Goodsmile's Taniguchi withdraws from Sugo SUPER GT race

Taniguchi was due to share Goodsmile’s Mercedes AMG-GT3 Evo with regular partner Tetsuya Kataoka in the sixth round of the season, the pair qualifying 14th in the GT300 class on Saturday.

However the 51-year-old had to be taken to hospital in Sendai on Saturday evening due to worsening stomach pain, later diagnosed as appendicitis.

Goodsmile did not have a reserve driver registered, meaning that the team will be unable to complete the race without being excluded as SUPER GT rules dictate that no one driver can complete more than two-thirds distance.

As such, Goodsmile has said it will participate in the first two thirds of the race with Kataoka at the wheel before retiring.

Taniguchi is hoping to be fit to compete in the next SUPER GT race at Autopolis on October 2.

The news follows Goodsmile’s victory last time out at Suzuka, and comes as a severe blow to the Mercedes squad’s hopes of a first GT300 title since 2017.

Taniguchi and Kataoka sit fifth in the current standings, 14 points behind Kondo Racing Nissan pair Kiyoto Fujinami and Joao Paulo de Oliveira.

• Stream every qualifying session and race of the 2022 SUPER GT season only on Motorsport.tv.