Super Formula 2026 Teams:
Full Driver Lineup, Constructors & Championship Preview
Every team, every driver, every car number on the 2026 Super Formula championship grid โ with Honda vs Toyota engine analysis, team profiles, the Dallara SF23 technical breakdown, and a full title fight preview.
Super Formula 2026 Teams: Full Lineup, Constructors & Championship Preview
Every team, driver, engine supplier, and title contender on the 2026 Super Formula grid โ fully updated.
The Super Formula 2026 teams represent the most competitive open-wheel grid assembled in Japan in years. Twelve professional racing organisations, 24 elite drivers, and a fierce Honda versus Toyota engine war โ all playing out on circuits like Suzuka and Fuji Speedway aboard the ultra-rapid Dallara SF23 chassis. This is the fastest single-seater championship outside Formula 1, and the 2026 season grid is the most internationally significant in the series’ modern history.
This guide covers every Super Formula 2026 team in full โ constructor profiles, driver lineups, car numbers, engine affiliation, championship analysis, technical regulations, and the complete race calendar. Whether you are tracking a title contender, following a driver making the leap toward F1, or simply trying to understand how the Japanese Super Formula teams 2026 stack up against each other, everything you need is here.
Complete Super Formula 2026 Teams List
The 2026 Super Formula championship teams grid is divided exclusively between Japan’s two automotive giants. Every car runs the identical Dallara SF23 spec chassis โ but with Honda or Toyota power units competing directly against each other. This single-manufacturer-engine setup means the competition is primarily driven by team engineering, driver execution, and strategy, rather than chassis development. Below is the official Super Formula 2026 team list, divided by engine supplier.
International fans can stream every session live via the SFgo platform (official direct-to-consumer, full onboard cameras and team radio) or Motorsport.tv with English commentary. Domestic Japanese fans have full coverage on J SPORTS. For detailed broadcast schedules and streaming links, see our guide to where to watch Super Formula 2026. The complete race calendar with dates is at our Super Formula 2026 schedule page.
Super Formula 2026 Teams, Drivers & Full Grid Matrix
The Super Formula 2026 driver lineup combines defending champions, international F1-pathway talent, experienced Japanese racing veterans, and breakthrough rookies pushing for their first race victory. Every seat on this grid represents elite open-wheel competition โ there are no easy points on this Super Formula 2026 grid.
| Team | Engine | Car # | Driver | Driver Profile |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team Mugen Autobacs | Honda | 1 | Ayumu Iwasa Defending Champion | Series defending champion ยท F1 Red Bull reserve driver ยท Dominant pace at Suzuka |
| Team Mugen Autobacs | Honda | 16 | Tomoki Nojiri | Two-time Super Formula Champion ยท Veteran race-winner ยท Consistent title threat |
| Docomo Team Dandelion Racing | Honda | 5 | Tadasuke Makino | Multi-time race winner ยท GT500 class star ยท Strong technical feedback |
| Docomo Team Dandelion Racing | Honda | 6 | Kakunoshin Ohta Points Leader | Current 2026 championship leader ยท Swept both Motegi openers ยท Breakout season |
| Ponos Nakajima Racing | Honda | 64 | Ren Sato | Honda development prodigy ยท Strong pace at technical circuits |
| Ponos Nakajima Racing | Honda | 65 | Igor Omura Fraga | Esports World Champion turned professional racer ยท Fan favourite |
| Vantelin Team TOM’S | Toyota | 36 | Sho Tsuboi 2024 Champion | 2024 Super Formula champion ยท Vast racecraft ยท TOM’S cornerstone driver |
| Vantelin Team TOM’S | Toyota | 37 | Sacha Fenestraz | International open-wheel star ยท Former Formula E and WEC racer ยท Aggressive one-lap pace |
| Realize Kondo Racing | Toyota | 3 | Luke Browning | F1 junior programme driver ยท Williams academy graduate ยท Adapting quickly to SF23 |
