Giuliano Alesi to drive for KCMG in Super Formula’s second official tests at Fuji

Credit: Super Formula

KCMG have just announced that Super Formula race-winner Giuliano Alesi will be driving the No. 9 car during the official test sessions to be held on 30th June and 1st July at the Fuji Speedway. This decision is crucial as the driver of the No. 9 from Round 6 onwards has not been decided.

“Alesi has achieved success across a variety of racing categories... Taking these achievements into account, together with the importance of this mid-season test, KCMG has decided to appoint Alesi for the upcoming test.”, read KCMG’s official statement on Alesi’s participation.

Alesi is no stranger to Super Formula, having driven in the series until 2023, when he was let go by Team TOM’S in favour of Ukyo Sasahara mid-season. The French driver finished runner-up in Super Formula Lights in 2021, is a three-time winner in Super GT and grabbed his only win in Super Formula in his second ever race.

However, his Super Formula career faced a short decline afterwards. He only scored 11 points in the 18 races that followed until he was let go by Team TOM’S.

The choice to have Alesi drive the car brings into question the position of Seita Nonaka within the team; the Saitama native’s contract only covering up to Round 5 at Suzuka, which took place in May.

That hotly contested seat was initially set to go to two-time World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanperä. However, the Finn had to pull out of competing this season just two weeks before the season opener at Motegi due to illness.

The seat originally meant for the former rally driver was taken up by the 2021 F4 Japanese champion, Seita Nonaka. Nonaka made his Super Formula debut last year, replacing the then-injured Oliver Rasmussen for the season opener, and then standing in for Kamui Kobayashi the two following rounds. He then took over the second TGMGP seat after Hibiki Taira was let go during the mid-season break.

Credit: Super Formula

Nonaka was offered a three-round contract by KCMG for this season, covering the two opening rounds at Motegi and Round 3 at Autopolis. Following the cancellation of Round 3, his contract was extended a further two rounds to cover the double header at Suzuka.

Nonaka is yet to score a point this season. In the four rounds that were completed, he has racked up two nineteenth-place finishes, a seventeenth-place finish and a DNF (he crashed out of Round 4 following a rear wing failure).

After their fairly successful driver lineup of Nirei Fukuzumi and Kamui Kobayashi was dismantled for this year, with both drivers departing at the end of 2025, the only non-Japanese team on the field has been struggling for consistent results, having scored only four points this season.

The driver for the No. 9 car from Round 6 onwards will be announced following the official tests later this month. “The driver line-up from Round 6 onwards remains under consideration. Taking into account the results of this official test, KCMG will continue its evaluation process and will make a further announcement once a final decision has been reached,” the team said in their official announcement.

Rounds 6 and 7, along with the replacement race for Round 3, will take place at the Fuji Speedway on the 18th and 19th of July. If KCMG choose to have Giuliano Alesi in the car from Round 6 onwards, their qualifying results for Round 3 will most likely be nullified as the grid for the round had already been set before it was cancelled.