Honda juniors Nirei Fukuzumi and Tadasuke Makino will not return to Formula 2 next season and will instead race in Super Formula, Motorsport.com understands.
Fukuzumi and Makino have been placed with the Arden and Russian Time teams respectively in the Formula 1 support category this year, with Fukuzumi combining his F2 role with a drive with the Mugen squad in Super Formula.
European F3 graduate Makino has so far been the more successful of the pair, earning a feature race win in Monza and currently sitting 13th in the points, four places higher than Fukuzumi.
However, Honda has decided that neither driver will return to F2 next season.
Makino will join Nakajima Racing in Super Formula next season, possibly alongside Betrand Baguette, who raced for the team in Super GT this year.
It’s understood ex-F1 racer Narain Karthikeyan will not return and will switch his focus to Super GT next season.
Fukuzumi meanwhile is set to race for Dandelion Racing alongside this year’s Super Formula champion Naoki Yamamoto, who is set to move across from Mugen.
Dandelion fielded Nobuharu Matsushita and Tomoki Nojiri in Super Formula this season.
Nobuharu Matsushita, Dandelion Racing
Photo by: Masahide Kamio
Matsushita recently told Motorsport.com he wants to return to F2 after completing his rookie Super Formula campaign this year, and it’s believed he is now working independently of Honda to land a drive in the category where he raced from 2015-17 with ART Grand Prix.
Nojiri meanwhile will join Mugen in a direct swap with series champion Yamamoto.
Mugen will continue to field one car in Red Bull colours next season after Fukuzumi carried the Austrian firm’s famous branding this year, most likely for Macau Grand Prix winner Dan Ticktum.
Red Bull junior Ticktum already made two Super Formula starts for Mugen this year replacing Fukuzumi, who had to prioritise his F2 commitments for Arden when the two championships clashed.
B-Max Racing, which has entered into a partnership with F3 stalwart team Motopark, will run two Honda-powered cars, including a single entry in Red Bull livery, but it is unclear who will drive these yet.
Dan Ticktum, Team Mugen
Photo by: Masahide Kamio
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