Alesi, returning after a three-year hiatus, was plagued by unfortunate mechanical issues,
while Seita Nonaka, competing without prior practice, managed to finish Round 3.
KCMG · 2026 SUPER FORMULA Rounds 3, 6, and 7: Fuji Race Report
Rd. 3: 25 laps or 50 minutes
#9 Arezzi (foreground) and #8 Yamashita (background) lined up in the pit lane / Fuji Speedway
Race Overview
A return to the Arezzi after a three-year hiatus, with special sponsorship from Haier, and a packed week featuring three races in a single tournament
Following a break of about two months since the previous race at Suzuka and about two weeks since the second joint test, Rounds 6 and 7—marking the midpoint of the season—were held at Fuji Speedway, along with Round 3, a rescheduled race for Autopolis where the final had been canceled due to inclement weather.
Starting with this event, the team appointed Giuliano Alesi as the driver of Car No. 9, as he had successfully completed the test program the team had planned during the joint test and collected a significant amount of data. This marked his return to Super Formula after a three-year absence. Additionally, Seita Nonaka, who qualified to compete based on the results of the official qualifying session held at Autopolis for Round 3, will race in Car No . 9 and will continue to accompany the team as a KCMG reserve driver.
In addition, as a spot sponsor for this event, we received support from “Haier”— the global market leader in large home appliances such as refrigerators, freezers, and washing machines—and set up a collaborative booth at the event. The booth featured home appliances sporting KCMG’s livery.With three races taking place in a single event, plus KCMG fielding a four-car lineup in the concurrently held KYOJO CUP, it was an extremely grueling race week for the team. However, they took on the challenge at Fuji with full determination, aiming to make a comeback in the second half of the season.
The KCMG Team Battled Through a Tough Week Featuring Three Races in One Event Plus the KYOJO CUP
Round 6 — Qualifying
Round 6: Qualifying / Cloudy, Rain / Air Temperature 23°C, Wet
At 8:15 a.m., after the early morning fog had cleared—with an air temperature of 23 degrees and a track temperature of 26 degrees—Q1 Group A qualifying began. Although a wet track declaration had been issued, the rain had already stopped, and track conditions featured very little standing water. #8 Kenta Yamashita switched to new wet tires and returned to the track, launching his attack on his second timed lap. However, he struggled with the challenging track conditions and was eliminated from Q1 in 9th place (1’34.933).
After a 5-minute break, Group B began at 8:30 a.m. Although the weather was improving and the track was gradually drying out, all cars—including #9 Giuliano Alesi, making his return to Super Formula—were on wet tires for their qualifying runs.Alesi returned to the track with two minutes remaining and clocked a time of 1:34.720 on his second timed lap, but he finished 12th and failed to advance to Q2. The starting grid for Round 6 will see Yamashita in 18th place and Alesi in 23rd.
| Driver | Session | Rank | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| #8 Kenta Yamashita | Class Q1A | 9位 | 1'34.933 |
| #9 Giuliano Alesi | Class Q1B | 12位 | 1'34.720 |
Round 7 — Qualifying
Round 7: Qualifying / Cloudy / Air Temperature 26°C, Dry Conditions / Yamashita Secures 7th on the Grid, His Best Start of the Season
Following a 1-hour-and-35-minute break after the conclusion of Round 6 qualifying, Round 7 qualifying began at 10:35 a.m. By this time, the sun had come out and the track had dried off, with the air temperature rising to 26 degrees and the track temperature reaching 30 degrees. Yamashita, assigned to Group A, took to the track on new slick tires, but the session was red-flagged with less than 4 minutes remaining due to a stopped car on the track.At 10:46 a.m., with 3 minutes and 33 seconds remaining, the session resumed. On his second timed lap, he clocked a time of 1’23.973, securing third place and successfully advancing to Q2.
After a 5-minute break, Group B began at 10:55 a.m., five minutes later than originally scheduled. Arezzi, running on fresh tires, launched his attack on the third timed lap, but was unable to fine-tune his setup and finished in 11th place (1’24.207), resulting in his elimination in Q1.
After a 10-minute break, Q2 began at 11:15 a.m. Having advanced past Q1 for the second time this season, Yamashita was looking to build on that momentum. He first used used tires to assess the condition of his car and the track, then returned to the pits to switch to new tires before launching his attack on his fourth timed lap.Having sensed tangible engineering improvements since the recent joint test, Yamashita posted a time of 1’23.611, securing his best grid position of the season in 7th place. For Round 7, Yamashita will start from 7th on the grid, while Alesi will start from 21st. This result marks a definite ray of hope for KCMG, which had been struggling since the start of the season.
| Driver | Session | Rank | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| #8 Kenta Yamashita | Class Q1A | 3位 | 1'23.973 |
| #8 Kenta Yamashita | Q2 | 7位 | 1'23.611 |
| #9 Giuliano Alesi | Class Q1B | 11位 | 1'24.207 |
Round 6 — Race
Round 6: Final / Cloudy, Rain / Temperature: 25°C / Dry & Wet
Although there were some sunny spells during the day, the sky clouded over again in the afternoon. With raindrops falling sporadically even during the dummy grid, the race started at 4:15 p.m. under conditions of 25 degrees Celsius air temperature and 29 degrees Celsius track temperature.Yamashita, starting in 18th place, navigated through the chaos to pass two cars and move up to 16th, while Arezzi, who started in 23rd, also gained three positions to finish the opening lap in 20th.
Yamashita dropped three positions by the fourth lap, but on the home straight of the fifth lap, he caught up to #53 Burts and moved up to 18th place.Alesi spent several laps targeting #22 Matsushita, who had passed him on the second lap. On the ninth lap, he cut inside at the Supra Corner and overtook him, regaining 20th place. Rain began to fall around the seventh lap, and although the tire change window opened after the 10th lap, both teams opted to stay out for the time being due to the unstable conditions caused by the light, intermittent rain.
On the home straight of Lap 12, Yamashita passed #37 Fenestraz and pitted at the end of Lap 14 while running in 16th place. After a tire change, he rejoined the race in 20th place (the highest-placed driver among those who had completed their pit stops). All cars had completed their tire changes by the final lap. Yamashita, who struggled throughout the race with car balance and was unable to increase his race pace as he had hoped, finished in 14th place.
Arezzi, who had moved up to 11th place thanks to other cars pitting, made his pit stop at the end of Lap 22. He quickly completed his tire change and rejoined the race in 21st place. In the late stages of the race, he skillfully used his OTS to battle with #97 Starnack, and it looked as though Arezzi might come out on top, but he spun out in the final corner on Lap 40 and crossed the finish line in 18th place.
Round 3 — Race (Autopolis Replacement Race)
Race 3: Final / Cloudy / Temperature 29°C, Dry
It was a Sunday when the rain from the previous night had cleared, and although patches of blue sky were visible through the clouds, humidity remained high and wet patches lingered on the track. The grid for Round 3—a sprint race with no mandatory tire change—had been determined at Autopolis in April; Yamashita started from 14th, while Nonaka, who had no prior track time and was jumping straight into the car after a reconnaissance lap, started from 15th.At 10:05 a.m., with an air temperature of 29 degrees and a track temperature of 34 degrees, the race began, but a multi-car crash occurred immediately after the start at Turn 1. Although the two KCMG cars were not directly involved, they lost positions as a result of having to avoid the chaos, with Yamashita dropping to 21st and Nonaka to 18th. A safety car (SC) was deployed immediately.
The safety car period lasted a long time as the field was reorganized, and the race finally restarted after nine laps. Yamashita, who was running in 21st place, made a bold charge by making full use of OTS, passing one car after another—including #50 Nomura and #14 Fukuzumi on the home straight, #10 Juju at Dunlop Corner, and Nonaka on the home straight—to jump up to 17th place.Meanwhile, Nonaka also passed Juju on the home straight and, despite allowing Yamashita—who was closing in fast amid the intense action—to take the lead, managed to hold onto 18th place.
On Lap 11, a car stopped on the track, prompting the second Safety Car deployment of the day; the race restarted at the end of Lap 14. Yamashita further increased his pace, passing a car with mechanical issues on Lap 17, then executing brilliant overtakes on Burts on the home straight of Lap 18 and #4 Sasahara on the home straight of Lap 21 to move up to 14th place.Although Nonaka was passed by two cars on Lap 15 and one on Lap 16, he overtook a car experiencing trouble on Lap 17 and engaged in a thrilling battle with #19 O’Sullivan. On Lap 21, he seized a brief opening in the final corner to overtake Fukuzumi and move up to 19th place.He allowed one car to pass him at Turn 1 on the final lap and crossed the finish line in 20th place, but he maintained his focus and saw the race through to the end.
In the race, Yamashita finished 14th and Nonaka finished 20th; due to subsequent penalties imposed on other cars and other factors, their positions each moved up one spot, and they ultimately finished the race in 13th (Yamashita) and 18th (Nonaka).
Round 7 — Race
Round 7: Final / Cloudy / Temperature 29°C, Dry / Yamashita Scores Points for the First Time Since Round 2
About three and a half hours after the conclusion of the third race of the morning, the formation lap for Race 7—the final race of the event—began at 3:35 p.m. The air temperature was 29 degrees Celsius, and the track temperature was 36 degrees Celsius. However, the start was delayed due to an incident in which another car’s gearbox cracked.Once the oil on the track had been cleared, the race started under the Safety Car at 4:20 p.m. After five laps, the Safety Car pulled into the pit lane, and the actual race began. Yamashita, who started in 7th place, dropped to 8th after being overtaken by one car. Arezzi, who started in 20th place due to the retirement of the troubled car, passed #28 Rito Kobayashi at Turn 1 and moved up to 19th place.
