TGRTeam au TOM'S and driver Sho Tsuboi entered the season as the defending champions of the GT500 class. Saitama Green Brave, formerly known as Saitama Toyopet Green Brave, and driver Hiroki Yoshida entered as the defending GT300 class champions.[1]
This was the final season for four-time GT500 champion, Ronnie Quintarelli, who announced his retirement at the end of the season.[2]
The GTA confirmed several changes for the 2024 Super GT season.[5]
Aggregate qualifying format
Super GT introduced a new aggregate qualifying system on 9 February, replacing the knockout format which had been used since 2013.
Under the new format, the grids in GT500 and GT300 will be determined by the combined Q1 and Q2 times of each team's two nominated drivers.
Each team is only allowed to use one set of tyres throughout Q1 and Q2, and must start the race on the same set of tyres.
Teams that don't participate in qualifying, fail to set a time in both qualifying sessions, or fail to meet the 107% minimum time after Q2 will have to start the race from the pits.
Points will now be awarded to the top three qualifiers in each class. The pole-winning team and drivers now earn three points, while second place earns two points and third place earns one point.
Pole position will be credited to both drivers on the pole-winning team that run in qualifying.[6]
On 12 March, a follow-up bulletin would detail the changes made to GT300 qualifying:
Similar to recent years, the GT300 field would be split into two groups for Q1 based on the most recent Teams' Championship standings, with odd number-ranked teams in Group A and even number-ranked teams in Group B. A pre-event lottery would determine which group goes first in Q1.
After both Q1 groups have run, the cars would be regrouped for Q2. The top eight cars in each Q1 group will go into Q2 Group 1, and the cars that finished outside the top eight in each group would go into Q2 Group 2.
Once Group 2 and Group 1 have run, the final grid order will be determined based on these final groupings:
Positions 1-12: Top 12 combined times in Q2 Group 1.
Positions 13-20: Combined times of the top four in Q2 Group 2 and bottom four in Q2 Group 1.
Positions 21-27: Combined times of the remaining cars that finished fifth or lower in Q2 Group 2.
In the event of rain, the GT300 grid will be determined from Q2 times only.
Teams will only be allocated four sets of dry tyres for 300 kilometre races, down from five sets in 2023. Five sets of dry tyres will be available for 350 km events, and six sets of tyres will be available in three-hour timed events.[5][9]
GT300 success ballast has been reduced to a maximum of 100 kilogrammes to just 80 kg. GT300 teams will now receive two kilogrammes of Success Weight per drivers' championship point scored from rounds one through six. There is a limit of 50 points (100 kg).[5]
To reduce cornering speeds, the GTA implemented new technical directives in both class. In GT500, the minimum ride height has been raised by 5 millimetres by increasing the thickness of the skid block. In GT300, all cars will carry a predetermined amount of additional ballast weight, between 33 and 52 kg. This additional weight is distinct from the weight assigned to each car as part of the balance of performance.[10]
GAINER developed a new version of the Nissan Fairlady Z built to the GTA-GT300 vehicle regulations, replacing the number 11 Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 that had raced since 2018.[11] The car was revealed ahead of the opening round at Okayama and made its race debut at the Fuji 3 Hours.[35][36]
The former number 10 GAINER Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 was replaced by the number 45 Ferrari 296 GT3 entered by PONOS Racing. (see Entrant changes below).[21]
Entrant changes
GT500
Toyota announced its driver line-ups on 12 December 2023.[14]
Three-time GT500 champion Yuji Tachikawa retired from driving after the 2023 season and became the team director at Cerumo for the second time.[37] Former Honda driver Toshiki Oyu moved to Cerumo. Car care company KeePer, which previously served as the main sponsor for the TOM'S number 37 car, replaced long time sponsor ZENT as the title sponsor of Team Cerumo.
Reigning GT500 champion Ritomo Miyata left the series after the 2023 season to compete overseas in Formula 2 and the European Le Mans Series.[38] 2019 GT500 champion Kenta Yamashita joined reigning champion team TGR Team au TOM'S to fill the seat vacated by Miyata. TOM'S elected not to use the GT500 champion's number "1" in 2024. Two-time GT500 Champion Michael Krumm became the new team director of the number 37 Deloitte TOM'S GR Supra. Jun Yamada was promoted to the role of general manager overseeing both TOM'S cars.[39]
Honda announced its driver line-ups on 12 December 2023.[12]
To replace the Toyota-bound Fukuzumi and Oyu, both Nobuharu Matsushita and Ren Sato joined ARTA. Matsushita, who spent the last two seasons with Astemo Real Racing, partner up alongside Tomoki Nojiri in the number 8 car. Sato, who drove for ARTA's GT300 team in 2021, made his GT500 debut alongside Hiroki Otsu in the number 16 car.
