TGM Grand Prix has revealed it was in discussions with ex-Components 1 driver Daniil Kvyat about taking up the Tremendous Components seat vacated by Nobuharu Matsushita.
The Honda-powered TGM workforce fielded ex-Components 2 racer Matsushita alongside Juju Noda for the opening three rounds of the 12 months earlier than dropping him resulting from a scarcity of funding.
Hiroki Otsu was introduced in to exchange Matsushita for the fourth spherical of the season at Fuji, and was then subsequently confirmed by TGM for the rest of the 12 months.
Nevertheless, earlier than selecting Otsu, TGM boss Kazuhiro Ikeda said forward of the in-season take a look at that preceded the Fuji race that the workforce was in negotiations with an unnamed worldwide driver about taking up Matsushita’s seat.
Talking to Autosport, Ikeda confirmed that the motive force in query was Kvyat, however added that problems arising from sanctions imposed by Japan on Russia within the wake of the invasion of Ukraine in 2022 made a deal unattainable.
“As a Japanese workforce, we’re unable to make use of him,” Ikeda mentioned. “He is ready to get a visa and enter Japan, however he’s not capable of work [and receive a salary].
“The workforce can’t pay him instantly, and he feels that if he’s unable to be paid, then there isn’t a level in him coming right here. That was the most important downside.
“I requested him to debate it along with his sponsors, however the hurdles had been too nice.”
Juju, TGM Grand Prix
Picture by: Masahide Kamio
Kvyat revealed to Autosport final 12 months his desire to race in Super Formula, and had seemed set to drive for an additional Honda workforce, Nakajima Racing, within the post-season take a look at at Suzuka, just for the deal to crumble comparatively late.
He mentioned he was eager so as to add a second programme to his schedule alongside his present Lamborghini World Endurance Championship commitments, having skilled the Dallara SF23 as a part of his take a look at function with the Abu Dhabi-based A2RL autonomous collection.
Ikeda added that the choice to place Otsu within the automobile for the remainder of the season was pushed by a need to get TGM’s base efficiency again to the place it had been in 2023.
Otsu raced for the Servus Japan-run workforce at Fuji final 12 months as a stand-in for an injured Toshiki Oyu, and impressed the squad with the excessive stage of his technical suggestions.
“We felt we had misplaced our approach with the set-up, and that’s why we referred to as up Otsu, to attempt to return to what we had in the course of final 12 months,” mentioned Ikeda.
“He is aware of how the automobile ought to really feel, so we needed to make use of his expertise. And we didn’t wish to maintain altering the motive force because it’s not good for the followers or the championship.”
Otsu completed fifteenth in final month’s Motegi race, with TGM having not scored factors since Matsushita’s eight-place end within the opening spherical at Suzuka in March.