Team HRC enters Super Taikyu Series 2026 from the Suzuka round in April

March 30, 2026 – Honda Racing Corporation (HRC) will enter the ST-Q class of the ENEOS Super Taikyu Series 2026 Empowered by BRIDGESTONE beginning with Round 2 at Suzuka on April 18–19.

HRC will continue to campaign the CIVIC TYPE R HRC Concept Car No.271, a race car based on the CIVIC TCR* introduced last season and further tuned by HRC. For the 2026 season, the team will focus on the following initiatives:

1) Track-based Test Development of HRC Performance Parts

HRC, together with Honda Access Corp., will continue the development of aerodynamic components such as rear wings for Car No.271.

The know-how gained through on-track competition will be fed back into the development of HRC Performance Parts for production vehicles, which were announced at Tokyo Auto Salon 2026 on January 9 and are scheduled for future commercial release under the HRC brand.

2) Demonstration Testing of Sustainable Fuels

The car will run on E20 low-carbon gasoline, containing 20% plant-derived bioethanol supplied by ENEOS Corporation.

Through operation under the demanding conditions of endurance racing, HRC will evaluate technical feedback from the use of low-carbon fuels and continue to explore more sustainable motorsport activities.

3) Engine Oils and Transmission Oils Using Plant-Derived Base Oils

Engine oils and transmission oils developed by ENEOS using bio-derived base oils will be adopted. These lubricants significantly reduce CO₂ emissions through its product life cycle, and together with sustainable fuels, will serve as part of HRC’s on-track sustainability verification program.

Race Schedule

In 2025, Team HRC competed in Rounds 5 (Autopolis), 6 (Okayama), and the final round at Fuji.

For the 2026 season, the team is scheduled to compete in the following three rounds:

• Round 2: April 18–19, Suzuka

• Round 5: July 25–26, Autopolis

• Final Round: November 14–15, Fuji Speedway

Drivers

The driver lineup for 2026 includes two continuing drivers: namely, Hiroki Otsu, who has continued to play a central role in the development of Car No.271 and Shion Tsujimoto.

To replace Yuto Nomura, who steps up this year to the All-Japan Super Formula Championship and the SUPER GT GT500 class will be Kotaro Shimbara, who earned a scholarship from the Honda Racing School Suzuka (HRS) in 2024.

By combining feedback from drivers with diverse levels of experience, HRC aims to advance the research and development of race cars and performance parts adaptable to a wide range of customers.

* TCR (Touring Car Racing) is an FIA-sanctioned touring car category featuring front-wheel-drive cars based on mass-production models, with relatively limited modification scope.

TCR series are held worldwide and have been introduced into the Super Taikyu Series in Japan.

The CIVIC TCR is a race car based on the production Civic, with more than 150 units competing globally across Japan, Europe, North America, China, and Asia.