Asian Formula 3 leader Ukyo Sasahara will make a return to the Japanese F3 championship at Twin Ring Motegi this weekend with B-MAX Racing with Motopark.

The Porsche-backed 23-year-old finished a winless third in the 2018 Japanese F3 standings with ThreeBond Racing, the same team that ran him in FIA European F3 two years prior.

Earlier this month he won the Carrera Cup Japan title driving for the Porsche Japan Junior team, which has received technical support from B-Max Engineering. The Japanese F3 cameo is in part a reward for winning the title.

“[I’m] happy to announce that got opportunity to race by B-MAX Racing with Motopark in Japanese Formula 3 this weekend at Motegi!” Sasahara said on Twitter.

“We?ll do our best to have a meaningful weekend for both the team and ourselves while enjoying the precious time of driving Dallara F3 and this one-off.”

Sasahara joins title-fighting duo Sacha Fenestraz and Enaam Ahmed, Ameya Vaidyanathan and B-MAX team boss DRAGON at the team. For next year, Japanese F3 will be renamed Super Formula Lights.

Last time out at Sportsland SUGO, B-MAX Racing with Motopark also ran its Super Formula driver Harrison Newey due to an ongoing illness for Masters Class entrant Tairoku Yamaguchi, who usually races for his own B-MAX-assisted Tairoku Racing team.

After his Japanese cameo, Sasahara has two rounds left of the Asian F3 season at Shanghai. Hitech GP team-mate Jack Doohan is the closest of his six title rivals, although the Red Bull junior may miss the next round due to a clashing Euroformula Open commitment at Silverstone.