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Honda has revealed how 2009 Formula 1 world champion Jenson Button will fit into its line-up for his first full season in Japan’s Super GT series.
After a debut outing in Super GT’s showpiece Suzuka 1000km race last year, Button set his sights on a full season in Japan in 2018 and agreed a deal with Honda before Christmas.
It has now been announced that Button will drive an NSX-GT for Team Kunimitsu, run by multiple 250cc motorcycle race winner and one-time F1 grand prix starter Kunimitsu Takahashi.
Button will team up with 2013 Super Formula champion and multiple Super GT race winner Naoki Yamamoto, who has been retained by the squad for a fourth consecutive season.
Button replaces 2009 championship runner-up Takuya Izawa at the Bridgestone-shod outfit, with Izawa returning to ARTA after eight years and joining Tomoki Nojiri.
As part of the reshuffle, Takashi Kobayashi has been dropped from Honda’s Super GT roster, despite picking up a win alongside Nojiri at Fuji last year.
Elsewhere, Mugen, which gave Button his Super GT debut last year, has retained both Daisuke Nakajima and Hideki Mutoh.
There are no changes at Real Racing either, with Koudai Tsukakoshi and Takashi Kogure staying on for another year.
Nakajima Racing will also field an unchanged line-up of Kosuke Matsuura and Bertrand Baguette, the latter being Honda’s only other international driver apart from Button.
Honda’s 2018 Super GT line-up
ARTA: Tomoki Nojiri/Takuya Izawa
Mugen: Hideki Mutoh/Daisuke Nakajima
Real Racing: Koudai Tsukakoshi/Takashi Kogure
Nakajima Racing: Kosuke Matsuura/Bertrand Baguette
Team Kunimitsu: Naoki Yamamoto/Jenson Button