| Realize Kondo Racing | Toyota | 4 | Ukyo Sasahara | Experienced Japanese race winner ยท Consistent points scorer |
| CerumoยทInging | Toyota | 38 | Sena Sakaguchi | Consistent points finisher ยท Strong defensive racecraft |
| CerumoยทInging | Toyota | 39 | Toshiki Oyu | Aggressive fan favourite ยท Raw qualifying pace ยท Podium dark horse every weekend |
| KCMG | Toyota | 8 | Kenta Yamashita | Veteran race winner ยท Signed from Kondo Racing ยท Raises KCMG’s ceiling immediately |
| KCMG | Toyota | 9 | Seita Nonaka | Rising Toyota development talent ยท Improving race pace round by round |
| Wecars Team Impul | Toyota | 19 | Zak O’Sullivan | Former F1 Academy graduate ยท Mercedes junior ยท Strong technical feedback ability |
| Triple Tree Racing | Honda | 10 | Juju Noda | Trailblazing female racer ยท Significant global media attention ยท Racing the #10 car |
| ThreeBond Racing | Honda | 12 | Syun Koide | Super Formula Lights champion ยท Proven race winner stepping up to the main series |
| Delightworks Racing | Honda | 22 | Nobuharu Matsushita | FIA Formula 2 race winner ยท Experienced European open-wheel background |
| B-Max Racing | Honda | 50 | Yuto Nomura | Super Formula Lights champion ยท Honda junior pipeline ยท High future potential |
| Team Goh | Toyota | 53 | Charlie Wurz | Formula 3 graduate ยท Son of Alexander Wurz ยท International pedigree |
| KDDI TGMGP TGR-DC | Toyota | 7 | Kamui Kobayashi | Ex-F1 driver ยท WEC and LMP1 legend ยท Brings enormous engineering experience |
| KDDI TGMGP TGR-DC | Toyota | 28 | Rikuto Kobayashi | Toyota development driver ยท Working alongside Kamui in the TGMGP programme |
| Navikuru Buzz MK Racing | Toyota | 97 | Roman Stanฤk | Former FIA Formula 2 competitor ยท Czech talent making the jump to Japan |
* Grid based on official 2026 Super Formula entry list. Car numbers and driver assignments confirmed at season opening. Championship points leader status as of early 2026 rounds. For the Super Formula 2026 schedule, see our dedicated calendar page.
Top Super Formula 2026 Team Profiles & Championship Analysis
When assessing the true hierarchy of the Super Formula 2026 team standings, certain operations consistently demand attention due to their infrastructure depth, championship track record, manufacturer backing, and the quality of driver pairing they’ve assembled. Here is how the top Super Formula racing teams 2026 compare heading into the summer rounds.
Kakunoshin Ohta (Docomo Team Dandelion Racing, #6) has set the paddock on fire by sweeping both opening rounds at Mobility Resort Motegi. His back-to-back victories have placed him atop the championship standings and put massive pressure on defending champion Ayumu Iwasa, who had been expected to control the early part of the season from Team Mugen. The title fight as of the summer rounds is a genuine three-way battle: Ohta, Iwasa, and Sho Tsuboi. For the complete updated standings, see our Super Formula 2026 lineup analysis.
Honda vs Toyota: The Engineering War That Defines Super Formula
The Super Formula Honda vs Toyota rivalry is not just the most intense engine war in Japanese motorsport โ it is one of the fiercest manufacturer battles in open-wheel racing anywhere in the world. This isn’t a supplier relationship. It is a profound engineering confrontation rooted in corporate pride, automotive development philosophy, and decades of direct competition. Every race weekend, every qualifying session, every sector split is another data point in an ongoing technical battle that both manufacturers track obsessively.
The circuit-by-circuit dynamic this creates is one of the most strategically fascinating elements of the Japanese Super Formula championship 2026. At Suzuka โ with its high-speed sweeping corners, the S-curves, and the brutal 130R โ the Honda’s high-RPM peak power tends to provide a fractional advantage through the fastest sectors. At Fuji Speedway โ where the extraordinary 1.5 km main straight rewards straight-line acceleration and low-end torque โ the Toyota Biz-01F gives its teams a measurable advantage on overtaking approaches.
