The 2026 Japanese Super Formula Championship is the fifty-fourth season of premier Japanese single-seater motor racing, and the fourteenth under the moniker of Super Formula. Team Mugen driver Ayumu Iwasa entered the season as the defending series champion.
Teams and drivers All teams use identical Dallara-built SF23 chassis with either Honda or Toyota engines. Every Honda-powered car uses a Honda HR-417E engine and every Toyota-powered car uses a Toyota TRD-01F engine. All teams compete with tyres supplied by Yokohama.
Entrant Engine No. Driver name Rounds Team Mugen Autobacs Honda 1 Ayumu Iwasa1–10 16 Tomoki Nojiri1–10 Realize Kondo Racing Toyota 3 Luke Browning1–10 4 Ukyo Sasahara1–10 Navikuru Buzz MK Racing 97 Roman Staněk1–10 Docomo Team Dandelion RacingHonda5 Tadasuke Makino1–10 6 Kakunoshin Ohta1–10 KDDI TGMGP TGR-DC Toyota 7 Kamui Kobayashi1–10 28 Rikuto Kobayashi1–10 Team Goh 53 Charlie Wurz1–10 KCMG Toyota 8 Kenta Yamashita1–10 9 Seita Nonaka1–5 Giuliano Alesi6–10 Hazama Ando Triple Tree RacingHonda 10 "Juju"1–10 ThreeBond RacingHonda 12 Syun Koide1–10 NTT Docomo Business RookieToyota 14 Nirei Fukuzumi1–10 Team ImpulToyota 19 Zak O'Sullivan1–10 Delightworks RacingHonda 22 Nobuharu Matsushita1–10 Vantelin Team TOM'SToyota 36 Sho Tsuboi1–10 37 Sacha Fenestraz1–10 Sanki Vertex Partners Cerumo・Inging Toyota 38 Sena Sakaguchi1–10 39 Toshiki Oyu1–10 San-Ei Gen with B-MaxHonda 50 Yuto Nomura1–10 Ponos Nakajima RacingHonda 64 Ren Sato1–10 65 Igor Omura Fraga1–10
Team changes Super Formula Lights team Delightworks Racing joined the series. The team uses Honda engines and receives operational support from Toda Racing.
TGM Grand Prix expanded to three Toyota-powered cars, adding a single car entered under the Team Goh name which returned to Super Formula after a three-year absence.
Transport and logistics company Realize Corporation, a longtime sponsor of Kondo Racing, officially became the team's title sponsor, with the team entering as Realize Kondo Racing. Kondo Racing also expanded to three Toyota-powered cars, adding a single car sponsored by used vehicle marketplace Navikuru running under the name Navikuru Buzz MK Racing.
Automotive parts and accessories retailer Autobacs Seven officially became Team Mugen's title sponsor, with the team entering as Team Mugen Autobacs.
Driver changes Nobuharu Matsushita returned to Super Formula for the first time since 2024 with the new Delightworks Racing team after a year on the sidelines where he competed in Super GT GT500 with ARTA.
Two-time FIA World Rally Champion Kalle Rovanperä announced he would switch to single-seater racing and debut in Super Formula in 2026, before being confirmed to drive for KCMG. Ahead of the season, the team announced his withdrawal from the campaign after he was diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. KCMG's reserve driver Seita Nonaka replaced him for the first five rounds. The other KCMG car is piloted by Kenta Yamashita, who departed Kondo Racing after nine seasons. Both drivers effectively replaced Kamui Kobayashi and Nirei Fukuzumi, who moved to TGMGP TGR-DC and Rookie Racing respectively.
Following Yamashita's departure to KCMG, Zak O'Sullivan also left Kondo Racing after his rookie season to join Team Impul. That saw Kondo take on two new drivers in Williams F1 Junior Driver Luke Browning, who made his series debut after one and a half seasons in the FIA Formula 2 Championship, and Ukyo Sasahara, who returned to Super Formula after a year away from the series where he competed in Super GT GT500 with Deloitte TOM'S.
Rookie Racing signed Nirei Fukuzumi from KCMG to replace Kazuya Oshima, who retired from the series after 13 seasons of competition.
Both Oliver Rasmussen and Mitsunori Takaboshi left Team Impul after one season, with Takaboshi focusing on his Super GT GT500 efforts with NISMO. The Team recruited former Kondo Racing driver Zak O'Sullivan for his sophomore season.
TGMGP also renewed their lineup as Kazuto Kotaka, Hibiki Taira, and Seita Nonaka all left the team, with Kotaka and Taira focusing on their Super GT GT300 campaigns and Nonaka moving to KCMG. Kamui Kobayashi left KCMG after nine seasons to drive for TGMGP TGR-DC, using the number 7, the same number he has used in KCMG, and Rikuto Kobayashi made his full-time Super Formula debut with the team after two seasons in Super Formula Lights and two one-off Super Formula entries for Team Impul in 2025.
Second-generation driver Charlie Wurz made his series debut with Team Goh after two seasons in the FIA Formula 3 Championship.
Reigning Super Formula Lights champion and Honda Formula Dream Project graduate Yuto Nomura made his series debut with B-Max Racing Team. He replaced Syun Koide, who joined ThreeBond Racing to replace Atsushi Miyake, who departed after two seasons to focus on his Super GT GT500 efforts with Kondo Racing.
After 3 seasons in FIA Formula 2 Championship, Roman Staněk made his series debut for Kondo's Buzz MK Racing outfit.
Mid-season Giuliano Alesi returned to the series for the first time since he was dropped mid-way through the 2023 season, joining KCMG from round six onwards. Nonaka was demoted back to a reserve driver role, but made his final appearance in the postponed race three, which he qualified for in Autopolis.
Race calendar The provisional calendar was announced on 5 August 2025, with 12 races held across seven weekends at five venues.
Round Circuit Location Date Support bill Map of circuit locations 1 Mobility Resort Motegi Motegi, Tochigi 4 April Honda N-One Owner's CupAll Japan Road Race Championship 2 5 April – Autopolis Hita, Oita 25 April Super Formula LightsHonda N-One Owner's Cup 4 Suzuka International Racing Course Suzuka, Mie 23 May Super Formula LightsFormula Regional Japanese Championship 5 24 May 6 Fuji Speedway Oyama, Shizuoka 18 July Porsche Carrera Cup JapanKyojo Cup 319 July 7 8 Sportsland SUGO Shibata, Miyagi 9 August Porsche Carrera Cup JapanHonda N-One Owner's Cup 9 Fuji Speedway Oyama, Shizuoka 10 October Formula Regional Japanese ChampionshipKyojo Cup 10 11 October 11 Suzuka International Racing Course Suzuka, Mie 21 November Toyota Gazoo Racing Yaris Cup - Kansai 12 22 November
Calendar changes The first Suzuka race moved from March to May, with Motegi holding the season opener instead. Race three, originally scheduled to be held at Autopolis, was postponed to the first Fuji weekend after being called off due to adverse weather conditions.
Race results Round Circuit Pole Position Fastest Lap Winning Driver Winning Team 1 Mobility Resort Motegi Ayumu Iwasa Kakunoshin Ohta Kakunoshin Ohta Docomo Team Dandelion Racing 2 Kakunoshin Ohta Sena Sakaguchi Kakunoshin Ohta Docomo Team Dandelion Racing 4 Suzuka International Racing Course Ayumu Iwasa Sho Tsuboi Sacha Fenestraz Vantelin Team TOM'S 5 Nirei Fukuzumi Kamui Kobayashi Nirei Fukuzumi NTT Docomo Business Rookie 6 Fuji Speedway Zak O'Sullivan Kakunoshin Ohta Kakunoshin Ohta Docomo Team Dandelion Racing 3 Ayumu Iwasa Igor Omura Fraga Igor Omura Fraga Ponos Nakajima Racing 7 Tomoki Nojiri Tadasuke Makino Kakunoshin Ohta Docomo Team Dandelion Racing 8 Sportsland SUGO Tomoki Nojiri Igor Omura Fraga Nirei Fukuzumi NTT Docomo Business Rookie 9 Fuji Speedway 10 11 Suzuka International Racing Course 12
Season report
First half For the first time since 2020, the season opener was held at Mobility Resort Motegi, and reigning champion Ayumu Iwasa took pole position for Team Mugen ahead of Team Dandelion's Kakunoshin Ohta. The first race of the season, held in very wet conditions, was red-flagged because of rain after three laps under the safety car. An hour later, it was restarted with twelve more laps under the safety car. The race went green on lap 16, before a crash forced another safety car right away. That was withdrawn on lap 20, and Ohta made a crucial move past Iwasa to take the lead before the race's time window ended after 23 laps were completed. Ohta thereby secured victory, albeit with only half points awarded, with Iwasa second and Ren Sato heading a Nakajima Racing 3-4 after his teammate Igor Fraga overtook Yuto Nomura of B-Max during the brief green flag period.
