TGR Driver Challenge Program

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TGR Driver Challenge Program
Founded2001; 25 years ago (2001) (as Toyota Drivers Academy in 2003)[1]
BaseCologne, Germany & Japan
Team principal(s)Kazuki Nakajima
Current driversJapan Rikuto Kobayashi
Japan Miki Koyama
Japan Yuzuki Miura
Japan Ritomo Miyata
Japan Masana Muto
Japan Jin Nakamura
Finland Kalle Rovanperä
Japan Yuki Sano
Japan Tokiya Suzuki
Japan Kiyoshi Umegaki
Austria Charlie Wurz
Austria Oscar Wurz

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, hoping to find 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 entered Formula 1, and wants to promote young drivers from Japan, and other countries that are 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 F4 Japanese Championship (2017)
Super Formula Lights (2020)
Japan Miki Koyama[4] 2022– Super GT – GT300 Formula Regional Japanese Championship (2022)
Japan Rikuto Kobayashi[5] 2024– Super Formula Championship
Super GT – GT500 		None as TGR-DC driver
Japan Jin Nakamura[5] 2024– Formula Regional Oceania Trophy
FIA Formula 3 Championship 		None as TGR-DC driver
Japan Yuki Sano[3] 2025– Formula Regional Middle East Trophy
Formula Regional European Championship 		None as TGR-DC driver
Japan Tokiya Suzuki[3] 2025– Super Formula Lights
Super GT – GT300 		F4 Japanese Championship (2025)
Japan Kiyoshi Umegaki[3] 2025– Super Formula Lights
Super GT – GT300 		Formula Regional Japanese Championship (2025)
Japan Yuzuki Miura[6] 2026– Formula Regional Japanese Championship
F4 Japanese Championship 		None as TGR-DC driver
Japan Masana Muto[6] 2026– Formula Regional Japanese Championship
F4 Japanese Championship 		None as TGR-DC driver
Finland Kalle Rovanperä[6] 2026– Formula Regional Oceania Trophy
Super Formula Championship 		None as TGR-DC driver
Austria Charlie Wurz[6] 2026– Super Formula Championship
Super GT – GT300 		None as TGR-DC driver
Austria Oscar Wurz[6] 2026– Super Formula Lights 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]
35 Japan Masaki Hamabe
36 Japan Tomoki Terashima
37 Japan Buntaro Igarashi
38 Japan Ryo Sakai

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[7][8][1] 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 – GT300 (2003, 2009–2010)
Super GT – GT500 (2005–2006, 2011)
France Franck Perera[7][8][1] 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[7] 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 Wataru Kobayakawa 2002–2004 Formula Toyota (2002)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2003–2004)
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)
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)
Formula Renault Eurocup (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)
JGTC – 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 2000 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 (2005-2006)
Japan Hideki Yamauchi[9] 2005, 2008 Formula Toyota (2005)
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)
Macau Grand Prix (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 (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 (2007–2008)
Formula Renault 2.0 WEC (2008)
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)
Formula Nippon (2011–2012)
Super GT – GT500 (2012–2013)
Super Formula Championship (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][18] 2014–2020 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2014–2016)
Super GT – GT300 (2015–2017)
Super GT – GT500 (2018–2019)
Super Formula Championship (2017–2020)
FIA World Endurance Championship (2019–20)
Japan Sho Tsuboi[2][19] 2016–2020 Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2016–2018)
Super GT – GT300 (2017–2018)
Super GT – GT500 (2019–2020)
Super Formula Championship (2019–2020)
Japan Kazuto Kotaka[18] 2019–2025 Toyota Racing Series (2019)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2019)
Super GT – GT300 (2019–2024)
Super Formula Lights (2020, 2022)
Super Formula Championship (2021, 2023–2025)
GT World Challenge Asia (2025)
GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup (2025)
Super GT – GT500 (2025)
Japan Hibiki Taira[20] 2021–2025 Super Formula Lights (2021–2023)
Super GT – GT300 (2021–2025)
Super Formula Championship (2021, 2024–2025)
Super GT – GT300
Japan Seita Nonaka[4] 2022–2025 Super Formula Lights (2022–2025)
Super GT – GT300 (2022–2025)
GT World Challenge Asia (2023)
SRO Japan Cup – GT4 (2024–2025)
France Esteban Masson[3] 2025 Super Formula Lights (2025)
European Le Mans Series – LMP2 (2025)
FIA World Endurance Championship – LMGT3 (2025)
  • 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
Japan Tokiya Suzuki 2024–2025
Japan Kiyoshi Umegaki 2024–2025
Japan Takahiro Kikuchi 2025
Japan Megumu Suzuki 2025
  • Championship title highlighted in bold.
  • Promoted to TGR-DC drivers highlighted in italic.

See also

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References

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