Toyota signs Sasahara, but Alesi keeps Super Formula drive

Ex-Honda driver Sasahara fills the TBA slot that had existed alongside Alesi in the #37 TOM’S Toyota GR Supra when Toyota initially announced its 2023 GT500 line-ups back in November.

However, despite expectations that Sasahara would also take the place of Alesi in the squad’s Super Formula line-up, Alesi has now been confirmed alongside Ritomo Miyata as part of an unchanged roster.

Miyata will partner Sho Tsuboi on board the #36 TOM’S GR Supra, as previously announced.

Alesi’s berth at TOM’S in Super Formula was called into question after a disappointing first full season with the team last year that yielded just one points finish all year, an eighth place at Fuji Speedway.

Sasahara was subsequently invited to share Alesi’s car for last month’s post-season rookie test at Suzuka, taking over the #36 car for the second day of the test and making a good impression with his speed and technical feedback.

However, missing out on the TOM’S drive means that Sasahara, who won two races last year but has been replaced at Team Mugen by Red Bull junior Liam Lawson, will not feature on the grid in 2023.

Sasahara nonetheless still becomes the first Japanese driver to transition from Honda to Toyota since Daisuke Ito in 2008, having already had his first taste of the GR Supra in a private test session late last month at Motegi.

2023 Toyota Super Formula line-up:

Team	No.	Driver
Kondo Racing	3	Kenta Yamashita
	4	Kazuto Kotaka
KCMG	7	Kamui Kobayashi
	18	Yuji Kunimoto
Rookie Racing	14	Kazuya Oshima
Impul	19	Yuhi Sekiguchi
	20	Ryo Hirakawa
TOM’S	36	Giuliano Alesi
	37	Ritomo Miyata
Inging	38	Sho Tsuboi
	39	Sena Sakaguchi

スポーツ Toyota 2023 SUPER GT line-up: