# TGR Driver Challenge Program

The Toyota Gazoo Racing Driver Challenge Program (TGR-DC) formerly known as the Toyota Drivers Academy and Toyota Young Drivers Programme (TDP), is a driver development programme by Toyota Gazoo Racing. It is meant to promote talent in different racing series by helping them with funds, hoping to find drivers who will race for the team in the future. Notable graduates of the scheme are Kazuki Nakajima, Kamui Kobayashi; who made their F1 debuts for Williams and Toyota, respectively.
The program was launched in 2001 when Toyota entered Formula 1, and wants to promote young drivers from Japan, and other countries that are able to reach F1.

## Current drivers
### TGR-DC drivers

| Driver | Years | Current Series | Titles as TGR-DC driver |
| Ritomo Miyata | 2017–2021, 2025– | Formula 2 Championship | 2017 F4 Japanese Championship 2020 Super Formula Lights |
| Kazuto Kotaka | 2019– | Super Formula GT World Challenge Asia | 2022 Super Formula Lights |
| Hibiki Taira | 2021– | Super Formula Super GT – GT300 | None as TGR-DC driver |
| Miki Koyama | 2022– | Super GT – GT300 | 2022 Formula Regional Japanese Championship |
| Seita Nonaka | 2022– | Super GT – GT300 Japan Cup Series – GT4 | None as TGR-DC driver |
| Rikuto Kobayashi | 2024– | Super Formula Lights Super GT GT300 | None as TGR-DC driver |
| Jin Nakamura | 2024– | Formula Regional Middle East Championship Formula Regional European Championship | None as TGR-DC driver |
| Esteban Masson | 2025– | Super Formula Lights European Le Mans Series – LMP2 | None as TGR-DC driver |
| Yuki Sano | 2025– | Super Formula Lights Super GT – GT300 | None as TGR-DC driver |
| Tokiya Suzuki | 2025– | Formula Regional Japanese Championship F4 Japanese Championship | None as TGR-DC driver |
| Kiyoshi Umegaki | 2025– | Formula Regional Japanese Championship F4 Japanese Championship | None as TGR-DC driver |
* Championship titles highlighted in bold.

### TGR-DC Racing School drivers

The TGR-DC Racing School is a team for young Toyota drivers who compete in F4 Japanese Championship.
| No. | Driver |
| TBA | Kiyoshi Umegaki |
| TBA | Tokiya Suzuki |
| TBA | Yuzuki Miura |
| TBA | Takahiro Kikuchi |
| TBA | Megumu Suzuki |
| TBA | Masana Muto |

