Toyota Pair Join Nordique Racing Mercedes-AMG Squad

Toyota-contracted drivers Yuichi Nakayama and Kazuto Kotaka have been added to the driver lineup for the Nordique Racing Mercedes-AMG squad for the upcoming GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Endurance Cup season.

Nakayama and Kotaka will join Edoardo Liberati aboard the No. 611 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, which is now entered for the top Pro class of the series having previously been registered in the Gold Cup on the initial entry list released last month.

The two Japanese drivers already have links to the squad as they drive for Ring Racing, which runs the Nordique effort, in the Nürburgring Endurance Series.

Both Nakayama and Kotaka were full-time SUPER GT racers last season, but Nakayama was replaced at GT500 squad Team SARD by Sacha Fenestraz for this season, while Kotaka has gone from racing in GT300 with apr to being Toyota’s GT500 reserve.

The five-round GTWCE Endurance Cup calendar features two clashes with SUPER GT, while also conflicting with Kotaka’s other existing commitments in GTWC Asia with the Porsche Center Okazaki team and in Super Formula.

Italian driver Liberati meanwhile returns to GTWC Europe after making selected appearances for KCMG in 2020-21 at the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 R.

He has spent the past two seasons in GTWC Asia, racing a Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2 for VSR last season and scoring a victory at Okayama.