After 10 laps, the tire change window opened, but both KCMG cars initially opted to stay out. At the end of lap 20, Arezzi’s car—which had been circling the track while showing early signs of mechanical trouble—suffered a sudden failure, forcing him to make an emergency pit stop and return to the garage.The team worked frantically to repair the car and sent it back out onto the track four laps down, but determined that the issue had not been resolved. Prioritizing safety above all else, they called him in for another pit stop after three laps and made the difficult decision to retire him from the race.
Meanwhile, Yamashita, who continued to drive tenaciously, moved up to third place as a result of other cars pitting. At the end of Lap 26, he made his routine tire change and rejoined the race in 15th place. All cars had completed their tire changes by the end of Lap 28. From there, Yamashita—who was running in 13th place—launched a fierce charge.He executed spectacular overtakes on #3 Browning on the home straight on Lap 29, on Matsushita at the Supra Corner on Lap 34, and on #38 Sakaguchi on the home straight on Lap 40, finally climbing to 10th place—within the points. He crossed the finish line in that position, earning valuable championship points for the first time since Round 2.
Results
KCMG Fuji Tournament Results
Race 6: Final (Saturday / 41 laps)
| Pos | No | Driver | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | #8 | Kenta Yamashita | A Race Marred by Machine Balance Issues |
| 18 | #9 | Giuliano Alesi | Spun out on the 40th lap in the final corner |
Race 3: Final (Sunday morning / Autopolis replacement race, 25 laps)
| Pos | No | Driver | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | #8 | Kenta Yamashita | Moved up one spot due to another car's penalty |
| 18 | #9 | Seita Nonaka | Finished the Race Without Any Prior Practice / Moved Up Due to Another Car's Penalty |
Race 7: Final (Sunday afternoon / 41 laps)
| Pos | No | Driver | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | #8 | Kenta Yamashita | First points earned since Race 2 (1 point) |
| DNF | #9 | Giuliano Alesi | Withdrew due to mechanical trouble |
Driver Comments
Driver Comments
During qualifying, there were many areas where the car's performance fell short, so we need to work more closely with the team.
In the final race, our pace was good at times during Round 6. However, in Round 7, we noticed some unusual signs in the data starting from the reconnaissance lap, and since issues arose during the race as well, we decided to retire for safety reasons. Considering the condition of the car, it might be best to take a step back, reset, and reassess the situation.
The upcoming race at Sugo has a great rhythm, and it’s been one of my favorite circuits ever since my Super Formula Lights days. The Super Formula cars are very sensitive, but if we can make the most of the pit window, I think we’ll do well this time.
Race 3 had a long safety car period, and to be honest, I would have liked to drive a little longer. It had been a while since I’d driven this car, and I went into the race having only completed a reconnaissance lap. Right after the start, there was an incident ahead of me at Turn 1, and I lost a position trying to avoid it. With such a limited number of laps, it wasn’t easy to adapt my driving style to the car’s characteristics.
Although I was used to the speed, it was extremely difficult to adjust to the car’s balance. I’ve had the opportunity to gain a lot of experience up to this point, but right now I’m left with a sense of frustration. It’s precisely because I went through this short race that my feeling of “I wish I had done this differently” has grown even stronger.
Since this was the category I’d always aspired to be in, I hope to return to it properly someday. Thank you for your support.
Even though we didn’t see the results we were hoping for, it wasn’t a complete failure—this race week showed us that there’s still potential for improvement and a glimmer of hope. That said, I think we’re still lagging behind at the level required to compete in these races.
Although our race pace wasn’t bad, I felt we also needed to take our strategy into account. Our biggest challenge is that we haven’t been able to improve the car overall. Since it’s the people who make the race, I want to continue developing our team members and do my best to ensure that the drivers’ efforts are rewarded.
Although we were unable to pinpoint the reason for our poor performance in the wet qualifying session for Round 6, I’m glad we were able to put our test results to good use in the dry qualifying session for Round 7. This is the first time we’ve ever qualified in 7th place.
I started the Race 6 final in 18th place and raced among the top-ranked drivers who had fallen back in qualifying; I don’t think my pace was bad. I finished in 14th place, which was a decent result, but I think I should have changed tires a little earlier.
In the final race of Round 3, there was a crash right in front of me right after the start—I was lucky I didn’t get hit. I dropped back to nearly the very back of the pack, but I managed to pass about four cars from there. Since I’d finished the previous race, I was able to make the most of my setup.
In the Round 7 final, my front tires didn't warm up well all weekend, and I think the race would have played out differently if I had pitted earlier. I got stuck behind some slower cars and couldn't pick up the pace.
However, we’re currently lacking in several areas when it comes to racing. We don’t have the strength of our rivals, who can finish near the top even when they’re not setting the pace. It was good that we were able to get a solid look at the car during testing, so I hope to build on that for the next race at Sugo.