Kvyat to Race for JLOC With Lamborghini Backing

Factory Lamborghini driver Daniil Kvyat will switch to GT3 racing this year as he embarks on a first season of SUPER GT competition with the JLOC team.

The ex-Formula 1 driver has revealed he will race one of JLOC’s two Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO2s in the Japanese championship’s GT300 class for the eight-round campaign, which begins at Okayama International Circuit on April 12.

It follows Lamborghini putting its LMDh program with the SC63, which Kvyat had been involved in since its inception in 2024, on hold this year.

Kvyat has no GT3 race experience but said he is eager to get stuck into his new challenge, having been a long-time admirer of the Japanese racing scene.

”The LMDh program with Lamborghini didn’t work out, but we still wanted to collaborate and continue to work together this season,” Kvyat told Sportscar365. “We were discussing some options and I personally was quite keen on racing in Japan.

“When I saw this opportunity with JLOC I pointed it out and I thought it was a good opportunity to race in Japan. SUPER GT is a championship with a very good reputation and it’s a great chance to learn the tracks and Japanese racing culture.

“It’s the perfect step into Japanese racing, which has always been something on my list for a long time. I’ve always been fascinated by the country, the culture, and they have a big passion for the cars. It will be fantastic to get a foothold there.”

Which of the two JLOC entries Kvyat will drive and the identity of his teammate remain unclear, but it will mark the first change across the team’s lineup since 2021.

Since that season, its No. 88 car has been driven by Takashi Kogure and Yuya Motojima, who won the 2024 GT300 title together, while Natsu Sakaguchi and Kosuke Matsuura have shared the No. 87 entry.

However, it is not unprecedented for JLOC to field a factory Lamborghini driver in SUPER GT full-time, having last done so in 2018 with Marco Mapelli.

Kvyat’s first laps aboard the Huracan are likely to come in the opening official test of the pre-season at Okayama on March 6-7.

“I need to understand how the team works, the car and the tires, because the tires are quite different between Europe and Japan,” the 31-year-old said.

“But it’s nothing unusual for me. I had to do this in NASCAR [during selected Cup Series and Xfinity Series road course outings in 2022 and ’24], for example.

“I am used to high expectations. But you need to be realistic and stay focused on your job. Soon the work will start. But I am excited about this opportunity.”

Kvyat stated that his program in Japan will likely be combined with other commitments for Lamborghini this year that will be disclosed in “due course.”