One of the true icons of Japanese motorsport is set to call time on his top-line racing career. Italy-born Ronnie Quintarelli, who changed the definition of a gaijin driver in the Far East, will contest his last Super GT round in next month’s delayed season-finale at Suzuka.
For almost two decades, he has been an important fixture of the country’s biggest racing series, forging a lengthy relationship with Nissan that earned him a place among the all-time greats. Not only was he rapid on the race track, but incredibly popular among fans and the Nissan management - to the point that you could be forgiven for thinking he is Japanese himself. His departure from Super GT is more than just a veteran announcing his retirement - it’s the end of an era.