## Former drivers
### TGR-DC drivers

| Driver | Years | Series competed |
| Takashi Kogure | 2001 | Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2001) |
| Norihiko Tasaki | 2001 | Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2001) |
| Ryan Briscoe | 2001–2005 | Formula Renault 2000 Italy (2001) Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup (2001) German Formula 3 Championship (2002) International Formula 3000 (2002) Formula 3 Euro Series (2003) IndyCar Series (2005) |
| Katsuyuki Hiranaka | 2001–2005 | Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002) Formula 3 Euro Series (2003–2004) Formula Nippon (2005) Super GT – GT300 (2005) |
| Tatsuya Kataoka | 2001–2006 | Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002–2003) Formula Nippon (2004–2006) All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship – GT300 (2003, 2009–2010) Super GT – GT500 (2005–2006, 2011) |
| Franck Perera | 2001–2006 | Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2002–2003) Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup (2002) Formula 3 Euro Series (2004–2005) GP2 Series (2006) |
| Alexander Storckenfeldt | 2002 | Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup (2002) |
| Hiroki Yoshimoto | 2002–2003 | Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002–2003) |
| Naoki Yokomizo | 2002–2004 | Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2002–2004) |
| Taku Bamba | 2002–2005 | Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2003–2005) |
| Wataru Kobayakawa | 2002–2004 | Formula Toyota (2002) Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2003–2004) |
| Kohei Hirate | 2002–2011 | Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2003) Formula Renault 2000 Masters (2003) Formula 3 Euro Series (2004–2006) GP2 Series (2007) Formula Nippon (2008–2011) Super GT – GT300 (2008) Super GT – GT500 (2009–2011) |
| Roberto Streit | 2003–2004 | Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2003) Formula 3 Euro Series (2004) |
| Kamui Kobayashi | 2003–2011 | Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2004) Formula Renault Eurocup (2005) Formula Renault 2.0 Italia (2005) F3 Euro Series (2006–2007) GP2 Asia Series (2008, 2008–09) GP2 Series (2008–2009) Formula One (2009–2011) |
| Kazuki Nakajima | 2003–2011 | Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2004) JGTC – GT300 (2004) F3 Euro Series (2005–2006) GP2 Series (2007) Formula One (2007–2009) Formula Nippon (2010–2011) |
| Ben Clucas | 2004 | Formula Renault 2000 Italia (2004) |
| Daisuke Ikeda | 2004–2005 | Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2004–2005) |
| Yuhi Sekiguchi | 2004–2005, 2007 | Formula Toyota (2004–2005) Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2007) |
| Kazuya Oshima | 2004–2011 | Formula Toyota (2005) Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2006–2007) Super GT – GT300 (2007) Formula 3 Euro Series (2008) Formula Nippon (2009–2011) Super GT – GT500 (2009–2011) |
| Hideto Yasuoka | 2005–2006 | Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2005-2006) |
| Hideki Yamauchi | 2005, 2008 | Formula Toyota (2005) Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008) |
| Tsubasa Abe | 2006 | Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2006) |
| Yoshifumi Kubota | 2006 | Formula Challenge Japan (2006) |
| Sadaomi Masuda | 2006 | Formula Challenge Japan (2006) |
| Martin Plowman | 2006–2007 | Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2006–2007) Formula Renault 2.0 Italia (2006–2007) |
| Henkie Waldschmidt | 2006–2008 | Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2006–2007) Formula Renault 2.0 Italia (2006–2007) Formula 3 Euro Series (2008) |
| Keisuke Kunimoto | 2006–2009 | Formula Toyota (2006–2007) Formula Challenge Japan (2006–2007) Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008–2009) Super GT – GT300 (2008) Macau Grand Prix (2008) Formula Nippon (2009) |
| Takuto Iguchi | 2006–2011 | Formula Toyota (2006–2007) Formula Challenge Japan (2006–2007) Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008–2009) Super GT – GT300 (2008–2010) Super GT – GT350 (2011) |
| Takamitsu Matsui | 2007 | Formula Toyota (2007) Formula Challenge Japan (2007) |
| Andrea Caldarelli | 2007–2008 | Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 (2007–2008) Formula Renault 2.0 WEC (2008) Formula 3 Euro Series (2008) |
| Hiroaki Ishiura | 2007–2011 | Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2007–2009) Super GT – GT300 (2007) Super GT – GT500 (2008–2011) Formula Nippon (2009–2011) |
| Kei Cozzolino | 2008 | Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2008) |
| Yuji Kunimoto | 2008–2013 | Formula Challenge Japan (2008) Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2009–2010) Super GT – GT300 (2009–2011) Formula Nippon (2011–2012) Super GT – GT500 (2012–2013) Super Formula Championship (2013 |
| Naoya Gamou | 2008, 2010–2011 | Formula Challenge Japan (2008) Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2010–2011) |
| Yuichi Nakayama | 2008, 2011–2016 | Formula Challenge Japan (2008) Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2011–2013) Super GT – GT300 (2013–2016) Super Formula Championship (2014–2016) |
| Takamoto Katsuta | 2012–2014 | Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2012–2014) |
| Ryo Hirakawa | 2013–2017 | Super Formula Championship (2013–2015) Super GT GT500 (2014–2017) European Le Mans Series - LMP2 (2016–2017) |
| Kenta Yamashita | 2014–2020 | Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2014–2016) Super GT GT300 (2015–2017) Super GT GT500 (2018–2019) Super Formula Championship (2017–2019) FIA World Endurance Championship (2019–20) |
| Sho Tsuboi | 2016–2020 | Japanese Formula 3 Championship (2016–2018) Super GT GT300 (2017–2018) Super GT GT500 (2019–2020) Super Formula Championship (2019–2020) |
* Championship titles highlighted in bold.

### TGR-DC Racing School drivers

| Driver | Years |
| Hibiki Taira | 2020 |
| Seita Nonaka | 2020–2021 |
| Jiei Okuzumi | 2020–2021 |
| Eijiro Shimizu | 2020–2021 |
| Rin Arakawa | 2021–2022 |
| Rikuto Kobayashi | 2022–2023 |
| Jin Nakamura | 2022–2023 |
| Ryoma Henzan | 2022 |
| Shunji Okumoto | 2023 |
| Yuki Sano | 2023–2024 |
| Kazuhisa Urabe | 2024 |
* Championship title highlighted in bold.
* Promoted to TGR-DC drivers highlighted in italic.