Honda HRC PRELUDE-GT claims first win of the season with a one-two finish
Fuji SpeedwayRound 4 of the 2026 SUPER GT series was held on 1–2 August at Fuji Speedway in Shizuoka Prefecture.
Round 4 Race
With Round 3 in Malaysia cancelled, this race was held after a break of around three months since Round 2 at Fuji in May. Heavy rain began to fall as the cars assembled on the starting grid, leaving the track wet. Although the rain stopped shortly before the start, causing confusion among the teams over whether to choose dry or wet tyres, all cars ultimately started on slick tyres.
Due to the wet track, the race began behind the safety car (SC), with racing effectively getting under way on Lap 5. Shortly afterwards, #64 Modulo (Igor Omura Fraga) was hit by another car on the main straight and suffered a major crash, bringing out the red flag. Although Omura Fraga did not appear to have sustained any serious injuries, he was extricated and transported by the doctor in accordance with the regulations.
After the heavily damaged car had been removed and the circuit checked, the race resumed behind the SC at 2:15pm. When the SC withdrew and racing resumed on Lap 10, second-placed #100 STANLEY (Naoki Yamamoto) picked up the slipstream of leader #8 ARTA MUGEN (Hiroki Otsu) on the main straight, drew alongside on the outside before Turn 1 and moved into the lead.
“My timing at the restart was not very good, and he was able to pick up my slipstream. That was the sole reason we lost,” Otsu reflected.
Once in front, #100 STANLEY (Yamamoto) pushed hard and extended its advantage over #8 ARTA MUGEN to around one second. Third-starting #17 Astemo (Yuto Nomura) followed the leading pair, but began to struggle for pace after Lap 20 and gradually lost positions before pitting on Lap 24. Second-placed #8 ARTA MUGEN stopped on Lap 25, with leader #100 STANLEY pitting one lap later. Both changed tyres and drivers before returning to the track in what was effectively a one-two formation.
However, #8 ARTA MUGEN (Kakunoshin Ohta) struggled for pace and was overcut by #37 (Toyota), which delayed its stop until Lap 29, dropping Ohta to third. The softer tyre choice then began to pay off, and #8 ARTA MUGEN increased its pace from around Lap 40. Ohta closed in on #37 (Toyota) and finally passed it at Dunlop Corner on Lap 59 to move into second.
Race leader #100 STANLEY (Tadasuke Makino) built an advantage of around 10 seconds after leaving the pits, but as the track temperature dropped in the second half of the race, tyre grip decreased and his pace began to fall. Meanwhile, Ohta continued to close rapidly in #8 ARTA MUGEN and moved to within one second of #100 STANLEY on the final lap, but was unable to get close enough to challenge. #100 STANLEY took the chequered flag to claim victory.
The Honda HRC PRELUDE-GT recorded its first victory in its third race and secured a one-two finish. #17 Astemo finished fifth and #16 ARTA MUGEN ninth, with both scoring championship points.
Round 5 is scheduled to take place at Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture on 22–23 August.
I am really pleased to have secured the PRELUDE-GT’s first victory. Although I was deeply concerned about Igor, I was determined to take the lead at the restart. I knew the red flag would shorten my stint, so I wanted to find a way past #8 and hand the car over to Makino in the lead. Pitting early in a long-distance race carries risks, but this time we watched what #8 did and reacted accordingly. Thanks to the team’s decision, we were able to execute the race exactly as we had planned.
I am really pleased to have secured the PRELUDE-GT’s first victory. Although I was deeply concerned about Igor, I was determined to take the lead at the restart. I knew the red flag would shorten my stint, so I wanted to find a way past #8 and hand the car over to Makino in the lead. Pitting early in a long-distance race carries risks, but this time we watched what #8 did and reacted accordingly. Thanks to the team’s decision, we were able to execute the race exactly as we had planned.
Having been entrusted with the PRELUDE-GT’s initial shakedown, I was determined to help secure its first victory, so I am genuinely delighted. The PRELUDE-GT had struggled up to this point, but we used the nearly three-month break to review even the smallest details, and I feel that enabled everyone to deliver this result. It is a victory achieved by the whole team, including the development staff.
Looking back at the race, the tyre we chose for the second half was harder than the one fitted to #8, and as the track temperature dropped, it seemed to fall outside its operating window over the final 10 laps. It was extremely difficult. It is hard to predict how the next race will unfold, as we have not run the car at Suzuka in dry conditions; however, the car has evolved significantly, and I believe we can move things in a positive direction.
Having been entrusted with the PRELUDE-GT’s initial shakedown, I was determined to help secure its first victory, so I am genuinely delighted. The PRELUDE-GT had struggled up to this point, but we used the nearly three-month break to review even the smallest details, and I feel that enabled everyone to deliver this result. It is a victory achieved by the whole team, including the development staff.
Looking back at the race, the tyre we chose for the second half was harder than the one fitted to #8, and as the track temperature dropped, it seemed to fall outside its operating window over the final 10 laps. It was extremely difficult. It is hard to predict how the next race will unfold, as we have not run the car at Suzuka in dry conditions; however, the car has evolved significantly, and I believe we can move things in a positive direction.
During the nearly three-month break, we reviewed areas that we would not normally have time to address in the usual schedule, determined to do everything possible before Round 4. The winning #100 was able to run at the front throughout, helped by its tyre choice matching the conditions, although it struggled for pace towards the end and ultimately finished only narrowly ahead of #8. The two cars pursued victory with different strategies, including their tyre choices, so I am very pleased that they ultimately secured a one-two finish. It was the result of a solid race execution, including the pit work. However, the success weight also worked in our favour in Round 4. We will make full use of the data gathered this time as we prepare for the coming rounds.
During the nearly three-month break, we reviewed areas that we would not normally have time to address in the usual schedule, determined to do everything possible before Round 4. The winning #100 was able to run at the front throughout, helped by its tyre choice matching the conditions, although it struggled for pace towards the end and ultimately finished only narrowly ahead of #8. The two cars pursued victory with different strategies, including their tyre choices, so I am very pleased that they ultimately secured a one-two finish. It was the result of a solid race execution, including the pit work. However, the success weight also worked in our favour in Round 4. We will make full use of the data gathered this time as we prepare for the coming rounds.
GT500 Race Result
Pos. | No. | Team | Driver | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 100 | STANLEY TEAM KUNIMITSU | Naoki Yamamoto / Tadasuke Makino | 2h23'36.345 |
2 | 8 | Team HRC ARTA MUGEN | Kakunoshin Ohta / Hiroki Otsu | +0.662 |
3 | 37 | TGR TEAM Deloitte TOM’S | Ukyo Sasahara / Giuliano Alesi | +1.478 |
4 | 36 | TGR TEAM au TOM’S | Sho Tsuboi / Kenta Yamashita | +15.901 |
5 | 17 | Astemo REAL RACING | Koudai Tsukakoshi / Yuto Nomura | +21.182 |
6 | 38 | TGR TEAM KeePer CERUMO | Toshiki Oyu / Rikuto Kobayashi | +21.518 |
9 | 16 | ARTA MUGEN | Tomoki Nojiri / Ren Sato | +29.239 |
― | 64 | Modulo Nakajima Racing | Riki Okusa / Igor Omura Fraga | +62 Laps |
