Two of Formula 1’s newest superstars will make a surprise appearance in the Japanese Super Formula Championship’s annual winter test at Suzuka Circuit. Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Haas’ Oliver Bearman will drive at Suzuka for the first time on Friday, the third and final day of the test which is reserved for rookie drivers.
Both will be behind the wheel of the Dallara SF23, a step up from the Dallara F2 2024s that they drove in the FIA Formula 2 championship this past season.
Bearman will drive the No.7 entry from Hong Kong-based KCMG, which is usually driven by Toyota Gazoo Racing WEC driver and team principal Kamui Kobayashi. The English driver will partner Esteban Ocon at Haas in 2025 after running three races last season as a relief driver at Haas and Ferrari.
“I’m really excited to be driving at Suzuka in the Super Formula car. It’s one of the circuits which will be new to me next season, so getting the chance to experience it, and in such an amazing car, will be super helpful! Big thanks to Ayao Komatsu and MoneyGram Haas F1 Team for putting this together with KCMG,” said Bearman.
Antonelli will drive the No.14 car of Rookie Racing, the Japanese team established by Toyota Motor Corporation Chairman Akio Toyoda. Rookie Racing also participates in Super GT’s premier GT500 class with Toyota, and has multiple entries in the Super Taikyu endurance series, including the hydrogen-fueled Toyota GR Corolla H2 Concept, and a Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO.
The 18-year-old Italian graduates to F1 next season as Mercedes’ hand-picked successor to seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton. Antonelli finished sixth in the F2 standings for PREMA after winning multiple Formula 4 and Formula Regional championships between 2022–2023.
Though not a rookie, former Nissan Formula E driver Sacha Fenestraz is another headliner at this week’s tests. Just three months after being released from his Formula E contract, the French-Argentine driver will drive the No.37 car of Toyota’s powerhouse TOM’S Racing squad. Fenestraz is heavily rumored to rejoin Toyota as a factory driver in 2025. Before moving to Formula E, Fenestraz was the 2022 Super Formula championship runner-up behind Team Mugen’s Tomoki Nojiri.
Antonelli and Bearman are just two out of 14 ‘rookie’ candidates that will run at Suzuka. Kondo Racing will give testing opportunities to fellow F2 alumni Juan Manuel Correa, and GB3 Series race winner James Hedley. Correa will run on Thursday while Hedley, who made a one-off FIA Formula 3 appearance at Monaco this year, will run on Thursday and Friday.
Former Hertz Team JOTA driver Oliver Rasmussen will be behind the wheel of the No.19 Team Impul car on Thursday and Friday. Rasmussen will be sharing with Toyota Gazoo Racing Driver Challenge (TGR-DC) academy member Hibiki Taira, who helped fill the Impul seat left vacant by Theo Pourchaire’s sudden departure after the 2024 season-opening round. Impul’s No.20 car will be driven by Mitsunori Takaboshi, the Nissan Super GT factory driver who has been the test driver for one of Super Formula’s research and development cars since 2023.