Japanese F4 enters its 12th season with one of the most expansive grids in junior single-seater racing. A total of 54 drivers will compete across two distinct classes, which immediately highlights the championship’s accessibility and depth.
At the same time, the series continues to act as a critical development platform within Japan’s motorsport ladder. Manufacturer support remains central, with both Honda and Toyota backing young drivers through structured programmes. Notably, every champion in the series’ history has emerged from one of these pipelines, which places additional emphasis on junior talent development.
However, the grid also reflects the grassroots nature of the championship. Alongside teenage rookies, experienced gentleman drivers continue to compete in the Independent Class. As a result, Japanese F4 offers a unique blend of elite development and inclusive competition.
Technical package: consistency over change for the 2026 Japanese F4 Championship
Japanese F4 continues with its second-generation technical package, which the series introduced in 2024. The combination of the Toray Carbon Magic MCSC-24 chassis and TOM’S TMA43 engine provides a controlled and balanced platform.
This stability allows teams to refine setups and focus on driver development rather than adapting to new machinery. In addition, the standardised package ensures close racing, as performance differences between cars remain minimal.
Consequently, results often depend on driver precision, tyre management and racecraft rather than outright technical advantage. This environment makes the championship an effective training ground for higher categories such as Super Formula Lights and Super Formula.
A look back at 2025
The 2025 season delivered one of the most dramatic title battles in recent memory. Itsuki Sato emerged as a surprise contender and led the championship for the majority of the year, threatening to break the long-standing dominance of manufacturer-backed drivers.
However, the final round at Motegi dramatically altered the outcome. Mechanical issues and on-track contact with rival Tokiya Suzuki disrupted Sato’s campaign. A subsequent penalty added further controversy, ultimately allowing Suzuki to secure the title.
As a result, the streak of manufacturer-backed champions continued. Nevertheless, the events of 2025 demonstrated that independent teams can challenge at the highest level, which adds intrigue heading into 2026.
The 2026 Japanese F4 calendar
The calendar keeps its seven-round structure, giving drivers a familiar rhythm across the season. However, it also introduces one important change, as Okayama returns to the schedule for the first time since 2019. Its return adds extra variety and gives the field another technical circuit to master.
- Round 1: Fuji Speedway (1–4 May)
- Round 2: Okayama International Circuit (11–14 June)
- Round 3: Fuji Speedway (29 June–2 August)
- Round 4: Suzuka Circuit (20–23 August)
- Round 5: Sportsland Sugo (17–20 September)
- Round 6: Autopolis (15–18 October)
- Round 7: Mobility Resort Motegi (5–8 November)
Fuji remains central to the championship, with two visits across the season. Meanwhile, rounds at Suzuka, Sugo, Autopolis and Motegi ensure that drivers face a broad mix of high-speed corners, elevation changes and technical braking zones.
Additionally, most rounds continue to support Super GT, which gives young drivers valuable exposure in front of major national crowds. However, the Okayama round supports Super Formula Lights instead, placing Japanese F4 alongside another key rung on Japan’s single-seater ladder.
Format and race structure
Japanese F4 keeps its distinctive two-class system, separating drivers by experience and career profile.
- Champion Class: focuses on young, developing drivers
- Independent Class: caters to gentleman drivers and experienced amateurs
Each race weekend follows a consistent structure:
- Three practice sessions across Thursday and Friday
- One qualifying session per class
- Two races per class
Qualifying determines both race grids:
- Fastest lap sets the grid for Race 1
- Second-fastest lap sets the grid for Race 2
In recent seasons, the championship has tested class-separated races. That approach continues in 2026, giving each class clearer battles and reducing traffic between drivers with different objectives.
Point system
Japanese F4 uses the standard FIA points system:
- 1st: 25 points
- 2nd: 18 points
- 3rd: 15 points
- 4th: 12 points
- 5th: 10 points
- 6th: 8 points
- 7th: 6 points
- 8th: 4 points
- 9th: 2 points
- 10th: 1 point
Importantly, the series awards no bonus points for pole position or fastest lap. Therefore, drivers must convert qualifying pace into race results and score consistently across both races.
Where to watch the 2026 Japanese F4 Championship
Fans can watch every race live on the championship’s official YouTube channel. Live timing is available through the Super GT Live Timing app, although access may vary outside Japan.
