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.

Ritomo Miyata driving for ART Grand Prix during the 2025 Formula 2 Championship
Jin Nakamura driving for R-ace GP during the 2025 Formula Regional European Championship

Current drivers

TGR-DC drivers

DriverYearsCurrent SeriesTitles as TGR-DC driver
Japan Ritomo Miyata2017–2021, 2025–Formula 2 ChampionshipF4 Japanese Championship (2017) Super Formula Lights (2020)
Japan Miki Koyama2022–Super GT – GT300Formula Regional Japanese Championship (2022)
Japan Rikuto Kobayashi2024–Super Formula Championship Super GT – GT500None as TGR-DC driver
Japan Jin Nakamura2024–Formula Regional Oceania Trophy FIA Formula 3 ChampionshipNone as TGR-DC driver
Japan Yuki Sano2025–Formula Regional Middle East Trophy Formula Regional European ChampionshipNone as TGR-DC driver
Japan Tokiya Suzuki2025–Super Formula Lights Super GT – GT300F4 Japanese Championship (2025)
Japan Kiyoshi Umegaki2025–Super Formula Lights Super GT – GT300Formula Regional Japanese Championship (2025)
Japan Yuzuki Miura2026–Formula Regional Japanese Championship F4 Japanese ChampionshipNone as TGR-DC driver
Japan Masana Muto2026–Formula Regional Japanese Championship F4 Japanese ChampionshipNone as TGR-DC driver
Finland Kalle Rovanperä2026–Formula Regional Oceania TrophyNone as TGR-DC driver
Austria Charlie Wurz2026–Super Formula Championship Super GT – GT300None as TGR-DC driver
Austria Oscar Wurz2026–Super Formula LightsNone as TGR-DC driver
  • Championship titles highlighted in bold.

Former drivers

TGR-DC drivers

DriverYearsSeries competed
Japan Takashi Kogure2001Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2001)
Japan Norihiko Tasaki2001Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2001)
Australia Ryan Briscoe2001–2005Formula 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)
Japan Katsuyuki Hiranaka2001–2005Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002) Formula 3 Euro Series (2003–2004) Formula Nippon (2005) Super GT – GT300 (2005)
Japan 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)
France Franck Perera2001–2006Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2002–2003) Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup (2002) Formula 3 Euro Series (2004–2005) GP2 Series (2006)
Sweden Alexander Storckenfeldt2002Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup (2002)
Japan Hiroki Yoshimoto2002–2003Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002–2003)
Japan Naoki Yokomizo2002–2004Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002–2004)
Japan Taku Bamba2002–2005Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2003–2005)
Japan Wataru Kobayakawa2002–2004Formula Toyota (2002) Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2003–2004)
Japan Kohei Hirate2002–2011Formula 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)
Brazil Roberto Streit2003–2004Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2003) Formula 3 Euro Series (2004)
Japan Kamui Kobayashi2003–2011Formula 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 (2009–2011)
Japan Kazuki Nakajima2003–2011Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2004) JGTC – GT300 (2004) F3 Euro Series (2005–2006) GP2 Series (2007) Formula One (2007–2009) Formula Nippon (2010–2011)
United Kingdom Ben Clucas2004Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2004)
Japan Daisuke Ikeda2004–2005Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2004–2005)
Japan Yuhi Sekiguchi2004–2005, 2007Formula Toyota (2004–2005) Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2007)
Japan Kazuya Oshima2004–2011Formula 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)
Japan Hideto Yasuoka2005–2006Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2005-2006)
Japan Hideki Yamauchi2005, 2008Formula Toyota (2005) Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008)
Japan Tsubasa Abe2006Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2006)
Japan Yoshifumi Kubota2006Formula Challenge Japan (2006)
Japan Sadaomi Masuda2006Formula Challenge Japan (2006)
United Kingdom Martin Plowman2006–2007Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2006–2007) Formula Renault 2.0 Italia (2006–2007)
Netherlands Henkie Waldschmidt2006–2008Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2006–2007) Formula Renault 2.0 Italia (2006–2007) Formula 3 Euro Series (2008)
Japan Keisuke Kunimoto2006–2009Formula 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)
Japan Takuto Iguchi2006–2011Formula Toyota (2006–2007) Formula Challenge Japan (2006–2007) Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008–2009) Super GT – GT300 (2008–2010) Super GT – GT350 (2011)
Japan Takamitsu Matsui2007Formula Toyota (2007) Formula Challenge Japan (2007)
Italy Andrea Caldarelli2007–2008Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2007–2008) Formula Renault 2.0 WEC (2008) Formula 3 Euro Series (2008)
Japan Hiroaki Ishiura2007–2011Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2007–2009) Super GT – GT300 (2007) Super GT – GT500 (2008–2011) Formula Nippon (2009–2011)
Italy Kei Cozzolino2008Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008)
Japan Yuji Kunimoto2008–2013Formula 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)
Japan Naoya Gamou2008, 2010–2011Formula Challenge Japan (2008) Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2010–2011)
Japan Yuichi Nakayama2008, 2011–2016Formula Challenge Japan (2008) Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2011–2013) Super GT – GT300 (2013–2016) Super Formula Championship (2014–2016)
Japan Takamoto Katsuta2012–2014Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2012–2014)
Japan Ryo Hirakawa2013–2017Super Formula Championship (2013–2015) Super GT – GT500 (2014–2017) European Le Mans Series - LMP2 (2016–2017)
Japan Kenta Yamashita2014–2020Japanese 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)
Japan Sho Tsuboi2016–2020Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2016–2018) Super GT – GT300 (2017–2018) Super GT – GT500 (2019–2020) Super Formula Championship (2019–2020)
Japan Kazuto Kotaka2019–2025Toyota 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)
Japan Hibiki Taira2021–2025Super Formula Lights (2021–2023) Super GT – GT300 (2021–2025) Super Formula Championship (2021, 2024–2025) Super GT – GT300
Japan Seita Nonaka2022–2025Super Formula Lights (2022–2025) Super GT – GT300 (2022–2025) GT World Challenge Asia (2023) SRO Japan Cup – GT4 (2024–2025)
France Esteban Masson2025Super 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
Japan Hibiki Taira2020
Japan Seita Nonaka2020–2021
Japan Jiei Okuzumi2020–2021
Japan Eijiro Shimizu2020–2021
Japan Rin Arakawa2021–2022
Japan Rikuto Kobayashi2022–2023
Japan Jin Nakamura2022–2023
Japan Ryoma Henzan2022
Japan Shunji Okumoto2023
Japan Yuki Sano2023–2024
Japan Kazuhisa Urabe2024
Japan Tokiya Suzuki2024–2025
Japan Kiyoshi Umegaki2024–2025
Japan Yuzuki Miura2025–2026
Japan Masana Muto2025–2026
Japan Takahiro Kikuchi2025
Japan Megumu Suzuki2025
Japan Masaki Hamabe2026
Japan Buntaro Igarashi2026
Japan Ryo Sakai2026
Japan Tomoki Terashima2026
  • Championship title highlighted in bold.
  • Promoted to TGR-DC drivers highlighted in italic.

See also