Giuliano Alesi, son of the renowned Formula 1 driver Jean Alesi, will make his return to the Super Formula during the triple race weekend to be held at Fuji Speedway. This return comes after three years without competing in this category.
His team, KCMG, has announced an unusual agreement in which Alesi will drive car number 9 in Rounds 6 and 7. On the other hand, Seita Nonaka will participate in the Sunday sprint race, which replaces the canceled race at Autopolis. KCMG is obligated to have Nonaka drive in this race as he qualified the car for this event.
Although it is likely that Nonaka will only be able to drive the car during the reconnaissance laps before the Sunday race, the team will prioritize giving Alesi the maximum amount of track time to prepare for his return. It is important to remember that Alesi had been withdrawn from TOM’S midway through the 2023 season before making his return in a recent test at Fuji.
Starting from the weekend at Fuji, Alesi will take the seat that was initially meant for Kalle Rovanpera, who had to withdraw for health reasons. In his early years in Super Formula, Alesi achieved a notable second place in his second race at Autopolis, but his subsequent performances were not equally brilliant.
Since his departure from TOM’S, Alesi has mainly focused on competition in SUPER GT and has been part of teams that have achieved victories in other categories such as Super Taikyu. In the balance of this season, Nonaka’s performances have been less notable, with a best result of 17th place during the four races he has competed in this year.
With the aim of improving in the championship, Alesi and KCMG hope to perform well in Fuji, while Nonaka will again be the reserve driver for the team for the rest of the season.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