Teams and drivers set to feature at the 2026 Japanese F4 Championship
The 2026 Japanese F4 grid features more than 20 teams, which creates one of the most varied entry lists in junior single-seater racing. While most competitors are Japanese, the field also includes international drivers from South Korea, China and Japan-based overseas backgrounds.
The championship also spans an extraordinary age range. Teenage rookies share the grid with long-time Independent Class racers in their 60s and even 70s, which gives Japanese F4 a distinctive mix of youth development and grassroots competition.
Kageyama Racing
The reigning teams’ champions return after becoming the first non-Honda or Toyota-backed outfit to win the teams’ title. However, they must defend that success without 2025 title contender Itsuki Sato.
- Ryusho Nakazato (#15) – Nakazato returns after joining Kageyama from the second round last season. He finished 27th overall with a best result of 14th, so he now targets regular progress across a full campaign. He also gained winter mileage in UAE4 with Pinnacle Motorsport, which should help sharpen his race preparation.
- Ryo Shirasaki (#16) – Shirasaki enters as Kageyama’s leading title hope. He won three races last year and finished third in the drivers’ standings, playing a major role in the team’s championship success. With two full seasons already behind him, he brings experience, pace and proven race-winning ability.
- Yuta Suzuki (#17) – Suzuki replaces Sato in the team’s Champion Class line-up. He made his F4 debut in the Middle East before contesting Japanese F4 with Drago Corse, where he finished 17th with a best result of seventh. As the 2024 GPR Karting Series shifter champion, he brings strong karting pedigree and aims to move further up the field.
- Yutaka Toriba (#18, Independent Class) – Toriba gives Kageyama a strong Independent Class entry. The 62-year-old won the class in 2022 and also claimed the Formula Regional Japan masters’ title last year. He remains active across modern and historic racing, including appearances in a Williams FW07C F1 car.
TGR-DC Racing School
Toyota’s junior team remains one of the championship’s most powerful operations. Eight of the first 11 Japanese F4 champions came through TGR-DC Racing School or its predecessor TOM’S Spirit, so expectations remain high.
- Yuzuki Miura (#28) – Miura returns for his second Japanese F4 season after finishing 12th last year with one podium. He also races in Formula Regional Japan with TOM’S and has already taken two wins from the opening round. That extra experience gives him strong momentum heading into 2026.
- Masana Muto (#29) – Muto also enters his second season after finishing 15th last year and scoring a podium. He joins Miura in Formula Regional Japan, where he has already claimed a podium. Therefore, he brings both familiarity with Japanese F4 and added experience from higher-powered machinery.
- Ryo Sakai (#35) – Sakai joins as a Toyota junior after winning the 2024 GPR karting OK title. He already has single-seater experience from the F110 Cup, where he finished second overall with one win. As a result, he enters Japanese F4 with more preparation than many rookies.
- Masaki Hamabe (#36) – Hamabe makes his Japanese F4 debut with three years of Super FJ experience behind him. He finished ninth in the Super FJ Japan League standings last year, which gives him useful racecraft before stepping into F4.
- Buntaro Igarashi (#37) – Igarashi also arrives with Super FJ experience after competing with Drago Corse. He previously won the JAF Regional Karting Championship Motegi FS-125 class and finished fifth in the All-Japan Karting Championship OK class, giving him a strong technical foundation.
- Tomoki Terashima (#38) – Terashima is TGR’s only true single-seater debutant. He last raced in the Rotax Asia Trophy and won an all-Japan karting series in 2024. Although he faces the steepest learning curve in the team, his karting background makes him a promising long-term prospect.
B-Max Racing Team
B-Max enters with two branches: B-Max Engineering and HFDP with B-Max Racing Team. The Honda-linked operation combines young manufacturer-backed talent with Independent Class experience.
- Haruto Nakai (#42) – Nakai switches from Helm Motorsports after finishing 20th in Japanese F4 last year. He showed stronger form in the F110 Cup, finishing third overall with one win. Therefore, he arrives at B-Max with both championship experience and recent race-winning confidence.
- Ryoki Minoura (#43) – Minoura steps up from Super FJ for his first Japanese F4 season. He previously won the JAF regional karting Suzuka championship and finished third in the All-Japan karting FS-125 division. He also completed the Honda Racing School in 2024.
- Syo Momose (#50) – Momose enters as one of B-Max’s strongest Champion Class contenders. He finished sixth last season with two podiums after becoming a Honda junior. With prior Honda Racing School experience and an All-Japan karting FS-125 title, he has the background to fight near the front.
- Kazuma Kurosawa (#51) – Kurosawa joins as Honda’s other junior. He competed in the F110 Cup after winning the virtual All-Japan e-F4 championship and finished 15th. He now aims to convert that experience into stronger results in Japanese F4.
- “Dragon” Ryuji Kumita (#30, Independent Class) – Team owner Kumita enters his 10th Japanese F4 season. He won both the Independent Class and the Super Formula Lights masters’ class in 2024, and he continues to race in both series.
- Nobuhiro Imada (#44, Independent Class) – Imada returns as the reigning Independent Class champion. The 61-year-old also competes in Super Formula Lights and Ferrari Challenge series, so he brings broad experience to his title defence.
- Yasuhiro Shimizu (#88, Independent Class) – Shimizu joins full-time after debuting in the final two rounds last year and taking one win. He also won the Super Formula Lights masters’ class last season, although he will miss the opening round.
Ponos Racing
Ponos Racing enters its fourth Japanese F4 season with two Champion Class drivers. The team again gives a platform to a driver who has lost manufacturer backing despite strong results.
- Megumu Suzuki (#45) – Suzuki moves to Ponos after Toyota dropped him despite being its highest-placed rookie last season. The 17-year-old won the All-Japan karting FS-125 class in 2023 and now has a chance to prove himself outside the manufacturer system.
- Shota Sakai (#54) – Sakai switches from TGM Grand Prix after making his Japanese F4 debut last season. He finished 24th overall but also won the Super FJ Motegi Sugo series, which shows stronger potential than his first F4 results suggest.
OTG Motor Sports
OTG Motor Sports continues with the same two-driver line-up. The Osaka Toyopet Group-backed team also connects to LM corsa, which competes in Super GT and Super Formula Lights.
- Kenta Kumagai (#60) – Kumagai stays with OTG for a third season. He finished ninth last year with one podium and now also contests Super Formula Lights with LM Corsa. That dual programme should help him sharpen his racecraft and technical understanding.
- Miki Onaga (#80) – Onaga continues alongside Kumagai while also racing in the all-female Kyojo Cup F4 series. She finished 26th in Japanese F4 last year but placed second in Kyojo Cup. She also brings touring car experience, including a class podium at the 24 Hours of Dubai.
TGM Grand Prix
TGM Grand Prix reduces its line-up to one car after previously entering Japanese F4 with Shota Sakai and Leon Ochiai.
- Miku Ikejima (#53) – Ikejima makes her Japanese F4 debut after competing in Kyojo Cup, where she finished 12th last year. She also has previous Formula Regional Japan experience from two rounds in 2020, giving her useful single-seater background.
Akiland Racing
Akiland Racing fields five drivers across both classes. The team has been active in Japanese F4 since 2019 and previously finished fourth overall in the teams’ standings.
- Toranosuke Takagi (#7) – Takagi makes his F4 debut after winning the Suzuka Championship Series in 2024. He has worked with Buzz Racing since 2015 and will race through its entry, giving him a long-standing support structure.
- Harim Song (#8) – Song becomes one of the grid’s international entrants. The South Korean driver brings single-seater experience from the KIC Touring Car Race KF 1600 class, Feed Racing and the Indian F4 Formula Global Shootout programme. He will also race in the F110 Cup with Akiland.
- You De Lu / Quinten Lu (#19) – The Chinese driver steps up from karting after winning five Rotax Max titles across Japan and Asia since 2022. He made his single-seater debut in the F110 Cup with Akiland and will race under an Italian licence.
- Masayoshi Oyama (#71, Independent Class) – Oyama enters his eighth Japanese F4 season. The 60-year-old finished 13th in the Independent Class last year and brings long-term class experience to Akiland’s programme.
- Makio Saito (#96, Independent Class) – Saito enters his ninth season and remains one of Akiland’s stronger Independent Class prospects. He finished second in class in 2020 and 2022, then placed eighth last year.
