The driver from Trier returns to Japan's toughest GT series – the equivalent of Germany's DTM – after a year in Europe
After a year away, Niklas Krütten makes his Super GT comeback in Japan in 2026. The young German returns to the series with Velorex, sharing the #6 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo with Yoshiaki Katayama and replacing Roberto Merhi. The car competes in the GT300 class under the name Uni-Robo Bluegrass Ferrari.
For Krütten it is a return after a season in Europe: in 2025 the Trier native raced in the International GT Open with Team Motopark, alongside Mercedes. His 2026 team, Velorex, is still known to long-time Super GT fans as the former Team LeMans, which switched from Audi to Ferrari machinery ahead of the 2025 season.
Krütten already has fond memories of Japan. In his first Super GT season in 2024 with BMW M Team Studie, consistently strong performances and an outstanding top-five result earned him the title of Best Rookie of the year. Back then he took a podium at the season opener in Okayama and finished the season fifth in the GT300 championship thanks to regular points finishes.
The 2026 campaign is the 34th edition of Super GT, run as the Autobacs Super GT Series for sponsorship reasons. The GTA has entered a full grid of 43 cars – 14 in the top GT500 class and 29 in GT300. The season is contested over eight weekends: Okayama, Fuji Speedway, Sepang, Fuji again, Suzuka, Sportsland Sugo, Autopolis and, to close, Mobility Resort Motegi.
The start to the season was promising: although Velorex ran its Ferrari 296 GT3 without the latest Evo package at the Okayama opener, the #6 of Katayama and Krütten qualified fourth for its home race – well ahead of its two Evo sister cars. In the race the pair came home ninth in the GT300 class, making them the best-placed Ferrari in GT300 at the season opener. The second round at Fuji proved tougher: after difficulties in qualifying, the #6 Velorex Ferrari had to fight back from 21st on the grid. A technical failure then forced them to retire early while running fifth – and once again as the best-placed Ferrari.
With the experience gained in 2024 and a competitive car, the rest of the season promises to be exciting.
