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2026 Super GT Series
Sports car racing season in Japan
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The 2026 Super GT Series (known for sponsorship reasons as the 2026 Autobacs Super GT Series) is a motor racing championship based in Japan for grand touring cars, which is the thirty-fourth season of the Super GT series, tracing its lineage to the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship era. It is the twenty-second season for the series under the Super GT name, and the forty-fourth season of a Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) national sportscar championship, dating back to the All Japan Endurance/Sports Prototype Championship.
Sho Tsuboi & Kenta Yamashita, driving for TGR Team au TOM'S, are the defending GT500 drivers' champions. Togo Suganami & Naoya Gamou, driving for K2 R&D LEON Racing, are the defending GT300 drivers' champions.
TGR Team TOM'S drivers Sho Tsuboi and Kenta Yamashita enter the season as the defending champions of the GT500 class.
Calendar
The provisional calendar for 2026 was confirmed on 5 August 2025, which consists of eight races.[1] On 9 January 2026, the dates of the Sepang International Circuit round were shifted from 19–20 June to 20–21 June.[2] Before the first round, it was announced that the round at Sepang was cancelled due to the Middle East war and Fuel cost soaring, but later on 2 August 2026 was announced the Motegi round will have 2 races as the Sepang replacement.[3][4]
| Round | Race | Circuit | Location | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Okayama GT 300 km Race |  Okayama International Circuit |
Mimasaka, Okayama Prefecture | 11–12 April |
| 2 | Fuji GT 3 Hours Race GW Special |  Fuji Speedway |
Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture | 3–4 May |
| 3 | Fuji GT 300 km Race | 1–2 August | ||
| 4 | Suzuka GT 300 km Race |  Suzuka Circuit |
Suzuka, Mie Prefecture | 22–23 August |
| 5 | Sugo GT 300 km Race |  Sportsland Sugo |
Murata, Miyagi Prefecture | 19–20 September |
| 6 | Autopolis GT 3 Hours Race |  Autopolis |
Hita, Oita Prefecture | 17–18 October |
| 7 | Motegi GT Race 1 |  Mobility Resort Motegi |
Motegi, Tochigi Prefecture | 7–8 November |
| 8 | Motegi GT Race 2 | |||
| Cancelled Rounds | ||||
| — | Sepang GT 300 km Race |  Sepang International Circuit |
Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia | 20–21 June |
Regulation changes
On 19 October 2025, it was announced that the 2026 season would be the last with different tire manufacturers competing against one another. The series will switch to a single tire manufacturer in each class in 2027.[5]
Teams are now only permitted to use one engine per season, and the standard fuel flow rate of GT500 engines has been reduced from 95 kilogrammes per hour to 90.2 kg/h.[6]
GT500 Success Weight has been modified. Once a car accumulates over 50 kilogrammes of Success Weight, the engine fuel flow rate is reduced to 88 kg/h. When that car accumulates more than 67 kg of Success Weight, a "success refuelling restrictor" is installed in to lengthen the refuelling time during pit stops. An even smaller restrictor is installed once the car accumulates more than 84 kg of Success Weight. In addition, none of the original 50 kg of physical ballast weight is removed until the Success Weight is reduced over the final two rounds of the season.[6]
No individual can serve as both an active racing driver and as a team director simultaneously.[6]
Teams and drivers
GT500
GT500 vehicle changes
- Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) introduced the new HRC Prelude-GT as its GT500 vehicle, replacing the Civic Type R-GT after two seasons.[11][12]
GT500 entrant changes
Nissan announced its line-ups on 9 December 2025.[9]
- Two-time GT500 Champion Tsugio Matsuda retired from Super GT after 20 seasons as a Nissan GT500 driver, and 26 seasons in GT500 in total.[13] Matsuda become the new team director for NISMO, replacing Takeshi Nakajima. Atsushi Miyake transferred from NISMO NDDP to Kondo Racing, replacing Matsuda in the No. 24 car. Kondo Racing will also switch to Bridgestone tires, after competing in GT500 with Yokohama for 20 years.
- NISMO scaled down to one car from two, discontinuing the No. 3 car that had been running under the NISMO NDDP banner. Daiki Sasaki was retained by Nissan as its GT500 reserve driver.[14]
Toyota announced its driver line-ups on 19 December 2025.[10]
- TGR Team au TOM'S will revert to using the number 36 instead of the number 1 reserved for the reigning GT500 champion team.[10][15]
- TGR-DC driver Rikuto Kobayashi was promoted to GT500 with TGR Team KeePer Cerumo after two seasons in GT300. He will replace Hiroaki Ishiura, who retired from racing in GT500 after 18 seasons and will move to GT300 with Team ENEOS Rookie.[16][17]
Honda announced its driver line-ups on 23 December 2025.[18]
- The No. 8 ARTA Honda will be operated as a works team with direct support from HRC. The No. 8 car will be driven by Kakunoshin Ohta, who returns to the series after a year away, and Hiroki Otsu, who moves over from the No. 16 car. They replace Tomoki Nojiri, who will now drive the No. 16 car alongside Ren Sato, and Nobuharu Matsushita, who will drive exclusively in the Super Formula Championship for Honda customer team Delightworks Racing.
- 2025 Super Formula Lights champion and GT300 class race winner Yuto Nomura was promoted to GT500 with Real Racing, replacing Syun Koide, who will serve as Honda's GT500 reserve driver.
- Nakajima Racing Super Formula driver Igor Omura Fraga was promoted to drive the team's GT500 car after three years in GT300 with Anest Iwata Racing. Fraga replaces Takuya Izawa, who retired from the series after 17 years to become the new Team Director.[19][15]
GT300
GT300 vehicle changes
- Ferrari customer team Ponos Racing and CarGuy MKS Racing will receive the new Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo package. Velorex are expected to receive theirs during the season.[15][43]
- Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific customer team Seven x Seven Racing will receive the updated Porsche 911 GT3 R (992.2).[40]
- SHADE Racing replaced its Toyota GR86 GT300 with the Lexus RC F GT3.[26]
- R&D Sport replaced the No. 61 Subaru BRZ GT300's four-cylinder EJ20 engine with the six-cylinder EG33 engine used in the Subaru Alcyone SVX.[34]
- Anest Iwata Racing replaced its Lexus RC F with the Nissan Fairlady Z GT300.[24]
- Pacific Racing Team replaced its Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo with the BMW M4 GT3 Evo, marking the first outing in Super GT for the latest version of the M4 and bringing BMW M back to the championship for the first time since 2024.[23]
GT300 entrant changes
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- Kazuhisa Urabe was promoted to a full-time seat at Inging Motorsport, replacing apr bound Hibiki Taira.[10]
- Former Inging driver Hibiki Taira will drive the No. 30 apr Toyota GR86 GT300, which will revert to Yokohama tires after a season with Michelin. Kazuto Kotaka returns to the GT300 class to the No. 31 apr Lexus LC500h after serving as Toyota's GT500 reserve driver, replacing Oliver Rasmussen. Manabu Orido remained with the No. 30 GR86 as its third driver, and FIA Formula 3 Championship alumni Charlie Wurz will make his GT300 debut as the third driver of the No. 31 LC500h for apr, replacing Yuki Nemoto.[10]
- FIA F4 Japanese Championship graduate Ryota Horachi will make his series debut with Hoppy Team Tsuchiya, with Kimiya Sato move to Super Taikyu ST-Z class with Aoyama Gakuin Automobile Club.[28][44]
- K-tunes Racing changed tyre suppliers from Dunlop to Bridgestone.[38]
- Reigning Porsche Carrera Cup Japan champion Iori Kimura joined Kondo Racing from Team Mach. Kimura replaces last season's championship runner-up Kohei Hirate, who left Nissan and will take a year sabbatical from racing.[14][45][46]