Helm Motorsports
Helm Motorsports has competed in Japanese F4 since 2020 and also runs programmes in Super GT, Super Formula Lights and Formula Regional Japan.
- William Sakai (#61, Independent Class) – Sakai enters his third Japanese F4 season. He finished ninth in the Independent Class last year with a best result of third, so he will aim to move closer to regular podium contention.
- Kosei Oguma (#62) – Oguma enters as the team’s Champion Class driver and one of the most interesting rookies. He leads the F110 Cup standings with a perfect win rate after the opening round and previously raced for AKM Motorsport’s karting team in Europe.
Team 5Zigen
Team 5Zigen continues its Japanese F4 programme alongside broader GT commitments, including GT World Challenge Asia.
- Sena Yamamoto (#3) – Yamamoto returns for his second Japanese F4 season after finishing 22nd last year. He won both the BMW Mini Racing championship and Super Taikyu TCR class in 2024, so he brings successful touring car experience into his single-seater development.
- “Hirobon” (#5, Independent Class) – The 2021 Independent Class champion returns to the category after time away from full-time Japanese F4. He competed in GT World Challenge Asia last year and finished third in the Silver-Am class, giving Team 5Zigen a strong experienced entry.
Dr.Dry Racing Team
Dr.Dry Racing Team expands to three cars after first joining Japanese F4 in 2023. The team also competes in Formula Regional Japan and Kyojo Cup.
- Kodai Yoshida (#85) – Yoshida enters his first Japanese F4 season after racing in Super FJ since 2024. He won the Super FJ Suzuka Okayama series last year, making him a strong rookie candidate.
- Hachiro Osaka (#86, Independent Class) – Osaka returns for his 11th season in the championship. The 65-year-old finished 18th in class last year and also has past Formula Regional Japan experience.
- Rikuto Toyoshima (#87) – Toyoshima makes his full-time debut after entering one round at Sugo last season and scoring two points. He also finished fourth in the F110 Cup with Dr.Dry, which gives him useful preparation.
Zap Speed
Zap Speed expands from one car to a much larger line-up, adding several drivers across both classes.
- Masaki Murata (#14) – Murata enters his third season with Zap Speed. He finished 25th last year without scoring points, so 2026 gives him a chance to turn experience into stronger results.
- Go Shimizu (#22, Independent Class) – Shimizu enters his second season after returning from a 20-year racing hiatus. He finished 11th in the Independent Class last year and brings past Formula Mirage and Super GT experience.
- Kota Umemoto (#24) – Umemoto makes his Japanese F4 debut after racing in Formula Beat with First Garage, where he finished fifth last year. That experience should help his transition to the MCSC-24.
- “Mototino” (#77, Independent Class) – Mototino also makes his Japanese F4 debut. He previously competed in TCR Japan from 2019 to 2024 and finished third in the series in 2023, giving him extensive touring car experience.
Bionic Jack Racing
Bionic Jack Racing enters its ninth Japanese F4 season with one driver in each class.
- “Ikari” Goto (#98, Independent Class) – Ikari returns for his eighth season in Japanese F4. The 64-year-old finished 12th in the Independent Class last year with six points finishes and previously won the Porsche Carrera Cup Japan ProAm class.
- Soichiro Shioda (#99) – Shioda makes his single-seater debut while taking part in the Honda Racing School advanced course. He won the Rotax Max Challenge APG Senior Max class in 2025, so he arrives with strong karting form.
Ragno Motor Sport
Ragno Motor Sport returns after a difficult first season in Japanese F4. The team, run by former F1 driver Yuji Ide, now focuses on a single Champion Class rookie.
- Keigo Okazawa (#2) – Okazawa makes his single-seater debut after competing in the All-Japan Karting Championship EV division with Nakajima Racing. He will aim to help Ragno build stability after a challenging 2025.
Fujita Pharmacy Racing
Fujita Pharmacy Racing enters its fourth season still chasing its first Japanese F4 points.
- Taiga Ishii (#47) – Ishii steps up from Super FJ after racing with First Garage last year. He also competes in the F110 Cup with Fujita Pharmacy Racing and sits eighth after the opening round.
- Taisei Murakami (#48) – Murakami brings Japanese-American experience from both single-seaters and sports cars. He raced in F1600, Ligier Junior Formula and Super FJ, giving him a varied background before joining Japanese F4.
