2021 Super GT Series
The 2021 Super GT Series is a motor racing championship based in Japan for grand touring cars. The series is sanctioned by the Japan Automobile Federation (JAF) and run by the GT Association (GTA). It is the twenty-ninth season of the Japan Automobile Federation Super GT Championship which includes the All Japan Grand Touring Car Championship (JGTC) era and the seventeenth season the series to compete under the Super GT name. It is the thirty-ninth overall season of a national JAF sportscar championship dating back to the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship.
| 2021 Super GT Series | |||
| Previous: | 2020 | Next: | 2022 |
Calendar
A confirmed six-round and possible additional two-round provisional 2021 calendar was announced on 7 August 2020.[1] On 9 February 2021 the planned Thailand and Malaysia rounds were cancelled due to travel restrictions, and a revised schedule was released with all eight rounds being held in Japan for the vast majority of the season. Furthermore, Fuji and Motegi will each host two races.[2] On 11 May 2021, the race at Suzuka International Racing Course, which had been set to take place on 30 May as the third round of the championship, was postponed indefinitely due to a renewed wave of COVID-19 cases in Japan.[3] The race was subsequently rescheduled to 22 August.[4]
Confirmed circuits and dates
| Round | Circuit | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10-11 April | |
| 2 | 3-4 May | |
| 4 | 17-18 July | |
| 3 | 21-22 August | |
| 5 | 11-12 September | |
| 6 | 23-24 October | |
| 7 | 6-7 November | |
| 8 | 27-28 November |
Teams and drivers
GT500
GT300
GT500 Class
- Honda: On 15 January 2020, Honda announced that Toshiki Oyu will be stepping up to GT500 to join Team Mugen, replacing Hideki Mutoh who will not return to the team after a four-year stint.[6]
- Nissan: Nissan's GT500 driver line-up was announced on 18 January 2020. Nobuharu Matsushita, who made his series debut as a replacement driver for the injured Shinichi Takagi last year, has been signed by Nissan to compete for Impul. Matsushita will replace Daiki Sasaki, who will be switching teams to Kondo Racing to replace Jann Mardenborough, ending Mardenborough's four-year stint as a Nissan GT500 driver.[8]
- Toyota: Toyota Gazoo Racing announced their Super GT driver line-up on 22 January 2020. In the TOM's squad, Sacha Fenestraz will be transferred to the No. 37 team to replace Nick Cassidy, who left the series to compete in Formula E with Envision Virgin Racing. Replacing Fenestraz in the No. 36 team will be Sho Tsuboi, who will be switching teams from TGR Team Rookie. 2019 champion Kenta Yamashita will be returning to the series on a full-time basis to replace Tsuboi in TGR Team Rookie, reuniting himself with former Team LeMans teammate Kazuya Oshima in the No. 14 car.[9]
GT300 Class
- 2019 F4 Japanese champion and 2020 French F4 Championship runner-up Ren Sato will made his debut in the series to replace Toshiki Oyu in Autobacs Racing Team Aguri's GT300 team.[6]
- Teppei Natori, who competed in Super Formula Lights last year, will made his debut in the series as he joins Team Upgarage to replace Kosuke Matsuura.[6]
- Yuui Tsutsumi, who competed as a replacement driver for arto Ping An Team Thailand, INGING Motorsport, and Max Racing last year, has been signed by Max Racing to compete for the full season in 2021.[9]
- Three-time GT500 champion Satoshi Motoyama will be returning to the series after retiring for two years. He will be competing in GT300 for the first time since his debut season in 1996 as a driver for Team LeMans. He will be joined by Yoshiaki Katayama, who will be making his debut in the series after competing in Super Formula Lights last year.[13]
GT500 Class
- Hitachi Astemo, a joint venture between Hitachi and Honda, will replace Keihin as Real Racing's title sponsor.[23]
- Stanley Electric will become Team Kunimitsu's new title sponsor after Stanley announced on 26 November 2020 that they will retire the Raybrig brand on March 2021.[24][25]
- Eneos will replace Wako's as the title sponsor of TGR Team Rookie, marking their return to the series since 2015.[9]
- Team Red Bull Mugen will change tyre suppliers from Yokohama to Dunlop, beginning in 2021. Dunlop will supply multiple GT500 teams for the first time since 2010.[26]
GT300 Class
- INGING Motorsport and Cars Tokai Dream28 will join forces and field a collaborative entry in 2021. The collaborative entry would retain Cars Tokai's entry, their Lotus Evora MC GT300 and driver Hiroki Katoh, while INGING will bring over their Bridgestone tire contract, title sponsor muta, and driver Ryohei Sakaguchi to the team.[10]
- Both LM Corsa and Max Racing will be switching from the FIA-GT3 specification Lexus RC F GT3 to the JAF-GT300 specification fifth-generation Toyota GR Supra for the 2021 season.[9]
- Team LeMans returns to Super GT after a one-year absence. Fielding an Audi R8 LMS Evo under the Team LeMans with Motoyama Racing banner, the team will compete in GT300 for the first time. The team will carry their traditional number of 6 after it was used by INGING in 2020.[13]
- R&D Sport will be switching from the JAF-GT300 specification first-generation Subaru BRZ R&D Sport to the JAF-GT300 specification second-generation Subaru BRZ MC GT300 for the 2021 season.[27]
- Car Guy Racing returns to Super GT after a two-year absence. Fielding a Ferrari 488 GT3 under the Pacific Car Guy Racing. The team will use number 9 after it was used by Pacific D'Station Racing.
