Super GT - Super GT Round 4

Super GT Round 4 takes place at Fuji International Speedway in Japan during the 2026 season. This race marks the second visit to Fuji Speedway in the 2026 calendar. The event features a 300km race where GT500 and GT300 class cars compete together on the same track. Fuji International Speedway stands at the foothills of Mount Fuji in Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture, approximately 100km southeast of Tokyo.

Race Format and Structure

The 2026 Super GT series includes seven rounds across Japan. Each car has two drivers who share driving duties throughout the race. No single driver can drive more than two-thirds of the race distance. The series uses a rolling start, where cars follow a safety car in qualifying order before the green flag waves. Points go to the pole-sitter in each class. Annual rankings are determined by total points across all rounds for GT500, while GT300 uses the top seven results.

The Circuit

Fuji International Speedway spans 4.563 kilometers and features 16 turns. The current Grand Prix layout was designed by Hermann Tilke and reopened in 2005. The main straight stretches approximately 1.475 kilometers, making it one of the longest straights in international motorsport. GT500 cars reach speeds of around 270-280 km/h before heavy braking into Turn 1.

The track sits at an elevation of roughly 550 meters above sea level. This elevation contributes to rapidly changing weather conditions during race events. The facility holds an FIA Grade 1 license, which means it can host Formula 1 races. Access from central Tokyo takes about 90 minutes via the Tomei Expressway.

GT500 Class Entries

The GT500 class represents the premier category in Super GT. Three Japanese manufacturers compete: Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. All teams receive manufacturer support.

Toyota Teams

TGR Team au TOM'S fields the #36 car with defending champions Sho Tsuboi and Kenta Yamashita. TGR Team KeePer Cerumo runs the #38 car with Rikuto Kobayashi, promoted from GT300, and Toshiki Oyu. ENEOS ROOKIE continues with the #14 entry driven by Nirei Fukuzumi and Kazuya Oshima. Racing Project Bandoh maintains their lineup with Yuji Kunimoto and Sena Sakaguchi in the #19 car. Team SARD fields the #39 car with Yuhi Sekiguchi and Sacha Fenestraz.

Honda Teams

Honda has implemented significant driver changes for 2026. Kakunoshin Ohta returns to Super GT to drive the #8 ARTA Mugen with Hiroki Otsu. Tomoki Nojiri moves to the #16 ARTA Mugen with Ren Sato. Igor Omura Fraga joins #64 Nakajima Racing. Yuto Nomura joins #17 Real Racing Honda. The new Honda Prelude GT replaces the previous machinery across all Honda entries.

Nissan Teams

Nissan enters three Z NISMO GT500 cars from Team Impul, NISMO, and Kondo Racing. Tsugio Matsuda transitions from driver to Team Director for NISMO. Atsushi Miyake moves to #24 Kondo Racing, partnering Teppei Natori. Katsumasa Chiyo and Mitsunori Takaboshi continue with #23 NISMO. Kazuki Hiramine and Bertrand Baguette remain with #12 Team Impul.

GT300 Class Entries

The GT300 class features diverse manufacturers and cars built to three different technical regulations: FIA GT3, Japan's GTA-GT300 regulations, and the Mother Chassis platform. Togo Suganami and Naoya Gamou from K2 R&D LEON Racing are the defending GT300 champions.

D'station Racing continues with Tomonobu Fujii and Charlie Fagg in the #777 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO. Velorex fields Niklas Krütten and Yoshiaki Katayama in the #6 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo. PONOS Racing retains Kei Cozzolino and Takuro Shinohara in the #45 Ferrari but switches tire suppliers to Yokohama. Team Eneos ROOKIE joins the grid with the #32 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, driven by Hiroaki Ishiura and rookie Tokiya Suzuki. JLOC's Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO2s include Daniil Kvyat as one driver.

Technical Specifications

GT500 Regulations

GT500 cars are silhouette racing cars with purpose-built carbon fiber monocoques. They use single-turbocharged, inline four-cylinder engines with 2.0 liters of displacement. These engines produce over 650 horsepower. For 2026, GT500 cars are limited to using one engine per season. A five-second stop penalty is imposed for each engine change. The standard fuel flow rate for GT500 engines has been reduced from 95 kg/h to 90.2 kg/h.

The success weight system balances performance across the field. Cars receive ballast based on points scored in previous races at 2 kg per point. For 2026, the GT500 success weight system has been modified. Once a car accumulates over 50 kg of success weight, the engine fuel flow rate is further reduced to 88 kg/h. Beyond 67 kg of nominal success weight, a success refuelling restrictor is introduced to lengthen pit stop times, with a further reduction at 84 kg. For the penultimate round, success weight is halved. It is eliminated entirely for the final race.

GT300 Regulations

The GT300 class combines FIA GT3 cars, cars built to Japan's GTA-GT300 regulations, and Mother Chassis cars. The Mother Chassis platform provides teams with a standard carbon fiber monocoque, a 4.5-liter V8 engine, and common components. GT300 also uses refueling restrictors above a certain success weight threshold.

Tire Competition

Super GT features competition between tire manufacturers. Bridgestone, Yokohama, Dunlop, and Michelin supply tires to various teams. This competition leads to continuous development and increased speeds throughout the season.

Series History

Super GT began in 1993 as the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC). The series was rebranded to Super GT in 2005. Fuji International Speedway has been a consistent fixture on the Super GT calendar since 1993, with the exception of 2004 when the circuit was closed for renovations.

The Golden Week race at Fuji Speedway, traditionally held on May 4th, is considered the series' most prestigious event. This race regularly attracts large crowds. The event was historically run as the Fuji GT 500 km Race, though formats have varied over the years.

Notable Circuit Facts

Fuji Speedway was originally conceived as an American-style superspeedway but was completed as a road course, opening in January 1966. The facility hosted the first-ever Formula One race in Japan in 1976, which featured a dramatic World Championship battle between James Hunt and Niki Lauda. After an absence of nearly 30 years, F1 returned to Fuji in 2007 and 2008.

Toyota Motor Corporation has owned Fuji Speedway since 2000. The track holds the distinction of being the first racetrack to be featured in a video game, appearing in Pole Position in 1982. It has also been featured in numerous Gran Turismo titles.

What Makes Super GT Compelling

The mixed-class format creates frequent overtaking opportunities. GT500 and GT300 cars race together, producing varied battles throughout the field. The series annually draws approximately 400,000 spectators across all rounds. Super GT attracts elite drivers from Japan and international talents. Many drivers have competed in or gone on to Formula 1 and World Endurance Championship.

The combination of manufacturer competition, technical regulations, and driver talent creates close racing at Fuji International Speedway. The success weight system ensures that performance remains balanced throughout the season. This race promises competitive action across both classes on one of Japan's premier racing circuits.