The most successful Gran Turismo World Series driver ever shuffles unassumingly across the foyer of the Shepherd’s Bush Dorsett hotel. It’s the morning before a significant virtual, but in-person, race event, yet Takuma Miyazono seems unfazed.
He has, after all, competed since 2018, the very beginning of the Polyphony Digital-run event to find the best Gran Turismo drivers. Taking multiple race wins and five championships to date along the way, including a grand slam in 2020, the quiet Hyōgo-jin is the competition’s most garlanded competitor ever.
In that Covid-affected season, he achieved something unprecedented – winning all three titles. The Nations Cup, the Toyota Gazoo Racing GT Cup and, alongside Mikail Hizal and Daniel Solis, the Manufacturers Cup.
Since then, he would claim the Manufacturers Cup once more in 2022, once again with Solis and, this time, Kylian Drumont. In 2024, he would win the solo Nations Cup for a second time.
However, speaking after this victory, the 25-year-old cast doubt on his future participation:
“For the next year, because of my schedule, I’m not really sure if I’ll be able to compete [in the Gran Turismo World Series]. I want to really focus on real-world racing.
“It’s not like I’m going to retire; if the schedule allows, I’d like to stay involved. But I think this [Nations Cup] win marks an era for me because I really do want to try and do well in the real world of racing.”
Mercifully, the timetables aligned. Miyazono is competing in select real-world events at the daunting Nürburgring Nordschleife this year and has still been able to participate in the World Series, which has four events around the world.
“Thanks to Gran Turismo, I have my skills, I have my achievements, and I have my fans, the people who supported me,” explains the humble driver to Traxion.
“So I want to continue as long as I can, and this year, we noticed that the real racing at the Nürburgring and the schedule of Gran Turismo meant I could do both, so I’m here.”
We’re now sitting in a relaxed lobby seating area, and Miyazono is quietly considering how to summarise his season to date.
Ahead of the first World Series event of the year, he claims that based on practice times, he doesn’t feel confident and “I recognise I’m not the fastest”. Such humble words for a driver would go on to win the first Manufacturers Cup race just a few hours later.
At the time of our interview, he’s competed at the ‘Ring twice, both times behind the wheel of a modified Toyota Supra in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) championship. Once again, he’s meek in his appraisal.
“The first time, everything was okay,” he explains.
“We crossed the finish line, and I set the fastest lap in the class, which was good. But the second time, I crashed in practice. We couldn’t fix the car in time for the race.
“It was my fault. The team was analysing why it happened, but I should have known it could happen even though I couldn’t avoid it.”
Since then, he has returned to the German venue and secured a fifth-place class finish in the same vehicle.
But, perhaps more importantly, this time as a Toyo Tires-backed driver for the first time. Up until this point, Miyazono was competing as a privateer alongside a day job behind the desk at the Japanese tyre creators:
“When I became the driver of Toyo Tire, that doesn’t mean I’m not working in the office anymore; this is continuing.”
There are some plans to also compete in the Super Taikyu Series later in the year. Two rounds of that domestic championship remain, but the car remains a secret.
His links with Toyo through office work and his Gran Turismo exploits combined to deliver the real-world motorsport opportunities.
“When you’re racing Gran Turismo 7 and the World Series, you must drive different cars on different tracks, and so you become flexible, and you have the skill to adapt,” he explains.
“[Going from Gran Turismo to the real world], you are not starting at zero. In the real world you can practice and quickly achieve a good level, as Gran Turismo gives you a good starting point for motorsport.”
Still, despite acquiring the backing of Toyo and completing the Nürburgring’s advanced licence, Gran Turismo’s most successful driver still enjoys competing in the World Series. He’ll be at every one of the three remaining events – Berlin, Los Angeles and Fukuoka – to try and claim another two titles.
“The Gran Turismo World Series is unique, thanks to being able to meet the competitors in person and talk to them directly.
“You’re always connected with them online, but meeting them in these locations makes it very special.”
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