Because the series uses a mandatory single-spec Yokohama tyre for all competitors, tyre compound behaviour becomes the third variable that interacts with both engine philosophies. The 2026 updated Yokohama compound has favoured teams โ specifically Dandelion Racing โ who adapted their Honda engine mapping to prioritise traction at corner exit over peak outright power. That adaptation is worth more than any theoretical engine advantage at circuits where rear tyre thermal degradation is the dominant strategic variable.
Both engines deploy the mandatory Overtake System (OTS) โ an increased fuel-flow rate of 100 kg/h (versus the standard 90 kg/h) available for up to 200 seconds per race, deployable in increments. How each manufacturer’s engine responds to OTS โ whether the power surge comes on smoothly or aggressively โ is a genuine differentiator in wheel-to-wheel racing situations. Toyota’s low-end torque character tends to produce a more controllable OTS deployment in heavy-braking zones, while Honda’s high-RPM character delivers more dramatic top-speed gains on medium-length straights. Understanding this explains much of the super formula 2026 race team overtaking patterns when you watch the timing data. For more on how engine power affects racing strategy, see our guide to turbo vs naturally aspirated engines.
Dallara SF23: The Car Every Super Formula 2026 Team Drives
Every Super Formula 2026 team races on the identical Dallara SF23 chassis โ a masterpiece of modern open-wheel engineering constructed partly from carbon-neutral Bcomp natural flax fibre. The use of a single spec chassis is the foundation of the championship’s competitive balance: when every team runs the same aerodynamic platform, engineering differentiation comes from engine mapping, setup philosophy, tyre strategy, and driver skill rather than chassis development spending. This makes Super Formula uniquely pure as a driver development environment โ which is exactly why F1 team principals watch it so closely.
The magic of the SF23 is in its power-to-weight ratio and its ground-effect aerodynamic philosophy. Unlike earlier Super Formula chassis that relied heavily on front and rear wing downforce, the SF23 generates a substantial portion of its cornering grip from the underbody tunnel โ which means following another car closely through high-speed corners doesn’t produce the catastrophic aerodynamic disruption it would in a more conventional design. This makes Super Formula racing noticeably cleaner and more wheel-to-wheel than many rival series at equivalent levels.
“The SF23 is remarkable โ it’s the closest thing to an F1 car’s sensation that a driver can access outside of Formula 1 itself. The data the manufacturers get from running these engines here directly feeds into their road car programmes.”
Super Formula cars are significantly faster than FIA Formula 2 machinery in overall lap performance. The advantage comes from superior aerodynamic downforce, lighter minimum weight (670 kg vs approximately 755 kg for F2), and more aggressive engine output. In a direct Suzuka circuit comparison, Super Formula lap times are typically 3โ5 seconds faster than the equivalent F2 benchmark โ making it genuinely the second-fastest category in global open-wheel racing. For those wondering about the relationship between Japanese single-seater racing and IndyCar and F1, our comparison piece covers where each series sits technically and competitively.
Super Formula 2026 Schedule & Race Calendar Overview
The Super Formula 2026 schedule is built around five of Japan’s most demanding permanent racing circuits, structured heavily around double-header race weekends that immediately punish any team arriving without a proven baseline setup. Two race results from a single weekend means engineering errors compound with brutal speed โ there is no “write off the weekend and learn” option when a double-header is on the line.
