Kazuki Nakajima has retired as a professional racing driver after a career spanning 19 seasons, but will remain with the Toyota Gazoo Racing family as he takes on a new role as Vice Chairman of Toyota Gazoo Racing Europe (TGR-E).
Nakajima’s auto racing career began in 2003, when he won the Formula Toyota series in his first year. He raced in the All-Japan Formula 3 Championship between 2004-2005, raced in the Super GT Series GT300 class in 2005, before moving to Europe beginning with a season in Formula 3 Euro Series in 2006, then a step up to the GP2 Series in 2007.
At the last race of the 2007 season, Nakajima received his maiden Formula 1 drive with Williams Racing. He would drive through the end of 2009 as team mate to future World Champion, Nico Rosberg, but spent a year on the sidelines in 2010 after Toyota withdrew from F1.
Nakajima returned to domestic competition in 2011, racing in Super GT’s top category GT500, and Formula Nippon (now Super Formula). In 2012, he debuted with Toyota Racing in the FIA World Endurance Championship, making his first start in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
After an infamous last-minute defeat in 2016, Nakajima would go on to win the fabled Grand Prix d’Endurance for three straight years between 2018 and 2020, making him the most successful Japanese driver in the event’s history. In 2018-19, Nakajima became the first Japanese driver to win an FIA world championship of motorsport when he won the World Endurance Drivers’ Championship with Fernando Alonso and Sébastien Buemi.
Nakajima also captured eight victories and two championships (2012 and 2014) in Super Formula; and he took seven wins in GT500, including signature victories at the Fuji 500km and Suzuka 1000km.
Nakajima, 36, will immediately start his new role in Cologne, Germany as TGR-E Vice Chairman.
“[Kazuki] will enhance the organisation and optimise its driver-focused approach to WEC, alongside team and driver management responsibilities,” the company said in its press release.
“I am delighted continue my journey with Toyota Gazoo Racing alongside my colleagues in the WEC team, which feels like a family to me,” Nakajima said. “It is a big responsibility and I am very grateful to President Akio Toyoda, GR President Sato and Toyota Gazoo Racing for creating this position.”
“I need to adapt to my new role within TGR-E but I already have a great relationship with many colleagues in Cologne, and I am looking forward to getting started. WEC is one of many exciting projects in which TGR-E is involved, all with the target of making ever-better cars.”
“I will give all my strength to contribute to these projects, and strengthen TGR-E and the WEC project. After being a racing driver for nearly 20 years, I have experienced a lot in motorsport and it is exciting to bring this knowledge to my new task.”
Nakajima will not be the only WEC mainstay taking on a new role at the team: Kamui Kobayashi will be the Team Principal for Toyota Gazoo Racing in WEC, and the driver of their number 7 entry.
“Kamui and Kazuki, who have been part of the Toyota motorsport family since competing with each other in Formula Toyota in 2003, will work together to ensure Toyota Gazoo Racing is prepared for a new WEC challenge, when multiple manufacturers enter the Hypercar class in 2023.”
