Ferrari’s Neubauer “Really Excited” About Suzuka Debut

Factory Ferrari driver Thomas Neubauer has shared his enthusiasm about his Japanese race debut in this weekend’s Suzuka 1000km with the Maezawa Racing team, saying “it’s been a long time since I’ve been so excited about doing a race.”

Neubauer is part of the lineup of the No. 555 Maezawa Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 for this weekend’s revived Intercontinental GT Challenge fixture alongside entrepreneur and team owner Yusaku Maezawa and SUPER GT veteran Naoki Yokomizo.

It marks the French driver’s first time racing in Japan, although he had the chance to visit Suzuka in early August for a private test with the team.

Neubauer’s weekend got off to a strong start with the opening two test sessions, as he set the second-fastest time in both the first and second sessions.

“I’m really excited for this challenge, and working with new people in a new culture,” Neubauer told Sportscar365. “It’s a very good experience.

“About a month ago, I came all the way here to do two hours of testing. I did just ten laps, but it was useful. I had a lot of fun, the track has a lot of grip and it seems to fit really well with the 296. It was really positive.

“For me, the track reminds me a lot of Spa, with a lot of ups and downs that you don’t see so much on TV. The grip level is amazing — I have never experienced a track with so much grip, using this Pirelli tire and with this BoP.

“There is a lot of degradation, but then you enjoy it even more on new tires.

“Actually, it’s a long time since I’ve been so excited about doing a race. And coming from Europe, Suzuka is one of the tracks you dream about racing on.

“Maybe for the Japanese, they see Spa the same way, but I must have done a few thousand laps at Spa and even taking Radillion flat out doesn’t do anything for me anymore! Whereas coming here, it was like, wow, this is crazy.”

Maezawa Racing is a relatively new team, having only started competition in 2023, with Yokomizo and Maezawa sharing driving duties in the SRO Japan Cup this season.

But Neubauer believes the team has the potential to fight for the top spot amid a packed Bronze Cup grid, which features the highest number of entries of any class with 12.

“They are all super-nice people and it has been a pleasure to discover the way they are working in this country,” he said. “They have been super-welcoming.

“Maezawa-san is a really good Bronze driver. The team is very new and it’s their first endurance race, so they are almost starting from scratch and we have a lot of work to do. But the first experience with the team has been very positive.

“There are a lot of cars in the Bronze Cup, but I don’t see why it can’t work. The team is really dedicated and if we build up over these three days, we can do a good result.”

Although Neubauer admitted he has “no real clue” how his 2026 program with Ferrari will look yet, he did reveal that a full season in SUPER GT is on his radar.

His fellow factory Ferrari driver Lilou Wadoux contested the 2024 SUPER GT season for PONOS Racing and was due to stay for a second year until making a last-minute decision to leave the team to focus on her other commitments.

“This is part of why I am here, to take the temperature, to see if I like [racing in Japan],” said Neubauer. “So far, it’s a big ‘yes’!

“I really love driving in confidential tires, like we have on the Nordschleife, and we have these also in GT300. I think this would fit my way of driving.

“It’s on the list, we will see how it goes, but it could be a good option for me.”