Takamitsu Matsui (松井孝允, Matsui Takamitsu, born 15 December 1987) is a Japanese racing driver affiliated with Toyota Gazoo Racing who currently competes in Super GT for Hoppy Team Tsuchiya. A longtime competitor in the series, he is best known for winning the 2016 championship in the GT300 class, driving alongside Takeshi Tsuchiya. He is also a four-time class champion in the Super Taikyū endurance racing series, winning the title in 2009, 2017, 2018, and 2022, as well as a two-time class winner at the Nürburgring 24 Hours.[1]

Takamitsu Matsui
NationalityJapan Japanese
Born (1987-12-15) 15 December 1987 (age 36)
Fukuyama, Hiroshima, Japan
Super GT - GT300 career
Debut seasonSuper GT
Current teamHoppy Team Tsuchiya
Car number25
Former teamsTeam Mach
Starts69
Wins4
Podiums9
Poles12
Fastest laps4
Best finish1st in 2016
Previous series
201416
2007–08
2007
Asian Le Mans Series
Formula Challenge Japan
Formula Toyota
Championship titles
2009, 2017, 2018, 2022
2016
Super Taikyū - ST-4

Super GT - GT300

Career

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Early career

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Matsui began his racing career in kart racing in 2001, and competed primarily in regional championships in Okayama until his move up to single-seaters in 2006. He made his debut in the Okayama FJ1600 series in 2006, taking four wins and the championship, and made cameos in the national FJ1600 series at Motegi and Formula Toyota at Fuji Speedway. After catching the attention of Naohiro Fujita [ja], a retired racing driver and director of Okayama International Circuit, Matsui joined the Toyota Young Driver Program (TDP) the following year and moved to the Formula Challenge Japan series with Toyota support, but was released from the programme after the 2008 season.[2]

In 2009, Matsui switched to endurance racing following his departure from Toyota, competing in the Super Taikyū Series in a Honda Civic Type R for Tatsuya Tanigawa's BOLD Motor Sports and winning the class title despite claiming only one victory. He returned to Formula Challenge Japan for 2010, this time with manufacturer support from Nissan, and finished runner-up to the dominant Yūichi Nakayama. Despite this, he left Nissan at the end of the year and would not drive full-time for the next two years, instead getting a job in the shipping industry. However, after being contacted by Takeshi Tsuchiya, who had previously worked with him during his time as a Toyota junior, Matsui returned to his full-time racing career in 2014, competing for Tsuchiya's teams in the Asian Le Mans Series and the newly introduced Japan Formula 4.[2][3] With the exception of a one-round cameo in the All-Japan Formula Three Championship in 2016, where he won both races in the somewhat poorly contested National class, Matsui has competed exclusively in sports car racing since 2014.

Super GT

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Matsui racing at Suzuka during his championship-winning 2016 season

Matsui made his debut in the top-flight Super GT series' GT300 category in 2015, driving a Dome-developed Toyota 86 MC alongside Takeshi Tsuchiya for Tsuchiya's VivaC Team Tsuchiya, which returned to the series for the first time since 2008.[4] Matsui would rejoin Toyota in 2015 alongside his Super GT commitments after being recommended by Naoya Gamou, returning to Super Taikyū for the TOM'S-run Toyota Gazoo Racing team and making his international debut with TGR at the 2015 Nürburgring 24 Hours.[2][5]

After claiming one race victory at Sugo during his 2015 campaign, Matsui remained with the team for 2016 to contest what would be his most successful season in the category, taking a dominant victory at Chang (now Buriram) and charging from the midfield at Motegi to emerge as series champion alongside his teammate Tsuchiya, who retired from full-time driving duties at the end of the year to focus on team management.