Ohta continued his strong form in qualifying for the second race by taking pole position, while Toshiki Oyu of Inging took second. Oyu's teammate Sena Sakaguchi jumped from fifth to third at the start of the race, before an early safety car was called after an off for TGMGP's Rikuto Kobayashi. Oyu pitted on lap ten, with Sakaguchi and Ohta staying out for longer to capitalize on clean air. Both drivers were able to overcut Oyu, with Sakaguchi waiting until lap 25 to make his stop. He used his fresher tyres to close up to Ohta, but was unable to make a move for the lead. Ohta won the race to start the season with a double victory, while Oyu lost out even more when his tyres degraded. Nirei Fukuzumi, who stopped on lap 29, also overcut him to secure his Rookie Racing team's first-ever Super Formula podium in the team's seven-year competition history in third place.
The round at Autopolis was called off and postponed due to heavy rain, so the next pair of races was held at Suzuka. Iwasa claimed pole position for the first race ahead of his teammate Tomoki Nojiri. He led the opening part until a heavy crash for KCMG's Seita Nonaka caused a safety car on lap 18. Pitting under yellow saw Iwasa retain the lead ahead of Ohta, but the latter passed him at the restart. Rain then began to fall, and incidents for Fraga and Nojiri caused a second interruption. Many elected to take on wet tires, promoting TOM'S driver Sacha Fenestraz, who stayed out on slicks, into the lead. That decision would turn out to be the right one as the rain did not intensify. Fenestraz headed Delightworks Racing's Nobuharu Matsushita and teammate Sho Tsuboi on dry tires as Ohta, the highest finisher on wet tires, took seventh to keep a 20.5-point lead over Iwasa.
Fukuzumi claimed his team's maiden series pole position, and his first since 2024, in qualifying for the second race. Iwasa qualified second, but initially dropped behind multiple other cars. Fukuzumi controlled the opening stint until Iwasa made his pit stop on lap 21. Fukuzumi and Ohta followed on lap 22, before Iwasa was able to move back into second place past Ohta as the latter exited the pits. Iwasa then challenged Fukuzumi and passed him for the lead on lap 27, before Fukuzumi got back past him one lap later. Iwasa tried once again two laps later, but Fukuzumi was able to fend him off. That brought Ohta into the fight, and Iwasa had to defend his second place. With Ohta unable to make his way past Iwasa, the top three remained static. Fukuzumi took his and his team's maiden victory by 0.2 seconds as Iwasa shortened Ohta's championship advantage to 14.5 points.
Next up was the season's first weekend at Fuji Speedway, where Impul's Zak O'Sullivan mastered the wet conditions in qualifying to take his maiden pole position for the first race. He led Oyu and Kondo's Luke Browning through the first stint, while Dandelion's Tadasuke Makino and Ohta rose up from their lowly qualifying positions. Ohta pitted on lap 20, already in fourth place at that point, and when O'Sullivan pitted on lap 23, Ohta was able to use his warmed up tires to get past him into the lead. O'Sullivan was initially able to stay close to the leader, but then dropped to 1.5 seconds behind as he managed the rest of his race. Ohta took victory after starting 13th, growing his lead over Iwasa to 34.5 points after the latter qualified 22nd and was only able to score one point. Makino stopped on lap 29, but was unable to challenge the top two afterwards and finished third.