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 17th edition, we will be talking with the drivers of the TEAM ENEOS ROOKIE that has begun competing in the GT300 class from this season. The drivers the team has brought in are Hiroaki Ishiura who drove as the ace driver last year on one of the leading GT500 class teams, and his new teammate Tokiya Suzuki, who became champion last year in FIA-F4 and will now be a SUPER GT rookie. We spoke to these two drivers.
* Interviewed at the Official Tests at Fuji
Suzuki: “I am now learning about the areas I am lacking in from Ishiura-san. I want to stand out in GT300 as a fast driver that everyone wants to cheer for.”
Hiroaki Ishiura / Tokiya Suzuki No. 32 ENEOS X PRIME AMG GT3 (a driver newly moved to GT300 class and a rookie)
− First of all would you tell us how you came to compete in the GT300 class. Ishiura: Last year, after I retired from GT500, I thought I would like to compete (in GT300) if I had the chance. I had worked with ROOKIE Racing in other categories, but while until now ROOKIE Racing had only been involved in the GT500 class, Then I heard that from this year they would also be competing in the GT300 class. Due to this, I was able to participate as a driver there. Considering how good this organization is, I thought it would be the best possible environment to participate in GT300.
Suzuki: The week after I won the FIA-F4 championship I got the offer to drive in GT300. But I didn’t know that it would be with TEAM ENEOS ROOKIE, so when I heard that I would have a top GT500 class driver like Ishiura-san as my teammate, I was very happy. But at the same time, I am feeling some pressure. Still, I think that it will probably be a place where I will be able to learn from a number of senior participants and team members.
− For the team as well, this is their first experience in GT300 and your machine will be the Mercedes AMG GT3, won’t it. Please tell us your impression of it in the tests so far and how you feel about it. (to Ishiura) Do you think it is a very different car from the Toyota MR-S that you had drove in the GT300 class before? Ishiura: When I drove the MR-S, Tokiya （Suzuki） was still an infant (laughs), so a lot of time has passed since then. Since the GT300 class lap times are now virtually on the same level as the GT500 class lap times of that era, the car is better than I had imagined. It is fast and the feeling when you drive it is in some areas quite close to that of a GT500 class car, and in that sense I was a bit surprised. The fact is that the ROOKIE Racing team has won the Super Taikyu series championship with the Mercedes AMG GT3. And since the same engineer is in charge for the team this time as well, he has a lot of experience. And because of that, we have been able to start out smoothly, so in the tests things have gone well from the beginning. Right now, within the context of the SUPER GT tires and rules, we are studying ways to bring out the best performance.
Suzuki: Since this is not my first time driving a Hako-sha (a racing car based on a production model rather than a formula racing car) even though it is an FIA GT3 car, the fact that it has to be driven differently from formula car, and what’s more you don’t really change the way you drive. So it is actually a good car that has a lot of similarities with other cars I have driven. The performance of the traction control and the ABS (anti-lock braking system) are at a very high level, and since the team members have developed the car (settings) well for us, I have been able to drive aggressively from the beginning, so I can say it feels good to drive. Among other things, because the tires come with a lot of different compounds, that is an area in which I believe I have to make some degree of adjustment in the way I drive. And since there are some areas where I am trailing behind Ishiura-san, I think I can take some time to study how to catch up.
− Well Suzuki-san, would you tell us your impression of such an outstanding senior driver as Ishiura-san? Suzuki: Regarding things I am lacking in, for example, when he gets out of the car after a run, Ishiura-san is very exacting in the feedback he gives to the engineers and the tire manufacturers, and the comments he makes over the radio are very clear and easy to understand, and I learn a lot from that. What’s more, since he teaches me about the daily living habits and activities, etc., that I need as a professional driver, I am truly grateful to be able to race with such an outstanding senior driver.
− On the other hand, Ishiura-san, what is your impression of the rookie Suzuki-san? Ishiura: Although this is the first time I will be driving with him as a teammate, I have been watching him drive in TGR-DC (*) since he was 14 years old, and of course with his winning of the FIA-F4 championship last year, the way he drove was very impressive. Rather than unnecessarily limiting his perspective, I want to see him go on to compete in the higher categories. I believe that the way he is driving has already become quite solid, and I believe that there will be areas other than driving skills that will be required of him, and I think that it will be good if I can teach him about these areas that I have experience in. * TGR-DC （TGR Driver Challenge Program）is a system dedicated to educating drivers like top drivers like Hiroaki Ishiura, etc., serve as instructors.
− Tell us about your goals for this season and what you hope to achieve in the opening round. Ishiura: Today’s GT300 class has reached a very high level, and it has many fast drivers and many strong teams. There is also a competition between the tire manufacturers, so we know that the competition will not be easy. Of course we will be working hard to try to win, but we are also aware that it will be a difficult year for us. Within this environment, I think it will be good if we can stand out when we race and show intense racing. It is not just GT500 but also GT300 that are very popular, so if we can show SUPER GT fans interesting races in both classes, and get them to enjoy watching, that will be best.
Suzuki: It will be my first time competing in SUPER GT, and I think the GT300 class is a category where performance levels are equal, even though the car models are different. The level of the drivers is very high, and since the ones that will be driving are all senior drivers, I know it will be difficult for me, but I want to absorb as much as I can while I race. In the Official Test at Okayama, where the opening round will be held, I was able to finish the test with a good feeling. I think it will be great if I can show strong passing ability in GT300 and a show the fans driving that makes them want to cheer me on, and to give them good fan service too.
In the next interview we will talk with James Pull, who came to Japan with a desire to compete in SUPER GT and in Japanese races, and he has competed in Super Taikyu series and increased his capabilities there. From this, he was given the chance to compete in SUPER GT for the first time and will be driving the No. 48 Kenko K’s Frontier WM NILZZ GT-R.
