two campaigns in Formula E

Photo by: Sam Bagnall / Motorsport Images

Super Formula fans are already well acquainted with Sacha Fenestraz, the 2022 runner-up who returns to Japan after spending two seasons racing in Formula E with Nissan. After losing his drive in the all-electric series relatively late, Fenestraz was courted by his old employer Toyota, which fought off competition from Nissan’s Japanese arm to lure him back into the fold for a double Super Formula/Super GT programme. In the single-seater series, there’s the added carrot of being able to race for Toyota flagship team TOM’S, where he partners reigning champion Sho Tsuboi.

“It’s a process of rebuilding confidence, especially in the high-speed corners, and I don’t want to overdo it and make mistakes,” says Fenestraz, who will race under an Argentinian licence for the first time this year. “The car is also different to how it was three years ago. There’s no hurry to be at the level I was at before straight away. It’s something that will take a bit of time to rebuild, and I want to do it the right way, not making mistakes.”

F1 ladder reject searches for redemption

O'Sullivan heads to Japan for a fresh challenge and the chance to kickstart his career

Photo by: Super Formula

Meanwhile, Zak O’Sullivan joins forces with Fenestraz’s old team Kondo Racing after making his first outing with the Toyota-powered squad last December in the Suzuka test.

The 20-year-old Briton, who won the Aston Martin Autosport BRDC Award in 2021, is hoping to put a troubled Formula 2 campaign cut short by funding woes behind him as he embarks on his first season outside of the embrace of the Williams F1 Academy.

“They’re very different cars, quicker cars than F2, which I’m looking forward to, and
in general it’s a very competitive championship,” says O’Sullivan. “That’s the big appeal. The car is very intuitive to drive. There’s a lot more downforce than what I was used to in F2 and the performance level is a lot closer to F1. Power steering as well is a nice addition!”

O’Sullivan went into pre-season testing in February with only one day of running under his belt, the least of all the newcomers. At Kondo, he goes up against Kenta Yamashita, a mainstay of the Toyota Super Formula stable who can be seriously quick at times. “It’s a big challenge for me and something different, so I’m not really sure how I’m going to do,” O’Sullivan adds. “But that’s part of the fun of it.”

WEC convert going all in on Japan

Rasmussen will dovetail a season competing in Super Formula and Super GT

Photo by: JEP / Motorsport Images

For single-seater racing aficionados, Oliver Rasmussen is likely to be the least familiar name of the gaijin quartet. The Dane’s last season on the European ladder was back in 2021 in FIA F3. After a point-less season for HWA, he switched his focus to sportscars, joining Jota
Sport’s LMP2 line-up in the World Endurance Championship. He graduated to the top Hypercar class last year, driving a Hertz-liveried customer Porsche 963 for the British squad.

Having left Jota amid its switch to Cadillac, Rasmussen is focusing fully on Japan in 2025: he’ll also race in Super GT’s lower GT300 class in apr’s Lexus LC500h alongside his Super Formula commitments for Team Impul. “The car is much quicker than anything I have driven before, but the team has been really helpful, and I think the work I did so far convinced them I can be good,” Rasmussen said. “Hopefully it’s a good sign!”

Gamer/racer earns a second chance

Fraga is another outsider returning to Super Formula

Photo by: Masahide Kamio

Finally, there’s Igor Fraga, an ex-Red Bull junior who once beat Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda and Franco Colapinto to the Toyota Racing Series crown before COVID effectively wrecked plans for him to stay in FIA F3 in 2021 and brought his ‘first’ career to a shuddering halt.

The Gran Turismo Esports star has, however, found success since he moved back to Japan – where he was born to Brazilian parents and spent his formative years – in 2022 and picked up drives in GT300 and Super Formula Lights the following season. From there, Fraga became Nakajima Racing’s Super Formula reserve, which put him in the perfect position to step up to a race drive when Naoki Yamamoto opted to quit the series.

“Being on the Super Formula grid is something I’ve been working hard on for the past few years,” enthuses Fraga. “It’s a big opportunity and I believe it can lead to other chances if I have a good season. It’s a turning point for me and I have to focus on using this opportunity.”

O’Sullivan, Rasmussen and Fraga are part of a bumper rookie crop that also features Nissan GT500 driver Mitsunori Takaboshi, who partners Rasmussen at Impul, and Honda protege Syun Koide, who steps up as the reigning Lights champion with B-Max Racing.

The 2025 Super Formula season starts at Suzuka on 7-9 March

Photo by: Masahide Kamio