Yu KANAMARU

Yu Kanamaru is a Japanese racing driver born on May 13, 1994, in Tokyo. Kanamaru's motorsport journey began early, starting in kart racing at just four years old. At 13, he moved to Europe to focus on racing, attending The American School in Switzerland (TASIS). He spent approximately ten years in Europe, gaining substantial experience before returning to Japan six years ago.

Kanamaru's single-seater career took off in 2012 after graduating from karting. He achieved a notable victory in the Formula Renault 2.0 NEC at Spa-Francorchamps that same year. In 2015, he debuted in the Formula Renault 3.5 series with Pons Racing. Returning to Japan in 2018, he competed in the Japanese Formula 3 Championship with the B-MAX Racing Team. Since 2020, Yu signed a reserve driver contract with Honda, participating in Super Formula and Super GT GT500 classes.

Beyond racing, Kanamaru has ventured into business, serving as COO of Beero inc., a startup focused on sustainable building materials, and as President and CEO of Verte inc., an online golf apparel select shop. He also participated in the GT500 class test for KEIHIN Real Racing as a substitute driver.