Okayama – Same again!

The trip to southern Japan hadn't changed the minds of the President and CEO of GTA, the organization that runs Super GT. Arriving at the Okayama circuit before the first Free Practice session of the 2026 season, Masaaki Bandoh had already identified the main objectives for the opening weekend of the 34th^e campaign of the Japanese Grand Touring Championship. "The key questions will be who will be able to stop the Toyota GR Supra No. 36 (Sho Tsuboi and Kenta Yamashita. Editor’s note) "From the Tom's team, three-time defending champions, and what strategies the opposing teams will adopt. It's true that the competition is becoming increasingly intense, so I think we're going to see some very exciting races." Masaaki Bandoh also mentioned the final year of competition between multiple manufacturers. In 2027, a single tire supplier will be chosen for the GT500 and GT300 classes, though its identity has not yet been revealed. Bridgestone, which supplies tires to the majority of the cars, appears to be the frontrunner, while Yokohama and Dunlop each have only one car in the GT500 class.

Toyota in force

Qualifying already showcased Toyota, but it was the Supra allocated to Toshiki Ōyu and Rikuto that really stood out. Kobayashi who were taking the lead. No panic, however, for the reigning champions, who posted the second-best time. The tests also provided reassurance regarding Honda's level of preparation, as they introduced their new model, the Prelude-GT. The Japanese coupe, driven by Koudai Tsukakoshi and Yuto Nomura, recorded the fourth fastest time.

During the race, everything fell into place. That is to say: Tsuboi and Yamashita regained their momentum! Thanks to a faster pit stop sequence, the favorites reclaimed first place, which they held until the end. This is Tom's third consecutive victory and fifth win in six years in the opening round of the Super GT! "I was disappointed with my qualification," Tsuboi analyzed. But I knew we were in good shape over long distances, so I really wanted to overtake Ōyu. Which I managed right at the start of the second leg. After that, I tried to widen the gap as much as possible… and I was able to shake off yesterday's frustration. (Laughter) » Belgian Bertrand Baguette took third place on the podium with Kazuki Hiramine (Nissan). The best Honda was that of Ren Sato and Tomoki Nojiri, who finished only sixth. There is still development work to be done at HRC.

1. S. Tsuboi / K. Yamashita (Toyota GR Supra), 82 laps in 1h54'38″677, 2. T. Oyu / R. Kobayashi (Toyota GR Supra), at 19″7, 3. K. Hiramine / B. Baguette (Nissan Z), at 22″1, 4. N. Fukuzumi / K. Oshima (Toyota GR Supra), at 31″1, 5. Y. Sekiguchi / S. Fenestraz (Toyota GR Supra), at 31″6, 6. T. Nojiri / R. Sato (Honda Prelude-GT), at 41″6, 7. N. Yamamoto / T. Makino (Honda Prelude-GT), at 57″7, 8. K. Chiyo / M. Takaboshi (Nissan Z), at 1'18″2, 9. T. Natori / A. Miyake (Honda Prelude-GT), at 1'22″4, 10. K. Tsukakoshi / Y. Nomura (Honda Prelude-GT), at 1 lap, etc.