Buzz Racing
Buzz Racing has competed in every Japanese F4 season and runs a single Independent Class entry this year.
- Shigeto Nagashima (#6, Independent Class) – Nagashima makes his single-seater debut at 54. He previously raced in Porsche Carrera Cup Japan and Porsche Sprint Challenge Japan, so he brings sports car experience to the Independent Class.
Field Motorsport
Field Motorsport keeps a single-car Independent Class programme.
- “Kentaro” (#55, Independent Class) – Kentaro returns for his fifth Japanese F4 season after finishing runner-up in the Independent Class last year by just half a point. He took six class wins, more than any other class driver, and enters 2026 as one of the title favourites.
Rn-sports
Rn-sports has raced in Japanese F4 since the series began in 2015. The team has already produced two Independent Class champions and continues with a veteran-heavy line-up.
- Isao Nakashima (#10, Independent Class) – Nakashima enters his fourth full season. He finished sixth in class last year and brings steady experience to the team.
- Hiroshi Sugiyama (#11, Independent Class) – Sugiyama makes his Japanese F4 debut but already has single-seater experience from Formula Beat. He scored a third-place finish in the gentleman driver class in 2024 using the older Dome F110.
- Kentaro Kojima (#12, Independent Class) – Kojima stays with the team after making his championship debut last year. He finished 16th in the Independent Class and now targets further progress.
- Ryuichi Kunihiro (#92, Independent Class) – Kunihiro makes his single-seater debut after years in Ferrari Challenge competition. His GT background adds another different profile to the Independent Class grid.
Eagle Sports
Eagle Sports has been part of Japanese F4 since 2015 and plans to expand later in the year.
- Shoichiro Akamatsu (#40, Independent Class) – Akamatsu enters his third full Japanese F4 season. He finished seventh in the Independent Class last year and also placed fifth in the Formula Regional Japan masters’ class despite contesting only half the rounds.
- TBA (#21, Independent Class) – Eagle Sports plans to add a second car later in the season, but the driver has not yet been confirmed.
Day Dream Racing
Day Dream Racing continues as Yuichi Sasaki’s own long-running Japanese F4 platform.
- Yuichi Sasaki (#4, Independent Class) – Sasaki has raced selected Japanese F4 rounds almost every year since 2015. The 62-year-old finished 14th in the Independent Class last season and brings deep experience to the grid.
N-Speed
N-Speed remains built around one of the championship’s longest-serving drivers.
- “Yugo” Tanabe (#23, Independent Class) – Yugo has competed in every Japanese F4 season since 2015. The 67-year-old won the Formula Regional Japan Masters’ Cup in 2024 and finished 21st in the Independent Class last year.
Falcon Motorsport
Falcon Motorsport returns after sitting out the 2025 season.
- Leon Ochiai (#26) – Ochiai switches from TGM Grand Prix for his second Japanese F4 season. He finished 13th last year with five points finishes and also arrives as the reigning F110 Cup champion, making him a potential midfield-to-front improver.
Mitsusada Racing
Mitsusada Racing debuts with one of the most notable young drivers on the grid.
- Ryutaro Sakai (#73) – Sakai becomes the youngest driver ever to enter Japanese F4 at 15. He steps up from karting with several major titles, including the 2024 All-Japan Kart Championship FS-125 crown, the 2023 GPR Karting Series Junior title and the 2022 Junior Kart Championship FP-Jr title.
Team Hashimoto
Team Hashimoto brings one of the most unusual stories on the grid.
- Kazuhiro Kanayama (#9, Independent Class) – Kanayama makes his single-seater debut in his early 70s. He has experience in motorcycle racing, including the MFJ Grand Prix Superbike JP250 class, as well as car racing in the Toyota Gazoo Racing GR86/BRZ Cup, Champion Race Series and Honda N-One Owner’s Cup.
Expected later entries
Several teams and drivers are expected to join later in the season, which should add further depth to an already large field.
- Drago Corse / Kaoru Yoshida (#34) – Yoshida is expected to return later in the year after making his Japanese F4 debut at Sugo last season with Ragno Motor Sport.
- M&K Racing / Mitsuhiro Endo (#97) – M&K Racing and Endo are also expected to appear later in the campaign.
- Team Le Mans / TBA (#78) – Team Le Mans is expected to run a one-car entry later in the season, although its driver has not yet been confirmed.
