Honda confirms details of Super GT line-up refresh

As widely expected, Tadasuke Makino will take Button’s place at Kunimitsu, forming an all-Japanese line-up alongside Naoki Yamamoto.

Makino competed for the Dunlop-shod Nakajima Racing team in 2019, and scored an impressive podium at Sugo alongside Narain Karthikeyan, who announced his departure from the series earlier this week.

Nirei Fukuzumi, who raced against Makino in Formula 2 in 2018, will step up to SUPER GT’s premier category following his GT300 title triumph last year.

Fukuzumi will replace Takuya Izawa’s place at ARTA, who in turn will join another GT300 graduate Hiroki Otsu at Nakajima.

Tomoki Nojiri will continue to drive for ARTA for what will be his sixth consecutive season with the Aguri Suzuki-led squad.

Elsewhere, Asian F3 champion Ukyo Sasahara will partner Hideki Mutoh at Mugen, becoming a surprise addition to Honda’s GT500 roster.

F2 race winner Nobuharu Matsushita was widely tipped to take the second seat at Mugen that eventually went to Sasahara, but Honda’s announcement at the Tokyo Auto Salon suggested that he’s unlikely to return to domestic competition in 2020.

Real Racing is the only team to run an unchanged line-up this year, with Bertrand Baguette staying alongside team stalwart Koudai Tsukakoshi.

Honda SUPER GT line-up: