2026 Super GT Series
The 2026 Autobacs Super GT Series is a planned motor racing championship based in Japan for grand touring cars. The series is sanctioned by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) and run by the GT Association (GTA). It will be the thirty-fourth season of the JAF Super GT Championship, which includes the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship era, the twenty-second season under the Super GT name, and the forty-fourth overall season of a JAF national sportscar championship, dating back to the All Japan Endurance/Sports Prototype Championship.
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]
| Round | Circuit | Location | Dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Okayama International Circuit | Mimasaka, Okayama Prefecture | 11–12 April |
| 2 | Fuji Speedway | Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture | 3–4 May |
| 3 | Sepang International Circuit | Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia | 19–20 June |
| 4 | Fuji Speedway | Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture | 1–2 August |
| 5 | Suzuka Circuit | Suzuka, Mie Prefecture | 22–23 August |
| 6 | Sportsland Sugo | Murata, Miyagi Prefecture | 19–20 September |
| 7 | Autopolis | Hita, Oita Prefecture | 17–18 October |
| 8 | Mobility Resort Motegi | Motegi, Tochigi Prefecture | 7–8 November |
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.[2]
Teams and drivers
GT500
GT500 vehicle changes
- Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) introduced the new Prelude GT, replacing the Civic Type R-GT after two seasons.[6][7]
GT500 entrant changes
Nissan announced its line-ups on 9 December 2025.[4]
- 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.[8] Matsuda become the new team director for NISMO, replacing Takeshi Nakajima.
- NISMO scaled down to one car from two, eliminating the No. 3 car that had been running under the NISMO NDDP banner. Former NISMO NDDP driver Daiki Sasaki was also dropped from Nissan's GT500 driver roster.
- Atsushi Miyake transferred from NISMO NDDP to Kondo Racing, replacing Matsuda in the No. 24 car.
Toyota announced its driver line-ups on 19 December 2025.[5]
- TGR-DC driver Rikuto Kobayashi was promoted to GT500 with TGR Team KeePer Cerumo after two seasons in GT300. He replaced Hiroaki Ishiura, who retired from racing in GT500 after 18 seasons.[9]
Honda announced its driver line-ups on 23 December 2025.[3]
- ARTA car no. 8 will be operated with the backing of Team HRC. Nobuharu Matsushita left ARTA after two years with the team to compete in Super Formula with Delightworks Racing, Kakunoshin Ohta returns to the series after a year away to be Matsushita's replacement. Hiroki Otsu will move to the no. 8 car, with Tomoki Nojiri move to the no. 16 car.
- 2026 Super Formula Lights champion Yuto Nomura was promoted to GT500 with Real Racing, as Syun Koide left to become Honda's full-time GT500 reserve driver.
- Nakajima Racing driver Takuya Izawa retired from GT500 racing after 17 seasons. The team signed it's Super Formula driver Igor Fraga after three years in GT300 with Anest Iwata Racing.[10]
GT300
Vehicle changes
- Ferrari customer teams Velorex, CarGuy MKS Racing, and Ponos Racing will receive the new Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo package.[12]
- Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific customer team Seven x Seven Racing will receive the updated 992.2 Porsche 911 GT3 R.[12]
Entrant changes
- Last season's runner-up Kohei Hirate left Kondo Racing and Nissan.[14]
- Harry King left Seven x Seven Racing and the series to compete full-time in the IMSA SportsCar Championship with AO Racing.[15]
- 2025 Formula Regional Japan Champion Kiyoshi Umegaki will make his GT300 debut with CarGuy MKS Racing, replacing GT500 bound Rikuto Kobayashi.[5]
- The No. 30 apr will revert to Yokohama Tires after a season with Michelin tires. Kazuto Kotaka and Hibiki Taira returned to apr. Kotaka returned to drive the No. 31 Lexus LC500h after serving as Toyota's GT500 reserve driver, replacing Oliver Rasmussen. Taira returned to drive the No. 30 Toyota GR86 GT300 after three seasons at Inging. Manabu Orido remained with the No. 31 apr team as its third driver, and Charlie Wurz will make his GT500 debut as the third driver of the No. 31 Lexus LC500h for apr replacing Yuki Nemoto, after two seasons in the FIA Formula 3 Championship.[5]
- Kazuhisa Urabe was promoted to a full-time seat at Inging Motorsport, replacing Hibiki Taira.[5]
- Reigning FIA F4 Japan Champion Tokiya Suzuki will make his GT300 debut with a team to be named later.[5]
- Yuto Nomura left Team UpGarage, as he promoted to GT500 with Real Racing.[3]
- Igor Fraga left Anest Iwata Racing, as he promoted to GT500 with Nakajima Racing.[3]
References
- ^ Klein, Jamie (5 August 2025). "Largely Unchanged 2026 Calendar Revealed". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
- ^ Thukral, Rachit (19 October 2025). "Super GT's long-running tyre war to end after 2026". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 19 October 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Klein, Jamie (23 December 2025). "Honda Reveals GT500 Roster, ARTA Gains Works Status". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Nissan/NMC announces 2026 Super GT GT500 team lineups". Nismo. 9 December 2025. Retrieved 9 December 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Presents its 2026 motorsport team setups in Japan". Toyota Gazoo Racing. 19 December 2025. Retrieved 19 December 2025.
- ^ Klein, Jamie (30 September 2025). "Honda Reveals Prelude GT500 Car for 2026". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
- ^ Thukral, Rachit (30 September 2025). "Honda reveals new Prelude GT500 challenger for 2026 Super GT season". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 30 September 2025.
- ^ "Tsugio Matsuda to retire from SUPER GT after 2025 season". NISMO. Nissan. 23 October 2025. Retrieved 23 October 2025.
- ^ O'Connell, RJ (25 July 2025). "Hiroaki Ishiura Announces SUPER GT GT500 Retirement". Dailysportscar. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
- ^ Klein, Jamie (21 August 2025). "Honda Veteran Izawa Calls Time on GT500 Career". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 21 August 2025.
- ^ Klein, Jamie (13 December 2025). "Goodsmile Racing Switches Service Provider". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g Klein, Jamie (4 December 2025). "Ferrari, Porsche GT300 Teams Set for Evo Upgrades". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 4 December 2025.
- ^ "スーパーGTに参戦中のPACIFIC RACING TEAMが、チームスタッフ＆2026レースアンバサダーを募集". Auto Sport Web. 20 October 2025. Retrieved 20 October 2025.
- ^ Klein, Jamie (3 November 2025). "Hirate Parts Ways With Nissan After Title Near-Miss". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ^ Dagys, John (November 26, 2025). "Tandy Moves to AO in All-New Full Season GTD Pro Lineup". Sportscar365. John Dagys Media. Retrieved November 26, 2025.