2026 | FRJC | Round 1 | Suzuka | Miura and Horachi share top honours in season opener

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The 2026 season of the Formula Regional Japanese Championship (FRJC) burst into life at Suzuka Circuit with record-breaking pace, fierce wheel-to-wheel battles and a split of victories between Yuuki Miura and Ryota Horachi.

Across three races and two qualifying sessions, six drivers reached the overall podium, underlining the depth of competition in the seventh campaign of Japan’s premier regional single-seater category.

2026 FRJC Round 1 (Suzuka): Qualifying: Records tumble as Komatsu and Horachi claim poles

Friday morning’s action immediately delivered drama. In Official Qualifying 1, which set the grids for Races 1 and 3, Miura initially led the way before a red flag interrupted proceedings when Paul Wong spun at the hairpin. The stoppage proved costly for Horachi, who had just set the fastest opening sector.

With only one timed lap remaining after the restart, Hibiki Komatsu produced a superb effort. Despite minor mistakes at NIPPO Corner and Spoon Curve, he stopped the clock at 1:54.909 to break the course record and secure Race 1 pole. Horachi qualified second, 0.343 seconds behind, while Miura placed third.

The second-best times from that session handed Race 3 pole to 18-year-old Miura ahead of Masana Muto and Rio Shimono.

Official Qualifying 2 then determined the Race 2 grid. Komatsu briefly held provisional pole before Horachi responded emphatically, setting fastest sectors throughout to lower the benchmark to 1:54.389. Miura pushed hard but fell just 0.064 seconds short, with Komatsu third.

In the Master Class, Masayuki Ueda topped Q1, but Akita struck back in Q2 to secure class pole for Race 2.

2026 FRJC Round 1 (Suzuka): Race 1: Miura withstands late charge to open campaign with a win

Miura wasted no time converting opportunity into advantage. Starting from the second row, he launched brilliantly and swept into the lead at Turn 1, knowing overtaking would prove difficult around Suzuka’s flowing layout.

Horachi initially slipped to fourth but recovered swiftly. He passed Komatsu before diving inside Muto at the chicane on lap three to claim second. Although Miura led by over three seconds at that stage, Horachi began to close rapidly.

By lap nine, the gap had shrunk to less than half a second. The pair ran nose-to-tail in a tense closing sequence. However, a rear-end slide for Horachi through the Esses on lap 10 handed Miura vital breathing room.

Despite renewed pressure on the final lap, Miura defended decisively through the chicane and crossed the line just 0.083 seconds ahead to claim his first win of the season. Horachi settled for second, while Muto completed the podium.

In Masters, Akita seized the class lead late on to secure victory.

Standings: Race 1

Yuzuki Miura #37
Ryota Horachi #45
Masana Muto #38
Hibiki Komatsu #10
Kento Omiya #54
Lin Chenghua #48
Li Xuanyu #88
Rio Shimono #86
Akita #44
Yutaka Toriba #13
Hideaki Irie #46
Masayuki Ueda #11
Yuki #18
Yugo #23
Wong Paul #36

DNS: Shoichiro Akamatsu #40

2026 FRJC Round 1 (Suzuka): Race 2: Horachi answers with pole-to-win driver

Horachi responded immediately on Saturday morning. Starting from pole, he held firm at Turn 1 as Miura slotted in behind. The leading duo quickly distanced themselves from the pack, while Komatsu moved into third after passing Muto.

Miura, running on new tyres, applied sustained pressure throughout the 12-lap contest. At times he appeared poised to attack, particularly through the West Course, yet Horachi managed his pace intelligently on used rubber. He balanced defence with tyre preservation and maintained track position through the faster East Course section.

Although Miura remained within a second for much of the race, he never found a decisive opportunity. Horachi therefore completed a controlled pole-to-win performance to secure his first victory of the campaign. Miura finished second, with Komatsu third.

Akita added a second consecutive Master Class triumph, reinforcing his early dominance.

Standings: Race 2

Ryota Horachi #45
Yuzuki Miura #37
Hibiki Komatsu #10
Masana Muto #38
Kento Omiya #54
Lin Chenghua #48
Akita #44
Rio Shimono #86
Li Xuanyu #88
Masayuki Udea #11
Hideaki Irie #46
Yuki #18
Yutaka Toriba #13
Yugo #23
Wong Paul #36

DNF: Shoichiro Akamatsu #40

2026 FRJC Round 1 (Suzuka): Race 3: Miura overcomes late scare to end the weekend on a high

Race 3 delivered further twists. Miura launched cleanly from pole, while front-row starter Muto stalled and dropped down the order. Kento Omiya capitalised to move into second, followed by Shimono and Lin Chenghua.

Miura quickly built a rhythm at the front, stretching his advantage beyond three seconds by mid-distance. Meanwhile, Lin overtook Shimono for third, and Horachi climbed to fourth but could not close on the podium battle.

In the closing laps, Miura encountered minor gear-shifting difficulties, allowing Omiya to reduce the deficit. Nevertheless, Miura managed the situation calmly and secured victory by 1.426 seconds.

Omiya claimed second, while Lin celebrated his maiden single-seater podium in third. Further back, Muto recovered to salvage points.

Akita once again dominated the Master Class, charging from 10th overall to complete a clean sweep of category wins.

Standings: Race 3

Yuzuki Miura #37
Kento Omiya #54
Lin Chenghua #48
Ryota Horachi #45
Masana Muto #38
Hibiki Komatsu #10
Rio Shimono #86
Li Xuanyu #88
Akita #44
Yutaka Toriba #13
Hideaki Irie #46
Yuki #18
Shoichiro Akamatsu #40
Yugo #23

DNF: Masayuki Udea #11
DNS: Wong Paul #36

The 2026 FRJC picture after Round 1 in Suzuka

After a dramatic opening weekend at Suzuka Circuit, the title picture in the Formula Regional Japanese Championship has already taken shape.

Yuzuki Miura (#37) heads the Drivers’ Championship with 68 points following two victories and a second-place finish. Crucially, his consistency gives him a 13-point cushion over Ryota Horachi (#45), who sits on 55 points after converting pole into victory in Race 2.

Behind them, Kento Omiya (#54) holds third with 38 points, narrowly ahead of Masana Muto (#38) on 37. Hibiki Komatsu (#10) remains firmly in contention on 35 points, while Lin Chenghua (#48) has impressed early on with 31 points, boosted by his maiden podium. Rio Shimono (#86) and Li Xuanyu (#88) complete the top eight, as Masters contender Akita (#44) rounds out the top nine overall. Yutaka Toriba (#13) and Masayuki Ueda (#11) have also opened their accounts, while several drivers are yet to score.

In the Masters’ Championship, Akita dominates with a maximum 75 points after sweeping all three class wins. Toriba follows on 46, just ahead of Hideaki Irie on 45, ensuring that the category battle remains tightly packed behind the leader.

The Teams’ Championship, where only the highest-finishing driver scores per squad, sees TOM’s TGR-DC lead with 68 points. Ponos Racing stays close on 61, while Rn-sports and Ragno Motor Sports hold third and fourth respectively. With margins still narrow and five further events to come, the early momentum could prove decisive as the season unfolds.