The provisional calendar for 2025 was confirmed on 1 August 2024, which consisted of eight races.[1] Super GT confirmed thatPetronas Sepang International Circuit would return to the calendar for the first time since 2013, hosting the third round of the championship on 27–28 June.[2] This would be the first Super GT race held outside of Japan since 2019, when the series last visitedChang International Circuit in Thailand.
On 14 May, Fuji Speedway announced a new three-race sprint format for its August date.[3] The first race, held on 2 August, would be a 160 kilometer (35 lap) multi-class race. The second and third races, held on 3 August, would be single-class, 50-minute sprint races – the first time ever that GT500 and GT300 cars would race separately in a championship round. Only one of the team's two entered drivers could participate on either day.[4][5]
All other rounds would run the regular 300 kilometer format except for the Golden Week race at Fuji, and the penultimate round atAutopolis, which would continue to run the three-hour, long-distance format introduced in 2024.[6]
The GTA confirmed several regulation changes for the 2025 Super GT season.[7][8]
The series reverted to the two-part knockout qualifying format used from 2013 to 2023. The only change from 2023 was the number of cars that would participate in Q2. In GT500, the top 10 cars in Q1 would advance to Q2, instead of the top eight. In GT300, where the field is split into two groups for Q1, the top nine cars in each group advance to Q2, meaning that 18 cars would participate in Q2 (instead of 16).[a]
The Fuji GT Sprint Race qualifying format consisted of a single 20-minute GT300 session and a 10-minute GT500 session, held each morning before the races on Saturday and Sunday.[9]
The GT300 championship points system was changed, awarding 25 points to the first place team and drivers, 20 for second, 16 for third, then 13, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 for the top 15 cars. In addition, only the seven highest-scoring rounds counted towards the drivers' and teams' championships at the end of the season. This was to accommodate only 18 full-time GT300 teams being eligible to enter the Sepang round due to limited garage space.[10]
For the Fuji GT Sprint Races, each race would award half points, and the points from both races would be added up at the end of both races. The points would be awarded to both entered drivers regardless of their individual results in each race.[9][11]
In both classes, qualifying points reverted to awarding only one point to the pole-winning team and drivers.
The GT300 success weight formula was changed, including the modification of refueling times as a form of success ballast. The nominal success weight limit was raised back to 100 kilograms (instead of 80 kg), but the maximum amount of physical ballast that could be loaded remained at 50 kg. Cars that attained more than 50 kg of nominal success weight would have to install a GTA-supplied refueling restrictor, the diameter of which would be announced in a pre-race bulletin.[12]
From the second round onward, GT500 tire manufacturers that have not won a race during the season may bring in one extra set of dry tires per weekend. All teams must bring at least one set of heavy rain tires.
During the reconnaissance lap, all cars must maintain a minimum speed of 80 kilometers per hour. From the formation lap until the start of the race, all cars must be within five car lengths of the car in front.
Race control can now impose time penalties during a race for various infractions.
Nissan announced its line-ups on 17 January 2025.[14]
Four-time GT500 championRonnie Quintarelli retired from the Super GT Series after the 2024 season, becoming a NISMO ambassador and an advisor to the GT500 program.[20]
Daiki Sasaki returned to GT500 after spending a year in GT300 withKondo Racing, replacing Takaboshi at NISMO NDDP.
Tokyo Radiator will take over primary sponsorship ofTeam Impul fromMarelli, which though its predecessorCalsonic, had been the team's primary sponsor since 1982.[21][22]
During the first official pre-season test at Okayama,JLOC elected to use the GT300 champion's number "0" plate for the championship-winning No. 88 car that was driven byTakashi Kogure andYuya Motojima.[53]
After parting ways with Arnage Racing,Anest Iwata established its own team, Anest Iwata Racing.[54] The team will receive vehicle maintenance support fromGAINER.[34] 2008 GT300 champion and former Nissan factory driver Hironobu Yasuda returned to the series after a year away, replacingYuga Furutani, who left the team to focus on hisSuper Formula Lights campaign withTOM'S.[33][55]
apr announced a new lineup for the No. 31 Lexus LC500h GT, with former Jota Sport WEC driverOliver Rasmussen making his series debut, andMiki Koyama making her full-time GT300 debut after running part-time with Arnage Racing and R'Qs Motor Sports. They replaced Kazuto Kotaka, who became Toyota's full-time GT500 reserve driver, andJin Nakamura, who moved to theFormula Regional European Championship.
