Nobuharu Matsushita will return to Super Formula this weekend with B-Max Racing in place of Red Bull reserve driver Sergio Sette Camara.
Sette Camara missed the opening pair of rounds due to his role as reserve driver for both of Red Bull’s Formula 1 teams.
But he competed at the most recent Super Formula round at Sugo, taking pole position prior to crashing out of the race, having undertaken the mandatory quarantine period.
However on Wednesday it was announced that one-time McLaren development driver Matsushita will take his spot at B-Max Racing for the upcoming event at Autopolis.
Matsushita competed full-time in Super Formula in 2018 in between spells in the GP2 Series/Formula 2 championship.
Matsushita has taken six victories in Formula 1’s support series, most recently in Spain this August, but left 2020 team MP Motorsport after the Mugello event.
Elsewhere the long-running saga over Juri Vips’ Super Formula stint appears to have reached a conclusion.
Red Bull secured a 2020 deal for protégé Vips to compete in Super Formula with Team Mugen but the pandemic has thwarted his plans.
Vips was replaced at the opening trio of events by Ukyo Sasahara and the 24-year-old has now been confirmed for the remainder of the season by the team.
Vips has entered a handful of Formula Regional European Championship rounds this season and also acted as a replacement for the injured Sean Gelael at DAMS in Formula 2.
However Gelael has been cleared to return for the Bahrain double-header later this month.
