Sacha Fenestraz is poised for a return to Super Formula in 2025 with Toyota’s flagship TOM’S team, Autosport understands.
The Franco-Argentinian driver is set to replace Ukyo Sasahara in the #37 TOM’S car as part of a wider deal with Toyota that would also see him race in SUPER GT next season.
Fenestraz admitted when speaking to Autosport in the wake of the news that Nissan would be replacing him with Norman Nato in Formula E that returning to Japanese motorsport was his most likely option.
Both Toyota and Nissan are understood to have made Fenestraz offers to race in Super Formula and SUPER GT, where he raced in 2020-22 before moving to Formula E.
Nissan’s Japanese arm - which is almost entirely separate from its European-based Formula E operation - was prepared to offer Fenestraz a seat in its works NISMO SUPER GT squad, plus his old Super Formula berth at Kondo Racing.
But Fenestraz’s unhappiness with the way his Formula E tenure ended, with Nissan dropping him with two years left to run on his contract, is thought to have been a factor in him pursuing a reunion with Toyota.
Sasahara’s immediate Super Formula future is unclear after a difficult season in which he failed to score points, while team-mate Tsuboi took the title.
However, he has been linked to the second seat at Kondo Racing, and could be handed a chance to audition to replace incumbent Kazuto Kotaka, who had a similarly difficult year.
Few other changes are expected in the Toyota stable, with the Inging, KCMG and Rookie Racing teams all looking set for unchanged line-ups.
Team Impul is likely to promote Toyota junior Hibiki Taira to a full-time drive after he was drafted in to fill the seat vacated by Theo Pourchaire for three weekends this year.
Fraga favourite to replace Yamamoto at Nakajima Racing
Igor Fraga has emerged as the frontrunner to take over the seat vacated by three-time champion Naoki Yamamoto, who announced his retirement from Super Formula earlier this month.
Gran Turismo esports star Fraga has spent this season as a reserve driver for Nakajima Racing, which followed the relaunch of his real-life racing career in Super Formula Lights in 2023 and SUPER GT’s lower GT300 class.
The former Red Bull junior previously won the Toyota Racing Series in 2020, beating current Formula 1 drivers Liam Lawson and Franco Colapinto to the title, but was released from the energy drink giant’s scheme after just one season amid a difficult campaign in FIA Formula 3.
He then spent two seasons focused only on his virtual racing activities before relocating to Japan, where he was born to Brazilian parents and spent the early part of his life.
Fraga is poised to drive for Nakajima Racing in next month’s rookie test at Suzuka, in what could be regarded as a final audition for a promotion to a race drive.
Elsewhere, Ayumu Iwasa looks set to stay on at Team Mugen for a second season despite the team’s relationship with Red Bull coming to an end.
Iwasa finished fifth overall in his rookie season with three second-place finishes in between his commitments for Red Bull’s F1 teams, which included a first FP1 outing with RB in April’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko previously stated in an interview with Motorsport.com’s Japanese edition that he expected Iwasa to stay in Super Formula in 2025.
Meanwhile, Honda junior Shun Koide may be handed the chance to step up to Super Formula next year, as he leads the Super Formula Lights standings with one round to go.
Koide appears to be a candidate to replace Iori Kimura at B-Max Racing, although there is still a possibility that he could figure in Nakajima Racing’s plans.
The line-ups for the Suzuka rookie test on December 11-13 are likely to provide a strong indication of who will drive where in 2025.
Kamui Kobayashi is expected to miss the test for KCMG as he attends the FIA Prize Giving gala in Kigali, Rwanda, even though it looks likely he will continue to race for the team.
