Subaru firms up 2023 SUPER GT plans

For a ninth successive season, Takuto Iguchi and Hideki Yamauchi will pilot the #61 R&D Sport-run Subaru BRZ, while Masahiro Ozawa continues as general manager for a third season.

Iguchi and Yamauchi won the 2021 title, Subaru's first in more than two decades of trying, but fell 2.5 points shy of Kondo Racing Nissan duo Joao Paulo de Oliveira and Kiyoto Fujinami last season after a series of technical problems and a costly crash for Yamauchi in qualifying for the season finale.

As per last year, a shakedown is expected to take place at Fuji Speedway next month where the 2023 version of the BRZ in full livery will be presented.

Subaru has also announced that Iguchi and Yamauchi will be joining its driver line-up for its assault on the Nurburgring 24 Hours this year.

 

The pair were unable to participate in the German endurance classic last year owing to a clash with the May Suzuka SUPER GT race, but a date change means the two events no longer overlap this year.

Iguchi and Yamauchi join Dutch driver Carlo van Dam and German Tim Schrick as Subaru moves to the SP4T class with an all-new challenger based on the WRX road car.

Subaru failed to finish last year (pictured above) with its SP3T class entry as it made its return to the Nurburgring following a three-year absence due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In addition, Iguchi and Yamauchi will participate in Super Taikyu driving a Subaru BRZ using carbon-neutral fuel along with Subaru engineer Koichi Hirota.