carrozzeria Team KCMG will kick off its first two-car assault of the 2020 Super Formula season with the official test days at the Fuji International Speedway (24-25 March), fielding Japanese racing stars Kamui Kobayashi and Yuji Kunimoto.

Entering its 11th Super Formula campaign, KCMG is running a two-car team for the first time, as it looks to build on a strong 2019 season, which saw the Hong Kong squad take two podiums with former Formula 1 driver Kobayashi.

Following the postponements of the opening two rounds at Suzuka and Fuji due to the Covid-19 outbreak, the official Super Formula test will go ahead behind closed doors with teams only allowed to access their own garages, and personnel instructed to wear masks and undertake mandatory health checks.

The test allows Kobayashi and Kunimoto to reacquaint themselves with the Toyota-powered Dallara SF19 - which debuted last season - ahead of the opening round at Autopolis on 17 May.

Kobayashi has enjoyed three strong Super Formula seasons with KCMG, in which the 2019-20 FIA World Endurance Championship leader has taken four second-place finishes. He’s joined by 2016 champion Kunimoto, who’s also found success in Super GT over the last 11 years.

Running at the Fuji test will begin at 09:00 (GMT+9) on Tuesday 24 March, concluding at 16:30 on Wednesday after four two-hour sessions across the two days.

Kamui Kobayashi: “I am very much looking forward to rejoining KCMG for the first Super Formula test at Fuji. Since 2017, we have been building a strong team and I’m happy to be back, this time alongside Yuji, who knows what it’s like to win in this series. The test will be valuable experience for us, as we look to be best prepared for the upcoming season.”

Yuji Kunimoto: “I’m delighted to be a part of KCMG’s first two-car Super Formula team. Last year, they were consistently fighting at the front and showed a lot of potential. The test is very important for me as whenever you join a new team you have to gain a good understanding of the set-up and work out which areas we can improve on. I can’t wait to get started and thank KCMG for the opportunity.”

Paul Ip, Team Founder: “It’s great to be able to get some running in ahead of the 2020 Super Formula season. With the current global situation, the championship has taken measures to ensure the safety of all its teams, drivers and everyone else in the paddock. It’s great to have Kamui back in the car for a fourth year and we’re very excited to welcome another fantastic driver in Yuji. Now, we will focus on collecting as much data and feedback before the first round.”