Andrea Caldarelli, veteran of six seasons in Super GT, announced via his Instagram on Wednesday that he will not return to Lexus Team Wako’s LeMans, or the Autobacs Super GT Series, in 2018.

Caldarelli, who turns 28 in two weeks’ time, will be moving on to focus solely on his duties as a factory racing driver for Lamborghini Squadra Corse across the world, after a decade-long relationship with Toyota that dates back to his time in the European ladder to Formula 1.

He leaves the series as a two-time GT500 championship runner-up in 2014 and in 2016, a perennial title contender throughout his career, and a legacy as one of the most passionate and rapid drivers in recent memory.

In his post, Caldarelli writes: “It has been 7 years ago since I landed in Japan for the first time. I was 21 and I still remember the first feeling when I have arrived in Tokyo and my brain was like: ‘Where the hell am I?!’ It was crazy! It has been my life for last 7 years and I have enjoyed every single moment of it!”

“I learned a lot, I grew up a lot thanks to all the fantastic motorsport people and fans are out there. Incredibly professional, crazy competitive, mega fun! Life as well was amazing, met a lot of nice people, friends and drivers and I will carry fantastic memories for all my life.”

“All [the] guys in Toyota have been my second family for the last 11 years and I must thank them all for what we have achieved together, I will never stop to thank them!

It was very difficult to leave this world for the moment but I felt was time to start a new and exciting chapter of my life though with some awesome people in Lamborghini Squadra Corse.”

“I would also thank all my Japanese fans out there – and I will return soon, I’m sure!

Arigatou and sayonara Japan! See you soon!”

Caldarelli, from Pescara, Italy, was part of the original Toyota Young Driver Programme (TDP) from 2007 to 2009, during which time he raced in Formula Renault 2.0 and the Formula 3 Euro Series. From 2008 to 2009, he was also a test driver for Toyota’s Formula 1 team. After their closure, Caldarelli moved on to a testing role with Scuderia Ferrari in 2010, and in 2011, he made his debut in Japan driving for Kondo Racing in Formula Nippon (now Super Formula).

In 2012, Caldarelli made his Super GT debut with Lexus Team KeePer Kraft, led by former champion driver Akira Iida. He and fellow young Toyota racer Yuji Kunimoto had their breakthrough result at the Suzuka 1000km, where they finished second – Caldarelli’s first podium in the series.

Caldarelli, along with sponsor KeePer, moved to a second Lexus Team TOM’s car in 2013, where he was then paired with Daisuke Ito, and the two scored podium finishes at Sportsland Sugo and at Fuji Speedway in the 300km race.

In 2014, Caldarelli scored his maiden Super GT victory at the Okayama GT 300km Race, a significant victory in the history of Super GT – as it was during the first race of the new 2-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine formula, which will form the basis of the “Class One” project with DTM.

With two more podiums and a 100 percent points-scoring record, Caldarelli and Ito finished 2nd in the GT500 Drivers’ Championship, two points back of Tsugio Matsuda and Ronnie Quintarelli.

For 2015, Caldarelli gained a new teammate in 21-year-old phenom Ryo Hirakawa, and the two drivers bookended the season with two thrilling victories in mixed conditions, at Okayama for the second year in a row, and at the season finale at Twin Ring Motegi. The young drivers would finish fifth in the Drivers’ Championship that year.

2016 was the year that Caldarelli moved to Lexus Team Wako’s LeMans, driving with a new title sponsor, a new co-driver in Kazuya Oshima, and a new team director in legendary former driver Juichi Wakisaka. They scored two podium finishes in the final three races of the season, and a remarkable seven top-5 finishes in eight races, to give Caldarelli his second runner-up berth in the GT500 Drivers’ Championship.

Oshima and Caldarelli had yet another championship-caliber season in 2017, where they scored four podium finishes at Okayama, the Fuji 500km, Sugo, and Chang International Circuit in Buriram, Thailand. They would go on to finish third in the GT500 Drivers’ Championship.

In 2016, Caldarelli, along with fellow Italian driver Quintarelli, began the Pray For Italy campaign, to assist in the relief efforts in Central Italy following the deadly 6.2 magnitude earthquake of August 24 which killed 299 people and left thousands more displaced from their homes.

And in 2017, Caldarelli, in his first year as a Lamborghini factory racer, helped to capture their first major sports car racing championship title in the Blancpain GT Series. He supported Mirko Bortolotti and Christian Engelhart in the Endurance Cup rounds of the season, and scored victories at Silverstone Circuit and at their home track, Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

During his six seasons in Super GT, Caldarelli took three GT500 class victories, 14 podium finishes, and 39 top-10 finishes from 48 career starts. His place at Lexus Team LeMans is expected to be taken in 2018 by FIA Formula E Championship leader Felix Rosenqvist.

On behalf of the entire Super GT fan community, we wish Andrea the absolute best in his future endeavors in motorsport.