 
Matsui during the 2020 Super GT season

Despite his performances, Matsui did not move up to GT500, and instead remained with Tsuchiya's team in the GT300 class for 2017, partnered by Super Formula driver Kenta Yamashita. Alongside Yamashita and fellow Toyota-supported formula racers Sho Tsuboi and Kimiya Sato, Matsui would spend 2017, 2018, and 2019 in inconsistent form, demonstrating exceptional qualifying pace and taking pole positions but more frequently finishing towards the end of the field. Results would dip further after the team's switch to the Porsche 911 GT3 R for the 2020 season, and remained unremarkable until Matsui's departure at the end of the 2022 season.

Matsui joined Team Mach alongside professional sim racer Yusuke Tomibayashi for the 2023 season, driving the familiar Toyota 86 MC.[6] However, the team would ultimately fail to score a single point over the course of the year.

Racing record

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Career summary

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Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position
2006 Formula Toyota Wako's Scholarship 1 0 0 0 0 1 NC
2007 Formula Challenge Japan FTRS Scholarship 18 0 0 0 2 50 12th
Formula Toyota TOM'S Spirit 7 0 0 1 0 21 9th
2008 Formula Challenge Japan TDP Scholarship 16 3 3 4 5 129 4th
2009 Super Taikyū - ST-4 BOLD Motor Sports 7 1 3 5 6 100‡ 1st‡
2010 Formula Challenge Japan NDDP FCJ 12 1 0 0 8 56 2nd
2012 Super Taikyū - ST-1 Team Samurai 1 1 1 1 1 50‡ 3rd‡
2013 Porsche Carrera Cup Japan Racing X-Road Service 3 1 1 2 2 N/A NC
2014 Asian Le Mans Series - GT AAI-RStrada 4 0 1 48 6th
Japan Formula 4 - East Samurai Supporters 6 1 1 1 5 81 2nd
Japan Formula 4 - West 3 0 0 1 2 33 6th
2015 Super GT - GT300 VivaC Team Tsuchiya 6 1 1 0 1 35 10th
Super Taikyū - ST-4 Gazoo Racing TOM'S Spirit 6 0 0 2 3 55.5‡ 6th‡
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP3T Team Toyota Gazoo Racing 1 0 0 0 0 N/A 4th
2015-16 Asian Le Mans Series - LMP3 Team AAI 1 0 0 0 0 0 6th
2016 Super GT - GT300 VivaC Team Tsuchiya 8 2 3 0 4 78 1st
Japanese Formula 3 Championship - National Team Samurai 2 2 2 2 2 24 6th
Super Taikyū - ST-4 TOM'S Spirit 6 1 4 1 3 96‡ 2nd‡
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP3T Toyota Gazoo Racing 1 0 0 0 0 N/A NC
2017 Super GT - GT300 VivaC Team Tsuchiya 8 1 3 1 2 48 5th
Super Taikyū - ST-4 TOM'S Spirit 6 5 4 3 6 135‡ 1st‡
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP3T Toyota Gazoo Racing 1 0 0 1 1 N/A 2nd
2018 Super GT - GT300 Tsuchiya Engineering 8 0 2 1 2 39 7th
Super Taikyū - ST-4 TOM'S Spirit 6 4 5 2 5 159‡ 1st‡
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP-Pro Toyota Gazoo Racing 1 1 1 1 1 N/A 1st
2019 Super GT - GT300 Tsuchiya Engineering 8 0 3 2 0 17 19th
Super Taikyū - ST-4 TOM'S Spirit 6 2 5 2 4 123.5‡ 2nd‡
24 Hours of Nürburgring - SP-Pro Toyota Gazoo Racing 1 1 1 1 1 N/A 1st
2020 Super GT - GT300 Hoppy Team Tsuchiya 8 0 0 0 0 10 20th
Super Taikyū - ST-4 Endless Sports 4 0 0 0 0 74‡ 4th‡
2021 Super GT - GT300 Hoppy Team Tsuchiya 8 0 0 0 0 21 14th
Super Taikyū - ST-2 ROOKIE Racing 2 0 2 2 0 23‡ 8th‡
Super Taikyū - ST-Q 3 0 0 0 3 N/A NC
2022 Super GT - GT300 Hoppy Team Tsuchiya 8 0 0 0 0 1 34th
Super Taikyū - ST-4 TOM'S Spirit 6 5 5 3 6 177.5‡ 1st‡
Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP-Pro Toyota Gazoo Racing 1
Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP4 1
2023 Super GT - GT300 Team Mach 8 0 0 0 0 0 NC
Super Taikyū - ST-4 TOM'S Spirit 6 1 0 5 5 100.5‡ 3rd‡
Nürburgring Endurance Series - SP8 Team HAL 1 1 1 1 1 N/A N/A
TGR GR86/BRZ Cup Netz Toyama Racing 5 1 0 0 1 20 12th
2024 Super GT - GT300 Hoppy Team Tsuchiya
Super Taikyu - ST-Q GR Team Spirit

