TGR Driver Challenge Program
Founded2001 (age 25) (as Toyota Drivers Academy in 2003)[1]
BaseCologne, Germany & Japan
PrincipalKazuki Nakajima
Current driversRikuto Kobayashi
Miki Koyama
Yuzuki Miura
Ritomo Miyata
Masana Muto
Jin Nakamura
Kalle Rovanperä
Yuki Sano
Tokiya Suzuki
Kiyoshi Umegaki
Charlie Wurz
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

TGR-DC drivers

DriverYearsCurrent SeriesTitles as TGR-DC driver
Ritomo Miyata[2][3]2017–2021,
2025–		Formula 2 ChampionshipF4 Japanese Championship (2017)
Super Formula Lights (2020)
Miki Koyama[4]2022–Super GT – GT300Formula Regional Japanese Championship (2022)
Rikuto Kobayashi[5]2024–Super Formula Championship
Super GT – GT500		None
Jin Nakamura[5]2024–Formula Regional Oceania Trophy
FIA Formula 3 Championship
GB3 Championship		None
Yuki Sano[3]2025–Formula Regional Middle East Trophy
Formula Regional European Championship		None
Tokiya Suzuki[3]2025–Super Formula Lights
Super GT – GT300		F4 Japanese Championship (2025)
Kiyoshi Umegaki[3]2025–Super Formula Lights
Super GT – GT300		Formula Regional Japanese Championship (2025)
Yuzuki Miura[6]2026–Formula Regional Japanese Championship
Super Formula Lights
F4 Japanese Championship		None
Masana Muto[6]2026–Formula Regional Japanese Championship
F4 Japanese Championship		None
Kalle Rovanperä[6]2026–Formula Regional Oceania TrophyNone
Charlie Wurz[6]2026–Super Formula Championship
Super GT – GT300		None
Oscar Wurz[6]2026–Super Formula LightsNone
  • Championship titles highlighted in bold.

Former drivers

TGR-DC drivers

DriverYearsSeries competed
Takashi Kogure2001Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2001)
Norihiko Tasaki2001Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2001)
Ryan Briscoe[7][8][1]2001–2005Formula 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)
Katsuyuki Hiranaka[8]2001–2005Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2003–2004)
Formula Nippon (2005)
Super GT – GT300 (2005)
Tatsuya Kataoka2001–2006Japanese 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)
Franck Perera[7][8][1]2001–2006Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2002–2003)
Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup (2002)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2004–2005)
GP2 Series (2006)
Alexander Storckenfeldt[7]2002Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup (2002)
Hiroki Yoshimoto2002–2003Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002–2003)
Naoki Yokomizo2002–2004Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002–2004)
Taku Bamba2002–2005Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2003–2005)
Wataru Kobayakawa2002–2004Formula Toyota (2002)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2003–2004)
Kohei Hirate[8][1][9]2002–2011Formula 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)
Roberto Streit[8]2003–2004Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2003)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2004)
Kamui Kobayashi[8][10][9]2003–2011Formula 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 (–)
Kazuki Nakajima[11][10][9]2003–2011Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2004)
JGTC – GT300 (2004)
F3 Euro Series (2005–2006)
GP2 Series (2007)
Formula One (–)
Formula Nippon (2010–2011)
Ben Clucas2004Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2004)
Daisuke Ikeda2004–2005Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2004–2005)
Yuhi Sekiguchi[12]2004–2005,
2007		Formula Toyota (2004–2005)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2007)
Kazuya Oshima[10][9]2004–2011Formula 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)
Hideto Yasuoka[10]2005–2006Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2005-2006)
Hideki Yamauchi[9]2005, 2008Formula Toyota (2005)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008)
Tsubasa Abe[10]2006Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2006)
Yoshifumi Kubota[10]2006Formula Challenge Japan (2006)
Sadaomi Masuda[10][9]2006Formula Challenge Japan (2006)
Martin Plowman[10][9]2006–2007Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2006–2007)
Formula Renault 2.0 Italia (2006–2007)
Henkie Waldschmidt[10][9]2006–2008Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2006–2007)
Formula Renault 2.0 Italia (2006–2007)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2008)
Keisuke Kunimoto[10][9]2006–2009Formula 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)
Takuto Iguchi[10][9]2006–2011Formula Toyota (2006–2007)
Formula Challenge Japan (2006–2007)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008–2009)
Super GT – GT300 (2008–2010)
Super GT – GT350 (2011)
Takamitsu Matsui[12]2007Formula Toyota (2007)
Formula Challenge Japan (2007)
Andrea Caldarelli[12][9][13][14]2007–2008Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2007–2008)
Formula Renault 2.0 WEC (2008)
Formula 3 Euro Series (2008)
Hiroaki Ishiura[12][9]2007–2011Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2007–2009)
Super GT – GT300 (2007)
Super GT – GT500 (2008–2011)
Formula Nippon (2009–2011)
Kei Cozzolino[9]2008Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008)
Yuji Kunimoto[9]2008–2013Formula 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)
Naoya Gamou[9][15]2008,
2010–2011		Formula Challenge Japan (2008)
Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2010–2011)
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)
Takamoto Katsuta[17]2012–2014Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2012–2014)
Ryo Hirakawa[2]2013–2017Super Formula Championship (2013–2015)
Super GT – GT500 (2014–2017)
European Le Mans Series - LMP2 (2016–2017)
Kenta Yamashita[2][18]2014–2020Japanese 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)
Sho Tsuboi[2][19]2016–2020Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2016–2018)
Super GT – GT300 (2017–2018)
Super GT – GT500 (2019–2020)
Super Formula Championship (2019–2020)
Kazuto Kotaka[18]2019–2025Toyota 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)
Hibiki Taira[20]2021–2025Super Formula Lights (2021–2023)
Super GT – GT300 (2021–2025)
Super Formula Championship (2021, 2024–2025)
Super GT – GT300
Seita Nonaka[4]2022–2025Super Formula Lights (2022–2025)
Super GT – GT300 (2022–2025)
GT World Challenge Asia (2023)
SRO Japan Cup – GT4 (2024–2025)
Esteban Masson[3]2025Super 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

The TGR-DC Racing School is a team for young Toyota drivers who compete in F4 Japanese Championship.

DriverYears in F4 Japan
Hibiki Taira2020
Seita Nonaka2020–2021
Jiei Okuzumi2020–2021
Eijiro Shimizu2020–2021
Rin Arakawa2021–2022
Rikuto Kobayashi2022–2023
Jin Nakamura2022–2023
Ryoma Henzan2022
Shunji Okumoto2023
Yuki Sano2023–2024
Kazuhisa Urabe2024
Tokiya Suzuki2024–2025
Kiyoshi Umegaki2024–2025
Yuzuki Miura2025–2026
Masana Muto2025–2026
Takahiro Kikuchi2025
Megumu Suzuki2025
Masaki Hamabe2026
Buntaro Igarashi2026
Ryo Sakai2026
Tomoki Terashima2026
  • Championship title highlighted in bold.
  • Promoted to TGR-DC drivers highlighted in italic.

See also

References

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