- Team UpGarage will receive technical support from Real Racing, replacing Servus Japan. HFDP driver and F4 Japan graduate Kotaro Shimbara will make his series debut, replacing newly-promoted GT500 driver Yuto Nomura.[8][25]
- Rookie Racing expanded its presence into GT300 class by entering the No. 32 Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo. 2007 GT300 champion Hiroaki Ishiura returns to the category after 18 seasons in GT500, and reigning FIA F4 Japanese Champion Tokiya Suzuki will make his series debut.[29] The team will use Bridgestone tires.[17]
- Along with the change to the BMW M4 GT3 EVO, Pacific Racing Team changed tire suppliers from Yokohama to Michelin. Yuta Fujiwara has been promoted to a full-time driver, replacing new Sporting Director, Ryohei Sakaguchi. Rintaro Kubo returns to the series for the first time since 2020 as Pacific's third driver.[23]
- Former Formula One driver and current Lamborghini Squadra Corse factory driver Daniil Kvyat will make his series debut with JLOC.[37] Kvyat will drive the No. 88 car alongside Takashi Kogure. Yuya Motojima, who won the 2024 GT300 championship alongside Kogure, moves to the No. 87 car to drive alongside Kosuke Matsuura. Natsu Sakaguchi has been retained as a reserve driver for JLOC, joined by returning 2023 GT300 champion Kohta Kawaai.[36]
- Two-time Super Taikyu TCR champion Lee Jungwoo will make his series debut with Anest Iwata Racing, replacing newly-promoted GT500 driver Igor Fraga.[24]
- 2025 Formula Regional Japanese Champion Kiyoshi Umegaki will make his GT300 debut with CarGuy MKS Racing, replacing newly-promoted GT500 driver Rikuto Kobayashi.[10] 2024 Porsche Carrera Cup Japan champion and former LM corsa driver Reimei Ito joins the team as the third driver.[22]
- Porsche contracted driver and GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup champion Sven Müller will return to the series for the first time in eight years, joining Seven x Seven Racing. Müller replaces Harry King, who left the series to compete full-time in the IMSA SportsCar Championship with AO Racing.[41][47] Seven x Seven Racing also saw Tsubasa Kondo left to compete in GT World Challenge Asia with Porsche Centre Okazaki.[48] they signed reigning Porsche Carrera Cup Middle East champion Taichi Watarai to be their third driver.[15]
- Former BMW M Team Studie driver Niklas Krütten returns to the series after a year away, replacing Roberto Merhi at Velorex.[15]
- Ponos Racing changed tire suppliers from Dunlop to Yokohama.[31]
- Former GT World Challenge Europe and Super Taikyu Series driver James Pull will make his series debut with Nilzz Racing, replacing Yusaku Shibata.[33]
- Former Red Bull and HFDP driver Souta Arao will make his series debut with Team Mach, replacing Kondo-bound driver Iori Kimura.[21]
- Tomei Sports signed Yu Kanamaru, who competed in GT World Challenge Asia with Team 5ZIGEN, with Takayuki Aoki going the other way and Hironobu Shimizu compete in Super Taikyu ST-Z with Aoyama Gakuin Automobile Club.[14][44]
GT300 mid-season changes
- Tokiya Suzuki missed the second round after his car license was suspended.[49] He was replaced by Two time FIA WEC champion Kamui Kobayashi at Rookie Racing.[30] Hiroaki Nagai also missed the second round, as he prioritise his GT World Challenge Asia campaign. Nagai was substituted by the team's third driver Manabu Orido.[27]
- Kei Cozzolino left Ponos Racing since after the Fuji Golden Week Race. Reigning SRO Japan Cup champion Shintaro Kawabata returns to the series after 3 years and named as Cozzolino's replacement.[32] Hironobu Shimizu makes a return to Tomei Sports for the Fuji 300 km round, as he replace Yu Kanamaru for that round only. Velorex is the last team to replaced the previous Ferrari 296 GT3 to the new EVO model.[39]
Results
Drivers credited with winning Pole Position and the race's fastest lap for their respective teams are indicated in bold text.
