His first race was a lonely one, but now he has the finest colleagues
Nürburgring was then cancelled for several years due to the pandemic, but Akio kept racing, driving in the Super Taikyu Series as a member of a private team he launched himself, ROOKIE Racing. He remained just as active a racer as he had been at Nürburgring...no, even more active. And through that racing, he connected with even more and more people. At some point, it went from “making ever-better cars” to “making ever-better motorsports-bred cars.”
Akio continued to refine his skills under a new driving trainer, racing drive Masahiro Sasaki, who filled the role once filled by Naruse, and using a data logger. He now has finishing times almost identical to professional drivers.
In 2024, Akio returned to Nürburgring for the first time in five years.
Speaking about this return, he said, “In the past, I felt fear as I drove, but now it feels like I can have a conversation with the road. I think I’ve developed a bit of elbow room when it comes to driving. Because of all the practice, I’ve got more emotional leeway, and I can see more around me. My field of vision has expanded. That has also enabled me to see further up the road. That said, if one day I find myself unable to drive the Nürburgring to my satisfaction, I’ll resign from my position as a master driver.”
Naruse once said the exact same thing. Perhaps it is the way of master drivers. What would Naruse think of Akio’s driving now?
“He wouldn’t compliment me, he’d always have a problem to point out (laughs). But I’d hope he’d compliment me for continuing to race in the Nürburgring, and for watching over the Advanced Technical Skills Institute Division (division for training skilled workers), which is made up of Naruse’s pupils. The Institute was dissolved when Naruse passed away, but then we invited anyone who was truly motivated to return, and it was re-established.“
In the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, sometimes the unexpected occurs. There are issues which never occurred in Japan. These issues, Morizo says, are important. If you work hard and produce good results, it gives you confidence, but even if the results aren’ t that positive, you still gain experience. Both of them directly link to making ever-better cars.
In 2025, TOYOTA GAZOO Racing will resume racing in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. What does Akio feel about this return?
“Refining people and cars, thereby contributing to the making ever-better cars—that’s always been a constant, in the past and even now. There’s no point to racing in Nürburgring if you don’t understand this. But one thing that is different is that now there’s ROOKIE Racing, which fills the same shoes as the “original” GR that Naruse and I created, and new colleagues in the form of professional drivers. There are some people who, when they hear ‘race,’ immediately focus on results, but I think it’s the process of getting to those results that matters. In fact, I think cars and people are refined precisely when you don’t get the results you had wanted. I feel like here we can all work at the same level, living under the same roof, driving the same cars. It’s a place where you work based on your role, not your title. Racing at Nürburgring, surrounded by the finest colleagues one could ask for, this is my starting point.”
What makes him keep going back and driving?
“When I was president, there was a lot on my plate, but when I was in the driver’s seat, it was like my mind was cleared. I think that’s what enabled me to work as hard as I have. But, really, it comes down to something very simple: I love driving. I’ve heard a lot of complaints that I’m just doing it because I like it, so I’ve put forth a lot of other reasons, but in the end, it’s because I love driving.”
“The goal of competing in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring has always been the same, ever since we began in 2007. Back then, it was Naruse and I, but now we have pro drivers, mechanics, engineers...a large, close-knit team. The making of ever-better cars will advance even further through motorsports, and we’ll all pull together to take on the challenge of reaching an even higher level.”
Morizo in 2024
