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Misato Haga

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Misato Haga
Born (1979-02-15) 15 February 1979 (age 46)
Iwate Prefecture, Japan
Occupations
  • Motorsport executive
  • businesswoman
Employers
  • Super GT
  • Direxiv (2005–2006)
  • AVANZZA × BOMEX (2007)
  • MOLA (2008)
  • Drago Corse (2021)
  • Yogibo Racing (2023)
  • MKS Racing (2025–present)
  • Formula Nippon
  • Direxiv (2006)
  • GT World Challenge Asia
  • Yogibo Racing (2022)
TitleTeam Principal

Misato Haga (芳賀 美里, Haga Misato, born 15 February 1979) is a Japanese motorsport executive who serves as the team principal for MKS racing in the GT300 class of Super GT.

Career

[edit]

Born in Iwate Prefecture,[1] Haga's interest for motorsport was sparked after attending races at Sportsland Sugo as a spectator while attending high school.[1] Following that, Haga entered the world of entertainment and began working as a race queen for both Hitotsuyama Racing and R&D Sport in the early 2000s.[2][3] While there, she created an agency for race queens in 2003, which led her to meet an investor who sponsored Jean Alesi's French driver training programme.[1] After talking with Alesi, Direxiv was founded in mid-2004 with the Frenchman as the project's leader in Europe and Haga as the leader in Japan.[4] The team also joined forces with McLaren to essentially be its B-team if Direxiv were to successfully join Formula One.[5][6] While Direxiv became David Price Racing's title sponsor in GP2 and sponsored other drivers in the same series,[7] Haga led the Formula Nippon and Super GT programmes in Japan.[8]

In March 2006, Direxiv applied to enter the Formula One grid in 2008 as its 12th team. However, the entry was denied in August of that year without explanation. Direxiv subsequently lost funding and immediately shut down their motorsport operations. Under Haga's leadership, the team was leading the GT300 standings with Shogo Mitsuyama and Nobuteru Taniguchi at the time Direxiv withdrew from the series.[9] Following Direxiv's demise, Haga became Avanzza Bomex's team director in 2007.[10] After a scoreless season, Haga joined MOLA to become its team director as the team fielded Kazuki Hoshino and Hironobu Yasuda. With Haga as team director, the team won the sixth race of the season at Suzuka and at the season-ending round at Fuji, Mola won both the drivers' and teams' titles.[11]

Following a 13-year hiatus, Haga returned to Super GT, once again as a team director, this time for Yogibo-sponsored Drago Corse in 2021.[12] The team finished 19th in the team's standings, with a best race result of sixth at Sportsland Sugo.[13] Staying with the Yogibo brand for 2022, Haga became B-Max Racing Team-run Yogibo Racing's team director in GT World Challenge Asia.[14] In her only season as a team director in the series, the team won at Sugo and Okayama to finish fourth in the team's standings.[15][16] Returning to Super GT in 2023, Haga remained with Yogibo Racing as they fielded Yugo Iwasawa and Reimei Ito. The team ended the season 19th in the standings with a best result of fourth at Okayama. Following the season, Yogibo withdrew from Super GT competition, leaving Haga on the sidelines.[17]

On 18 February 2025, it was revealed that Haga would return to Super GT with her own team, MKS Racing (Misato Knockout Sport Racing).[18] After failing to strike a partnership deal with various partners, Haga successfully established a partnership with Takeshi Kimura's CarGuy Racing to rebrand the team to MKS CarGuy Racing.[19][20] A month later, the driver lineup was finalized as Rikuto Kobayashi and Zak O'Sullivan would drive on a full-time basis for the team, with Kimura and Keita Sawa serving as reserves for the 2025 season.[21]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c "ジャン・アレジとのF1参戦計画が頓挫した舞台裏をスーパーGT女性監督が語る". news.livedoor.com. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  2. ^ "2002/09/15 全日本GT選手権シリーズ第6戦". asahi-net.or.jp. 21 September 2002. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  3. ^ "RaceQueen". mspg.fc2web.com. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  4. ^ "Jean Alesi devient Directeur délégué de DireXiv". caradisiac.com. 21 February 2006. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  5. ^ "Direxiv joins McLaren". pitpass.com. 15 February 2006. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  6. ^ "Rétro : Team B Mclaren, une valse à trois temps". lemagsportauto.ouest-france.fr. 17 March 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  7. ^ "DPR and Direxiv strengthen links in 2006". au.motorsport.com. 22 February 2006. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  8. ^ "フォーミュラ・ニッポン2006年度全参戦マシン". fmotor.jp. 2 April 2006. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  9. ^ "The SUPER GT team boss fuelled by a failed F1 dream". motorsport.com. 11 August 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  10. ^ "元レースクイーンのスーパーGT女性監督が13年ぶりに復帰した理由を激白". sportiva.shueisha.co.jp. 20 May 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  11. ^ "Kazuki Hoshino To Retire From Super GT After 2021 Season". dailysportscar.com. 7 September 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  12. ^ "ビーズソファ＆ファニチャーの「Yogibo」がSUPER GT参戦発表 34号車「Yogibo NSX GT3」のチーム監督に芳賀美里さんが就任". car.watch.impress.co.jp. 16 February 2021. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  13. ^ "Ranking | GT300 Team Ranking". supergt.net. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  14. ^ "Yogibo Racing Confirms GT World Challenge Asia Debut". dailysportscar.com. 15 February 2022. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  15. ^ "Race 1: Yogibo Racing withstands intense pressure to net maiden series win at SUGO". gt-world-challenge-asia.com. 20 August 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  16. ^ "Race 1: Yogibo Racing's Yokomizo maintains outside title chance with victory at Okayama". gt-world-challenge-asia.com. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2025.
  17. ^ Klein, Jamie (8 February 2024). "Honda GT300 Team Yogibo Racing Announces Withdrawal". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media.
  18. ^ "芳賀美里監督率いるMKS RACINGがスーパーGT復帰へ新体制での参戦目指す「交渉は最終段階」". as-web.jp. 18 February 2025. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  19. ^ "MKS RACINGがCARGUY RACINGとGT300参戦へ。芳賀監督がアブダビに向かいコラボ実現". as-web.jp. 22 February 2025. Retrieved 16 April 2025.
  20. ^ "MKS Eyes Long-Term Success With CarGuy Racing". sportscar365.com. 9 April 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
  21. ^ "O'Sullivan, Kobayashi Announced For CarGuy MKS Racing's Debut Season". dailysportscar.com. 18 March 2025. Retrieved 15 April 2025.
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