In the No. 30 apr Toyota GR86, two-time GT300 championManabu Orido returned to full-time driving, replacingRikuto Kobayashi, whileRyo Ogawa returned as the team's third driver for the long-distance events. The No. 30 Toyota GR86 also changed fromYokohama toMichelin tires.[13][33][35]
TGR-DC driverYuki Sano joinedSHADE Racing as its third driver for the long-distance races.[33] Due to SHADE Racing's withdrawal from Autopolis, Sano would only enter the Golden Week race at Fuji.
Porsche returned to GT300 for the first time since 2021 via the newSeven x Seven Racing team, run byKiyoto Fujinami'sKF Motorsport team and backed by luxury hotel company FAV Hotel. The team entered the latestPorsche 911 GT3 R with Yokohama tires. Two-time GT300 champion and team owner Fujinami was announced as one of the team's drivers, joined by four-time Porsche Carrera Cup Japan championTsubasa Kondo, who returned to the series for the first time since 2022.[49]2024 Porsche Supercup runner-upHarry King would join the team as its third driver for the Golden Week race at Fuji.[50]
Kazuki Oki, who wasGAINER's third driver for the final race of the 2025 season, replacedKeishi Ishikawa as a full-time driver of the No. 11 Nissan Fairlady Z GT300.[31]
NILZZ Racing signed SRO Japan Cup and Super Taikyu class winner Daiki Fujiwara as its third driver.[40]
Earl Bamber Motorsport (EBM) announced its Super GT debut as the wildcard entry for the Sepang round, competing as EBM Giga Racing. EBM fielded two entries from two different manufacturers, with two different tire suppliers: The No. 333Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo, driven byJazeman Jaafar andKerong Li (with Dunlop tires), and the No. 611Porsche 911 GT3 R, driven by Porsche Motorsport Asia Pacific driverDorian Boccolacci and Adrian D'Silva (with Michelin tires).[44][47]
Oliver Rasmussen missed the season-opening round at Okayama due to an injury sustained during the first Super Formula round at Suzuka.apr third driverYuki Nemoto replaced Rasmussen in the No. 31 Lexus LC500h GT.[61][36] Rasmussen returned for the second round.[16]
SHADE Racing withdrew from the Sepang race after its No. 20 Toyota GR86 GT sustained heavy fire damage during a GT Entrants Association (GTE) test at Suzuka Circuit.[63][64] The team was also forced to withdraw from the Autopolis 3 Hour race after heavy crash damage sustained during the Sugo round.[65]
For the Fuji GT Sprint Races, each race would award half points, and the points from both races would be added up at the end of both races. The points would be awarded to both entered drivers regardless of their individual results in each race.[5]
^Because of the reduced grid size at Sepang, only the top six cars in each Q1 group would advance, and thus, only 12 cars would participate in Q2.
^The team is operated byMugen, and their cars are entered as ARTA Mugen Civic Type R-GTs.
^Lilou Wadoux was originally entered for the full 2025 season but withdrew on 8 April due to scheduling conflicts and was replaced by Takuro Shinohara.
^Kazuto Kotaka did not participate in qualifying & not run during the race as a third driver and were ineligible for championship points.
^abcKazuhisa Urabe,Keita Sawa, andHaruki Kurosawa did not participate in qualifying & not run during the race as a third driver and were ineligible for championship points.
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Okayama International Circuit
Fuji Speedway
Sepang International Circuit
Suzuka Circuit
Sportsland Sugo
Autopolis
Mobility Resort Motegi
Naoya Gamou
Zak O'Sullivan
João Paulo de Oliveira
Roberto Merhi Muntan
Oliver Rasmussen
Lilou Wadoux
No. 611EBM GIGA Racing
Kerong Li
