PONOS Ferrari Makes First Outing on Dunlop Tires

Photo: Jamie Klein

Ferrari squad PONOS Racing made its first outing on Dunlop tires at Fuji Speedway as testing for SUPER GT’s GT300 field began on Thursday.

PONOS made its debut in the Japanese series last year with factory Ferrari driver Lilou Wadoux sharing its 296 GT3 with Kei Cozzolino using Michelin rubber.

The pair achieved a best finish of second place at Sugo, where Wadoux memorably led for a significant number of laps before being passed by the LEON Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 amid changing conditions, finishing 12th overall.

While the team, which has established itself as a standalone operation based nearby Fuji Speedway, has yet to formally announce its 2025 plans, it was expected to make the switch to Dunlop after cutting ties with Michelin following the 2024 season.

Cozzolino was driving the PONOS car solo at Fuji, with Wadoux set to join the team for the next GT300 test at Okayama later this month.

A total of 18 cars are present at Fuji for the first on-track running for 2025, with new Mercedes-AMG customer Team UpGarage having withdrawn.

JLOC is running one of its old EVO-spec Huracans as a Yokohama test mule alongside the No. 87 EVO2 machine, while Team LeMans is also testing on behalf of Yokohama with a previous-generation Ferrari 488 GT3 rather than its usual 296 GT3.

Takashi Kogure has been charged with driving the No. 887 mule car, while Yokohama test driver Hironobu Yasuda is sharing the No. 488 Ferrari with Team LeMans regular Yoshiaki Katayama, with Roberto Merhi absent.

Apr has drafted in ex-SARD GT500 driver Yuichi Nakayama for the test, as it runs a Prius PHV GR Sport on Michelin tires alongside its two regular cars, the No. 30 GR86 GT on Michelins and the No. 31 Lexus LC500h on Bridgestones.

Michelin will still have at least two cars, including the No. 20 Shade Racing GR86 GT, on the grid this year, with BMW Team Studie yet to confirm its plans.

Wadoux Set to Prioritize SUPER GT Over Other Commitments

Wadoux is set to contest the whole eight-round SUPER GT calendar this year, with her commitments in the Japanese championship taking precedence over her other duties for Ferrari in the European Le Mans Series and the IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup.

Outside of Japan, she is due to share the No. 50 AF Corse Ferrari 296 GT3 with Custodio Toledo and Riccardo Agostini in ELMS, while she contested last month’s Rolex 24 at Daytona for the same team with Cozzolino, Alessandro Pier Guidi and Simon Mann.

Reviewing her first season in SUPER GT, Wadoux told Sportscar365: “Everything was new to me. It was a new team, and a new car in SUPER GT, it was my first time with confidential tires, and it was my first time racing in Japan — I knew Fuji but that was it.

“Honestly, I really like this championship. There are always a lot of big fights against pro cars, it’s a high-level championship. I like the spirit of developing tires with the team: it’s a different type of work compared to a normal championship.

“The team has been strong, especially for their first year. They never made any mistakes. It was not an easy year in general, but we will work hard and next year will be better. We have the experience of this year and we will have a new tire manufacturer.”

Prioritizing SUPER GT means that Wadoux will miss the Paul Ricard, Spa and Portimao rounds of the ELMS, while she will also be unable to contest IMSA’s Battle on the Bricks at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in September.