Kondo Racing to Make N24 Return With Ferrari

Kondo Racing has announced it will return to the Nürburgring 24 for the first time in six years in 2025, taking on the Eifel classic with a Ferrari 296 GT3.

The long-time Nissan SUPER GT squad made the announcement on Monday, the day after the season finale at Suzuka, with its new 296 GT3 decked out in the same familiar blue colors of its main GT500 sponsor Realize Corporation.

Yokohama will supply tires for the SP9 class effort, while the entry will be run in collaboration with Rinaldi Racing, which won the 2023 edition of the N24 supporting Ferrari squad Frikadelli Racing.

Shigekazu Wakisaka, who is familiar with the 296 GT3 from his appearances in Fanatec GT Asia, was on hand to shake down the car at Suzuka, while team director Masahiko Kondo also turned a handful of laps.

Kondo previously contested the N24 in 2019 with a Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3, finishing ninth overall with works Nissan drivers Tsugio Matsuda and Mitsunori Takaboshi, as well as Tom Coronel and Tomonobu Fujii.

It was due to return in 2020 with its Nissan, but was forced to cancel its participation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and later sold its GT-R to auto parts maker Busou for its short-lived 2022 campaign in SUPER GT’S GT300 class.

Drivers for the revived Kondo N24 effort will be announced at a later date.