Championship standings
Drivers' championships
- Race points
- Scoring system
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | Pole |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GT500 Points | 20 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||||
| GT300 Points | 25 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
GT500
GT300
Teams' championships
- Race points
- Scoring system
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | Lead Lap | -1 Lap | -2 Laps | -3 Laps or more |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GT500 Points | 20 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |||||
| GT300 Points | 25 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
GT500
| Rank | Team | OKA | FUJ1 | FUJ2 | SUZ | SUG | AUT | MOT1 | MOT2 | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No. 36 TGR Team au TOM'S | 11 | 11 | 41 | 57 | |||||
| 2 | No. 100 Stanley Team Kunimitsu | 71 | 81 | 11 | 36 | |||||
| 3 | No. 14 TGR Team ENEOS ROOKIE | 41 | 21 | 71 | 36 | |||||
| 4 | No. 38 TGR Team KeePer Cerumo | 21 | 133 | 61 | 27 | |||||
| 5 | No. 39 TGR Team SARD | 51 | 41 | 81 | 26 | |||||
| 6 | No. 12 Team Impul | 31 | 71 | 122 | 23 | |||||
| 7 | No. 8 Team HRC ARTA Mugen | 112 | 112 | 21 | 22 | |||||
| 8 | No. 16 ARTA Mugen | 61 | 51 | 91 | 22 | |||||
| 9 | No. 23 NISMO | 81 | 31 | Ret | 20 | |||||
| 10 | No. 17 Astemo Real Racing | 102 | 92 | 51 | 16 | |||||
| 11 | No. 24 Kondo Racing | 91 | 61 | 111 | 16 | |||||
| 12 | No. 37 TGR Team Deloitte TOM'S | 143 | Ret | 31 | 15 | |||||
| 13 | No. 19 TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh | 122 | 102 | 101 | 9 | |||||
| 14 | No. 64 Modulo Nakajima Racing | 132 | 123 | Ret | 3 | |||||
| Rank | Team | OKA | FUJ1 | FUJ2 | SUZ | SUG | AUT | MOT1 | MOT2 | Points |
GT300
| Rank | Team | OKA | FUJ1 | FUJ2 | SUZ | SUG | AUT | MOT1 | MOT2 | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No. 52 Saitama Green Brave | 81 | 91 | 11 | 49 | |||||
| 2 | No. 2 Hyper Water Racing Inging | 21 | 51 | 71 | 49 | |||||
| 3 | No. 56 Kondo Racing | 141 | 11 | 51 | 47 | |||||
| 4 | No. 65 K2 R&D LEON Racing | 51 | 21 | 101 | 46 | |||||
| 5 | No. 777 D'station Racing | 11 | 71 | 241 | 43 | |||||
| 6 | No. 31 apr | 31 | 31 | 141 | 43 | |||||
| 7 | No. 32 Team ENEOS Rookie | 161 | 61 | 21 | 39 | |||||
| 8 | No. 666 Seven x Seven Racing | 121 | 41 | 61 | 36 | |||||
| 9 | No. 4 Goodsmile Racing & TeamUKYO | 41 | 81 | 131 | 33 | |||||
| 10 | No. 7 CarGuy MKS Racing | 131 | 112 | 31 | 32 | |||||
| 11 | No. 96 K-tunes Racing | 71 | 102 | 151 | 24 | |||||
| 12 | No. 6 Velorex | 91 | 233 | 91 | 21 | |||||
| 13 | No. 60 LM corsa | 101 | 162 | 111 | 19 | |||||
| 14 | No. 45 Ponos Racing | 202 | Ret | 41 | 18 | |||||
| 15 | No. 62 HELM Motorsports | 242 | 132 | 81 | 18 | |||||
| 16 | No. 88 JLOC | 61 | 243 | 171 | 17 | |||||
| 17 | No. 5 Team Mach | 111 | 253 | 221 | 12 | |||||
| 18 | No. 87 JLOC | 151 | 122 | 252 | 12 | |||||
| 19 | No. 18 Team UpGarage | 181 | 283 | 121 | 11 | |||||
| 20 | No. 11 GAINER | 191 | 142 | 191 | 10 | |||||
| 21 | No. 48 Nilzz Racing | 293 | 152 | 231 | 7 | |||||
| 22 | No. 61 R&D Sport | 171 | 273 | 282 | 6 | |||||
| 23 | No. 9 Pacific Racing Team | 232 | 223 | 161 | 6 | |||||
| 24 | No. 25 Hoppy Team Tsuchiya | 273 | 172 | 201 | 6 | |||||
| 25 | No. 30 apr | 222 | 213 | 211 | 6 | |||||
| 26 | No. 360 Tomei Sports | 263 | 193 | 181 | 5 | |||||
| 27 | No. 22 R'Qs Motor Sports | 252 | 203 | 272 | 5 | |||||
| 28 | No. 20 SHADE Racing | 283 | 183 | 262 | 4 | |||||
| 29 | No. 26 Anest Iwata Racing | 212 | 263 | 293 | 4 | |||||
| Rank | Team | OKA | FUJ1 | FUJ2 | SUZ | SUG | AUT | MOT1 | MOT2 | Points |
Notes
- Kvyat is a Russian driver competing under Italian license, as Russian national emblems were banned by the FIA following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
- Haruki Kurosawa did not participate in qualifying & not run during the race as a third driver and were ineligible for championship points.