- D'Station Racing withdrew from Super GT at the end of the 2020 season. D'Station Racing will concentrate on FIA World Endurance Championship.
Mid-season Changes
- Sacha Fenestraz missed the first five races of the season due to difficulties acquiring a Japanese visa. Sena Sakaguchi replaced him at TGR Team KeePer TOM's for these five races.
- Tadasuke Makino missed the first race of the season due to meningitis. Hideki Mutoh replaced him at Stanley Team Kunimitsu. Makino returned for the Fuji 500 km in May.
- With Sena Sakaguchi replacing Fenestraz, reigning FIA F4 Japanese Champion Hibiki Taira was called up to replace Sakaguchi at K-Tunes Racing. Taira drove in the first three races.
- Before the fourth race at Suzuka, Taira was replaced at K-Tunes Racing by Kazuto Kotaka, due to an undisclosed illness, which was later revealed to be a COVID-19 infection. Kotaka also drove in the fifth race at Sugo.
- Kohta Kawaai missed the fourth race of the season at Suzuka due to a positive COVID-19 test. 2011 GT300 champion Taku Bamba replaced Kawaai at Saitama Toyopet GreenBrave.
- 2012 GT300 champion Naoki Yokomizo replaced Takeshi Kimura at Pacific CarGuy Racing for rounds three, four, and seven due to Kimura's commitments in the FIA World Endurance Championship.
- arto Ping An Team Thailand changed its entry name back to arto Team Thailand after the first two races of the season, after Ping An Insurance ended its sponsorship with the team.
Championship Standings
Drivers' championships
- Scoring system
| Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | Pole |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Points | 20 | 15 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
GT500
|
|
GT300
|
Notes
1:^ The race at Suzuka Circuit was still promoted as the third round of the season, despite taking place after the July race at Twin Ring Motegi and being the fourth race of the season chronologically. Likewise, the July race at Motegi was still promoted as the fourth round of the championship, even though it was now the third race of the season chronologically.
References
- "2021 Super GT Provisional Calendar Announced". dailysportscar.com. 7 August 2020. Retrieved 7 August 2020.
- "Super GT cancels Thailand, Malaysia races for 2021". Motorsport Network. 9 February 2021. Retrieved 11 February 2021.
- Klein, Jamie (1 May 2021). "Super GT postpones Suzuka race amid COVID-19 surge". Autosport. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
- "Alternative schedule of 2021 SUPER GT Round 3 Suzuka". Super GT. 4 June 2021. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
- "Results". SUPER GT OFFICIAL WEBSITE. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- "Honda Announces 2021 Super GT Teams & Drivers". dailysportscar.com. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- "Fenestraz, Makino forced to miss Super GT opener". motorsport.com. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
- "Nissan Confirms 2021 GT500 Driver Lineups". dailysportscar.com. 13 January 2021. Retrieved 13 January 2021.
- "Toyota reveals 2021 Super GT drivers, GT500 grid complete". dailysportscar.com. 22 January 2021. Retrieved 22 January 2021.
- "INGING & Cars Tokai Dream28 Collaborate For 2021 GT300 Entry". dailysportscar.com. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 15 January 2021.
- "Goodsmile Racing & Team UKYO Announce Unchanged 2021 Lineup". dailysportscar.com. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- "Tandds | SUPER GT OFFICIAL WEBSITE". supergt.net. Retrieved 2021-02-18.
- "Satoshi Motoyama Returning To Super GT With Team LeMans | dailysportscar.com". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 2021-01-29.
- "Pacific Racing and CarGuy Partner Up For 2021 GT300 Entry". dailysportscar.com. 18 February 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
- "Nissan Confirms 2021 Sports Car Racing Activities". dailysportscar.com. 13 February 2021. Retrieved 13 February 2021.
- "Japan Sports Car Notebook, 8 February 2021". dailysportscar.com. 8 February 2021. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
- "Drago Corse Confirms GT300 Participation With New Title Sponsor Yogibo". dailysportscar.com. 15 February 2021. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
- CORPORATION, TOYOTA MOTOR. "TOYOTA GAZOO Racing Outlines 2021 Motorsports Activities". TOYOTA GAZOO Racing. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
- "Arnage Racing Signs Two-Time GT500 Champion Masataka Yanagida | dailysportscar.com". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
- "Saitama Toyopet GreenBrave Announces 2021 Racing Activities". dailysportscar.com. 17 January 2021. Retrieved 17 January 2021.
- "LM Corsa ditches Lexus for GT300 Toyota Supra". motorsport.com. 20 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
- "JLOC Confirms 2021 Driver Lineups". dailysportscar.com. 5 March 2021. Retrieved 5 March 2021.
- "Real Racing gets new look as sponsor Keihin exits". motorsport.com. 15 January 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- "Team Kunimitsu Announces Stanley Electric as New Title Sponsor". dailysportscar.com. 18 January 2021. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- "Raybrig Sponsorship of Team Kunimitsu To End After 2020". dailysportscar.com. 26 November 2020. Retrieved 29 January 2021.
- "Super GT: Mugen Honda set for switch to Dunlop tyres". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved 2021-02-03.
- "Subaru officially uncovers new BRZ Super GT challenger". www.motorsport.com. Retrieved 22 February 2021.