Igor Fraga appears to have escaped serious injury after his #64 Modulo Nakajima Racing Honda was launched into the air and flipped on the main straight at Fuji Speedway, in an accident that red-flagged the start of Super GT’s fourth round on Sunday.
UPDATE: Fraga shared an update on his progress on social media, confirming good medical test results and reporting that he has been released from the hospital.
The Gran Turismo world champion turned professional racer was conscious and able to communicate as rescue personnel extricated him from the wreckage, and was taken to hospital for a detailed examination as a precaution.
How the Crash Happened
Rain before the start meant the Fuji 300km got underway behind the safety car, with teams switching back to slicks as the circuit dried. The field was released on lap five, and the trouble began almost immediately as the cars accelerated down Fuji’s long start/finish straight.
Fraga, who had qualified seventh, was ahead of the #23 NISMO Nissan Z of Mitsunori Takaboshi, who under safety car rules was not permitted to pass before the control line. As Takaboshi lifted to avoid passing, Bertrand Baguette’s #12 Team Impul Nissan was moving to the right and caught the back of the #23, which was then made contact with Fraga’s Prelude-GT.
Once Fraga’s car was spun backwards at such high speed, the airflow over its reversed bodywork created lift. The Honda took off, flipped inverted, landed on its side, rolled back onto its wheels and slid to a stop, scattering debris down the straight. The race was red-flagged instantly.
The Team’s Statement
Modulo Nakajima Racing posted an update while marshals were still clearing the track, confirming that Fraga was conscious and able to communicate, that there was no apparent sign of serious injury, and that he had been sent to hospital for a thorough examination as a precaution.
The team also apologized to fans for the alarm the accident caused.
Baguette Accepts Responsibility
Stewards handed Baguette a 90-second penalty stop and a ¥200,000 fine for causing the collision, and he later picked up a separate drive-through for overtaking during the safety car restart that followed.
In a statement posted after the race, Baguette said he was relieved Fraga was okay, explained that he had been moving right when he was caught out by Takaboshi slowing to avoid passing Fraga before the line, and took the blame squarely: “The responsibility is mine: I should have left more margin before changing my line.”
He apologized to Fraga, Nakajima Racing, NISMO and his own Team Impul squad, adding that he never intended to cause a crash of that severity.
The Race Resumed
The red flag lasted a little under 34 minutes. The cars went back out behind the safety car, and green-flag racing finally got going on lap 10.
What followed was a landmark afternoon for the car Fraga drives. Naoki Yamamoto and Tadasuke Makino took the #100 Stanley Team Kunimitsu Honda to the Prelude-GT’s first GT500 victory, ending the run of wins the #36 TOM’S Toyota GR Supra had put together in the opening two rounds of the season.
For Fraga, it’s a rough end to a stretch that had been going very well.
This is his rookie season in GT500 after being promoted to Nakajima Racing’s Super GT squad for 2026, and only two weeks ago he was on the same circuit winning a Super Formula race and taking second in another to climb to third in that championship.
We’ll keep an eye on Igor’s recovery and share more news as we get it.
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