2026 Championship Preview: Who Will Win the Super Formula Title?
The 2026 Super Formula championship contenders make this one of the most unpredictable title fights in recent Japanese motorsport history. Three drivers from three different teams โ running both Honda and Toyota power โ are locked in a battle that defies the usual pre-season predictions. Understanding where each challenger has an advantage, and where they are vulnerable, is the key to following the championship through the summer and autumn rounds.
| Driver | Team | Engine | Championship Position | Key Strength | Vulnerability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kakunoshin Ohta | Dandelion | Honda | 1st (Leader) | Tyre management genius. Adapted fastest to 2026 Yokohama compound. Two wins from two starts. | First title campaign pressure. Suzuka high-speed sectors. Consistency across full season unproven. |
| Ayumu Iwasa | Team Mugen | Honda | 2nd | Defending champion. Dominant at Suzuka. F1 pedigree (Red Bull reserve). Best qualifying pace on the grid. | Slow adaptation to 2026 Yokohama compound. Early-season deficit to overcome. |
| Sho Tsuboi | TOM’S | Toyota | 3rd | 2024 champion. Exceptional racecraft. TOM’S operational excellence. Fuji Speedway specialist. | Qualifying deficit in high-downforce trim. Toyota straight-line advantage doesn’t help at Suzuka. |
| Toshiki Oyu | CerumoยทInging | Toyota | Watch | Raw, unfiltered single-lap pace. Consistent podium threat at every circuit. SUGO specialist. | Race management occasionally aggressive to a fault. Mid-team resources vs top operations. |
The Suzuka rounds will be decisive. If Ayumu Iwasa finds the form that won him the 2025 championship at high-downforce venues, he has the most complete package to accumulate points over a 12-round season. But if Kakunoshin Ohta continues to demonstrate the tyre conservation discipline he showed at Motegi โ staying in clean air, managing degradation, taking consistent points rather than gambling for victories โ he can absorb a Suzuka deficit and still win the championship at Fuji or SUGO.
The wild card is Toshiki Oyu. If CerumoยทInging resolve their qualifying deficit in the next three rounds, Oyu’s raw race pace could see him win two or three more times โ which at a 12-round championship with significant points compression, is enough to take the title. This is the scenario both Mugen and Dandelion engineers are most wary of. For full standings updates, see our Super Formula 2026 teams analysis.
The International F1 Connection
One of the most compelling reasons the global motorsport community pays attention to the Super Formula 2026 season teams is the direct pipeline to Formula 1. Drivers like Pierre Gasly, Liam Lawson, and Ayumu Iwasa have already demonstrated that a Super Formula graduate can make an immediate F1 impact. Luke Browning (Williams F1 academy, #3 at Realize Kondo Racing) and Zak O’Sullivan (Mercedes junior, #19 at Impul) are both currently using the 2026 season as an audition for a future F1 seat.
The reasoning is straightforward: if a driver can master the SF23 โ a genuinely demanding, high-downforce machine that rewards ultimate precision โ in an environment with a language barrier, a completely different racing culture, and no room for adjustment errors at circuits like SUGO, they have already proven more than most junior formulae require. F1 team principals understand this, which is why Super Formula has become the most closely watched driver development series outside Europe. For how this relationship between Japanese and international motorsport has developed historically, our piece on Mario Andretti’s career and famous race car drivers provides broader context on how the sport’s global footprint has grown.
Super Formula 2026 Teams โ FAQ
The 2026 Super Formula season is only just getting started
With elite teams, world-class drivers, and the legendary Honda vs Toyota engineering rivalry intensifying with every round, the Super Formula 2026 season is already shaping up as one of the most competitive in Japanese motorsport history. The demanding double-header calendar format leaves absolutely no room for operational errors โ consistency, strategy, and flawless tyre management are proving just as decisive as outright speed.
As the championship heads to Suzuka โ where Team Mugen typically reasserts control โ and then Fuji Speedway for the Toyota camp’s strongest venue, the title fight between Ohta, Iwasa, and Tsuboi promises to go deep into the autumn. Keep the SFgo app open, follow our Super Formula 2026 schedule page for broadcast times, and check back here at World of Speed for post-round analysis, standings updates, and team news throughout the season.
This is the fastest single-seater championship outside Formula 1. In 2026, it also has the most compelling title fight.
