With the conclusion of the 2026 AUTOBACS SUPER GT Official tests at Okayama and Fuji, the opening round of the season at Okayama is fast approaching (held on April 11th and 12th).

With this, we interviewed some of the drivers who will be the focus of special attention, as well as rookie drivers and newly added drivers. As we look forward to the start of the series we offer their messages to the SUPER GT fans.

In this 16th edition, we will be talking with Charlie Wurz, who is the son of Alexander Wurz, a driver who has performed well in F1 and WEC with TOYOTA, and this year Charlie will come to Japan as his base of activities and drive the No. 31 apr LC500h GT.

* Interviewed at the Official tests at Fuji

“Since I am the team’s third driver, I probably won’t have many chances to drive, but as a driver for this team I certainly want to drive as much as possible.”

Charlie Wurz
No.31 apr LC500h GT (GT300 class rookie – ＜Third driver＞)

− This is your first time in SUPER GT and also first time racing in Japan, isn’t it. Would you please tell us how you came to drive in the GT300 class for the apr team.
　While communicating with TOYOTA, I continued talking with them about competing in Super Formula this year, and that led to talk of me competing in the GT300 class, with the apr team. I am really happy that I have received this kind of opportunity. Since the feeling of the car was good in the tests we ran, I want to get to understand the car better and better and progress as a driver.
　 I want to put this experience to use in other categories as well, and in a different sense I want to put this experience to use in SUPER GT so I can continue to progress as a driver. I am truly grateful for having such a wonderful opportunity as this.

− What kind of people are your car No. 31 teammates Kazuto Kotaka and Miki Koyama?
　They both speak English very well, and they support me in communicating with the other people on the team. Not only that, since they also give me a variety of very precise instruction for getting a deeper understanding of the car, thanks to them I am smoothly getting adjusted to the situation I’m involved in.
　I didn’t get in many laps on the track in the Okayama Official Test, but because of the support they gave me I was quickly able to be running at a fast pace. It is really encouraging to have teammates like the two of them.

− This will be you first season in SUPER GT, so will you please tell us what your goals are for this season.
　At this point, since I am registered as the third driver, I don’t think I will have many opportunities to drive. But as a driver for this team, I still want to drive as much as I can. And in order to do that, I want to absorb as much knowledge as I can.
　 The language barrier is also a new experience. This season’s goal is to learn and to progress and to go into the races with my teammates contributing as much as I can. And in the course of the season, I will be glad if I can run as many laps as I can, even if it is just five or ten.

In the next interview we will talk with Hiroaki Ishiura, who will be returning to the GT300 class with the No. 32 ENEOS X PRIME AMG GT3 team that will participate in the class for the first time and the rookie Tokiya Suzuki. We hope you will look forward to it.