How Italian driver Ronnie Quintarelli endeared himself to Japan's rabid racing fans

When the Super GT season kicked off in Okayama on Sunday with a race won by TOM's pair Sho Tsuboi and Kenta Yamashita, the grid was missing one of the series’ most talismanic drivers of the past two decades. Ronnie Quintarelli sent shockwaves through the paddock when he announced that the 2024 season would be his last. The news arrived not long before the final round at Suzuka Circuit, immediately prior to which the long-time Nissan driver appeared in front of the fans at the NISMO Festival, Nissan’s traditional end-of-year celebration held at Fuji Speedway.

“When I made the announcement, at first it was a sad feeling,” recalls Quintarelli. “But I received a lot of energy from the fans at the NISMO Festival. Many people greeted me and asked for photos.



I didn’t expect this reaction, and that made me very happy.”.