There is an update on the 2017-18 Super GT Hot Stove League, as it pertains to the Lexus GT500 fleet, which celebrated its successes in the Autobacs Super GT Series this Sunday at the Toyota Gazoo Racing Festival at Fuji Speedway.

AUTOSPORTweb is reporting that Felix Rosenqvist, a star performer in the Japanese Super Formula Championship and FIA Formula E Championship, is now being linked to the Lexus GT500 stable as one of at least two, potentially three, new drivers to make the move to Super GT’s premier class – alongside top candidate Kamui Kobayashi and young Kenta Yamashita.

When we first reported on this year’s Silly Season, Lexus were reportedly interested in a reshuffle of their teams and driver lineups going into 2018. That included bringing in an unnamed international driver, first rumoured to be either F1 free agent Pascal Wehrlein, or Toyota WEC castaway Jose Maria Lopez.

Now that international driver slot is being linked to Rosenqvist, a more sensible option due to his experience in Super Formula this season – and every bit as dynamic.

Rosenqvist, 26, is regarded as one of motorsport’s brightest and most multi-versatile talents. After winning the European Formula 3 Championship in 2015, his career has taken off in the last two years with victories in the Blancpain GT Series, Indy Lights, Porsche Carrera Cup, and additional experiences in the DTM, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

In 2016-17, Rosenqvist finished third in his debut Formula E season for Mahindra Racing, scoring a victory in Berlin and finishing best in the rookie class. He’s opened the 2017-18 campaign with a win in Hong Kong.

2017 also saw Rosenqvist make a surprising yet very welcome jump to Super Formula, with Sunoco Team LeMans. In a season shortened only by Typhoon Lan cancelling the JAF Grand Prix Suzuka, Rosenqvist finished third in the standings, with five consecutive top-five finishes and three podiums, and was five points back of Ishiura going into the cancelled final round of the season.

Working with rookie team director Tatsuya Kataoka and engineer Ryan Dingle, Rosenqvist helped lead Sunoco Team LeMans to a resurgent year after a dismal 2016 season for the team as a whole.

At first, Rosenqvist seemed destined to take a run at the IndyCar Series and the Indianapolis 500 for Chip Ganassi Racing – but clashes with Formula E made the arrangement impossible. Super GT seems a logical place for Rosenqvist to keep racing on during Formula E’s winter-oriented calendar, and would also allow him to race at Le Mans – but there is just one clash of dates: The Berlin ePrix will be held on the same weekend as the Suzuka GT 300km Race, on May 19-20.

It’s likely that Rosenqvist will join Kobayashi, perhaps even Yamashita as well, with as many as two non-Japanese drivers – including Andrea Caldarelli, who was not present for any recent Super GT related events including TGRF – moving on from Lexus Gazoo Racing and GT500.

Reportedly, the only two lineups which will remain intact for 2018 will be the defending champions, Ryo Hirakawa & Nick Cassidy in the #1 KeePer TOM’s LC500, and the #38 ZENT Cerumo LC500 of Yuji Tachikawa & Hiroaki Ishiura – all others will likely see major changes for next year.

As always, these reports are only speculation until confirmed by Toyota, Lexus, and the aforementioned teams and drivers. Toyota’s worldwide motorsport activities announcement is expected to be made in February 2018.