Summary of the 2026 Japanese F4 grid
Champion Class
- Keigo Okazawa (R) – #2 – Ragno Motor Sports
- Sena Yamamoto – #3 – Team 5Zigen
- Toranosuke Takagi (R) – #7 – Buzz Racing
- Harim Song (R) – #8 – Buzz Racing
- Masaki Murata – #14 – Zap Speed
- Ryusho Nakazato – #15 – Kageyama Racing
- Ryo Shirasaki – #16 – Kageyama Racing
- Yuta Suzuki – #17 – Kageyama Racing
- You De Lu (R) – #19 – Akiland Racing
- Kota Umemoto (R) – #24 – Zap Speed
- Leon Ochiai – #26 – Falcon Motorsport
- Yuzuki Miura – #28 – TGR-DC Racing School
- Masana Muto – #29 – TGR-DC Racing School
- Kaoru Yoshida (R) – #34 – Drago Corse
- Ryo Sakai (R) – #35 – TGR-DC Racing School
- Masaki Hamabe (R) – #36 – TGR-DC Racing School
- Buntaro Igarashi (R) – #37 – TGR-DC Racing School
- Tomoki Terashima (R) – #38 – TGR-DC Racing School
- Ryoki Minoura (R) – #42 – B-Max Racing Team
- Haruto Nakai – #43 – B-Max Racing Team
- Megumu Suzuki – #45 – Ponos Racing
- Taiga Ishii (R) – #47 – Fujita Pharmacy Racing
- Taisei Murakami (R) – #48 – Fujita Pharmacy Racing
- Syo Momose – #50 – B-Max Racing Team
- Kazuma Kurosawa (R) – #51 – B-Max Racing Team
- Miku Ikejima (R) – #53 – TGM Grand Prix
- Shota Sakai – #54 – Ponos Racing
- Kenta Kumagai – #60 – OTG Motor Sports
- Kosei Oguma (R) – #62 – Helm Motorsports
- Ryutaro Sakai (R) – #73 – Mitsusada Racing
- TBA – #78 – Team LeMans
- Miki Onaga – #80 – OTG Motor Sports
- Kodai Yoshida (R) – #85 – Dr.Dry Racing Team
- Hachiro Osaka (R) – #86 – Dr.Dry Racing Team
- Rikuto Toyoshima (R) – #87 – Dr.Dry Racing Team
- Soichiro Shioda (R) – #99 – Bionic Jack Racing
Independent Class
- Yuichi Sasaki – #4 – Day Dream Racing
- “Hirobon” – #5 – Team 5Zigen
- Shigeto Nagashima – #6 – Buzz Racing
- Kazuhiro Kanayama – #9 – Team Hashimoto
- Isao Nakashima – #10 – Rn-sports
- Hiroshi Sugiyama – #11 – Rn-sports
- Kentaro Kojima – #12 – Rn-sports
- Yutaka Toriba – #18 – Kageyama Racing
- TBA – #21 – Eagle Sports
- Go Shimizu – #22 – Zap Speed
- “Yugo” – #23 – N-Speed
- “Dragon” – #30 – B-Max Engineering
- Nobuhiro Imada – #44 – B-Max Engineering
- Shoichiro Akamatsu – #40 – Eagle Sports
- “Kentaro” – #55 – Field Motorsport
- William Sakai – #61 – Helm Motorsports
- Masayoshi Oyama – #71 – Akiland Racing
- “Mototino” – #77 – Zap Speed
- Yasuhiro Shimizu – #88 – B-Max Engineering
- Ryuichi Kunihiro – #92 – Rn-sports
- Makio Saito – #96 – Akiland Racing
- Mitsuhiro Endo – #97 – M&K Racing
- “Ikari” – #98 – Bionic Jack Racing
A highly competitive 2026 ahead
Japanese F4 2026 promises another highly competitive and unpredictable season. A large grid, stable regulations and strong manufacturer involvement all contribute to a compelling championship.
Moreover, the continuation of the manufacturer-backed title streak remains a key storyline. However, the events of 2025 showed that independent teams can challenge for success.
Therefore, the new season could deliver both emerging talent and dramatic championship battles, reinforcing Japanese F4’s role as a crucial step in the motorsport ladder.