* Season still in progress.

Complete Super GT results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pos. Points
2015 VivaC Team Tsuchiya Toyota 86 MC GT300 OKA
6
FUJ
Ret
CHA
7
FUJ
5
SUZ
23
SUG
1
AUT MOT 10th 35
2016 GT300 OKA
6
FUJ
3
SUG
2
FUJ
13
SUZ
22
CHA
1
MOT
7
MOT
1
1st 78
2017 GT300 OKA
4
FUJ
15
AUT
1
SUG
3
FUJ
29
SUZ
18
CHA
15
MOT
5
5th 48
2018 Tsuchiya Engineering GT300 OKA
3
FUJ
Ret
SUZ
2
CHA
19
FUJ
5
SUG
24
AUT
24
MOT
8
7th 39
2019 GT300 OKA
Ret
FUJ
18
SUZ
5
CHA
4
FUJ
26
AUT
16
SUG
27
MOT
18
19th 17
2020 Hoppy Team Tsuchiya Porsche 911 GT3 R GT300 FUJ
19
FUJ
20
SUZ
14
MOT
8
FUJ
11
SUZ
9
MOT
6
FUJ
14
20th 10
2021 GT300 OKA
7
FUJ
13
MOT
6
SUZ
23
SUG
19
AUT
10
MOT
5
FUJ
6
14th 21
2022 GT300 OKA
22
FUJ1
11
SUZ1
Ret
FUJ2
WD
SUZ2
15
SUG
10
AUT
16
MOT
Ret
34th 1
2023 Team Mach Toyota 86 MC GT300 OKA
15
FUJ1
22
SUZ1
19
FUJ2
18
SUZ2
21
SUG
22
MOT
18
MOT
18
NC 0

References

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  1. ^ "松井 孝允 | 2022年 | ドライバー情報 | モータースポーツ活動 | TOYOTA GAZOO Racing". Toyota Gazoo Racing (in Japanese). Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b c "松井 孝允「胸を張って自分はプロだと言えた日」" [The day I could proudly say "I am a pro driver"]. Toyota Gazoo Racing (in Japanese). 20 June 2019. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  3. ^ "VivaC team TSUCHIYA スーパーGT第4戦SUGO レースレポート". auto sport web (in Japanese). 15 August 2016. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  4. ^ "つちやエンジニアリングのドライバーは土屋&松井に" [Tsuchiya Engineering's drivers will be Tsuchiya and Matsui]. auto sport web (in Japanese). 26 January 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Toyota Presents Its Motorsport Programme For 2015 And Announces Return To The World Rally Championship In 2017". Toyota UK. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  6. ^ "TEAM MACH、2023年のスーパーGT参戦体制を発表。冨林勇佑と松井孝允のコンビで車両は別個体に" [TEAM MACH announces team structure for 2023 season, defined by combination of Yusuke Tomibayashi and Takamitsu Matsui]. auto sport web (in Japanese). 25 December 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
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Sporting positions
Preceded by Super GT
GT300 Champion

2016
With: Takeshi Tsuchiya
Succeeded by