Kazuki Nakajima – winner of the 24 Hours in 2018, 2019 and 2020 – will drive the now privately owned 500 hp Toyota 85C 500 at the upcoming Le Mans Classic. The car took the start in the 2018 and 2020 editions of the race, and Nakajima is set to team up for this year's running with the legend Masanori Sekiya who shared the car with Satoru Nakajima and Kaoru Hoshino in 1985.

Their race is scheduled for Saturday 2 July from 11:30 to 12:25, pitting them against emblematic cars from one of the most evocative eras of endurance racing, including the Porsche 962, the Jaguar XJR-9 and the Peugeot 905 (24 Hours winner in 1992 and 1993).

Nakajima took the wheel of the 85C for the first time just prior to the 90th 24 Hours of Le Mans last weekend during the ceremony to hand over the previous winner's trophy on the starting grid.

Kazuki Nakajima: "It is a great honour to drive the Toyota 85C which has a special place in the history of Toyota and also my family. I was born a few months before my father raced this car, so I am too young to have seen it compete, but I have heard all about it. Group C was a legendary era for our sport and it has always been a dream of mine to drive a Group C car, so I would like to thank the owner, Mr. Kunie and TOYOTA GAZOO Racing for giving me this incredible opportunity. Although I know the Circuit de la Sarthe very well after 10 24 Hours of Le Mans, it will be a new adventure to discover the track in an old-school car like this, so I am really looking forward to it. Having Sekiya san as a teammate is a real privilege and I am sure I will learn a lot from him. Beyond our race, I am excited to experience the Le Mans Classic for the first time because I have heard so much about this event, and how many fantastic cars are present."

To learn more about the Le Mans Classic, go to the official website.