Fujii to Share D’station Entry With Factory Aston Driver

Tomonobu Fujii has revealed he will be part of D’station Racing’s driver lineup for the team’s return to SUPER GT alongside an Aston Martin factory driver.

D’station announced in October plans to return to SUPER GT’s GT300 class for the first time since 2020, but without naming a car manufacturer, driver or tire supplier.

An official announcement is planned for early January, but the team’s managing director Fujii has now clarified that the squad, whose workshop is based just outside Fuji Speedway, will bring the Aston Martin brand back to the grid.

Fujii himself will be one of the two drivers along with a member of the works Aston roster, whose identity will be revealed at a later date, along with the tire manufacturer.

“We already purchased four of the new GT3 cars from Aston Martin, one for the WEC and three cars for Japan,” Fujii told Sportscar365. “One of these is for SUPER GT and the other two are for GT World Challenge Asia and the Asian Le Mans Series.

“We’ve been out of SUPER GT for three years, but finally we have our own entry from 2024 and we are committed to staying for the long term.

“Also, SUPER GT is a very important program for Aston Martin. We have been discussing the details with them for a while, and now everything is confirmed.

“My aim is to announce everything in early January, but for now I can say we have a top-level factory driver signed, as well as engineering support from the factory.

“We also have a contract with a Japanese tire manufacturer with a long history in SUPER GT and a strong record, so I am very happy.”

Fujii has already sampled the updated Vantage GT3 model, which remains yet to be officially announced by Aston Martin, in a development test at Silverstone in October.

The Japanese driver believes that D’station can be an immediate contender at the front of the GT300 field based on his initial impressions of the new machine.

“It feels quite different to the current car,” said Fujii. “It’s a big step up in terms of driveability, traction and braking stability. The tyre degradation is also a lot better.

“Of course the track surfaces in Japan are different to Europe, but the car feels very strong. I have driven many different GT3 cars and it’s one of the best I have ever driven. 

“We don’t know how the Balance of Performance will be, and SUPER GT is a very difficult championship, especially with the tyre war and many different types of car.

“But we have a lot of experience, a good relationship with the tyre manufacturer, a super-strong driver and one of the best GT3 cars, so I think we can be competitive.

“This is a quasi-factory Aston Martin program, so I am quite confident of strong results.”

Aston Martin revealed an updated roster of works drivers last week with several new additions for the 2024 season.

Marco Sorensen is already confirmed as the pro driver for D’station’s FIA World Endurance Championship effort in the LMGT3 class.