Kakunoshin Ohta replaced Matsushita at Astemo Real Racing, alongside Koudai Tsukakoshi, who will return for his 16th full season with the team.
Team Kunimitsu saw its main sponsor Stanley take on a bigger role in the team as the title sponsor, with the team competing under the name "Stanley Team Kunimitsu".
Nissan announced its driver line-ups on 18 January 2024.[11]
Katsumasa Chiyo replaced Tsugio Matsuda in the number 23 NISMO car. This marked the end of Matsuda and Quintarelli's partnership which lasted for 11 years.[e] Former Max Racing GT300 driver Atsushi Miyake replaced Chiyo as the driver of the number 3 NISMO NDDP (formerly NDDP Racing) entry.
Both NISMO teams changed tyre suppliers to Bridgestone following Michelin's withdrawal from the GT500 class after the 2023 season.[40]
PONOS Racing make its Super GT debut in 2024, entering the new Ferrari 296 GT3 with Michelin tyres. The first-year team will be run by championship-winning GT300 organisation GAINER. Kei Cozzolino returned to the series for the first time since 2022, while Ferrari GT factory driver Lilou Wadoux made her series debut.[21]
Super Taikyu championship-winning team HELM Motorsports made its Super GT debut in 2024, entering a Nissan GT-R NISMO GT3 with Yokohama tyres.[27] Two-time GT500 champion Kohei Hirate joined the team alongside HELM co-founders Yuya Hiraki and Reiji Hiraki, the latter of whom serves as the team's third driver. Two-time GT300 champion Hideo Fukuyama was appointed as the team director.[11]
Saitama Toyopet Green Brave changed its official name to Saitama Green Brave. Reigning GT300 champion Kohta Kawaai was replaced by Toyota Gazoo Racing Driver Challenge (TGR-DC) driver Seita Nonaka, who spent the last two seasons with Hoppy Team Tsuchiya and was Green Brave's third driver last year at Autopolis.[15] Saitama Green Brave elected not to use the GT300 champion's number "0" in 2024.
muta Racing INGING team director Hiroki Katoh continued his part as the team's third driver for this season, but did not make a single appearance for this season.[15]
SHADE Racing changed tyre suppliers from Dunlop to Michelin.[15]
HoppyTeam Tsuchiya and its Toyota GR Supra GT300 returned to the series after missing the last four rounds of the 2023 season following a fire in the fourth round at Fuji Speedway. 2016 GT300 champion Takamitsu Matsui returned to the team after racing for Team Mach in 2023 replacing Nonaka.[15]Kimiya Sato, who spent the last three years with Max Racing, returned to the team as its third driver.[7]
Max Racing ceased operations following a vehicle fire in the fourth round of the 2023 season at Fuji Speedway.[41]
2023 FIA F4 Japanese ChampionRikuto Kobayashi and runner-up Jin Nakamura made their full-time series debuts with apr. Kobayashi drives the number 30 Toyota GR86 alongside Hiroaki Nagai, while two-time GT300 champion Manabu Orido remained with the team as its third driver. Nakamura drives the number 31 Lexus LC 500h alongside Kazuto Kotaka, replacing veteran driver Koki Saga. Yuki Nemoto continues as the third driver of the number 31 team.[15]
Tomei Sports promoted Takuya Otaki, who had been a spot starter since 2020, to a full-time seat in 2024. As Tomei Sports owner Atsushi Tanaka has the role of third driver with rookie Rin Arakawa, the 2021 FIA F4 Japanese Championship runner-up.[7][23]
Gymkhana and time attack specialist Yusaku Shibata transferred to NILZZ Racing as a full-time driver, replacing Yuki Tanaka who will race in Ligier European Series with Pegasus Racing. Takumi Sanada continue his role as the team's third driver.[23]
Yogibo Racing withdrew its entry for the 2024 season, citing a change in corporate strategy from the Yogibo brand.[43]Reimei Ito move to Porsche Carrera Cup Japan with BINGO Sports, and Yugo Iwasawa race in Super Taikyu ST-Z with Porsche Team EBI .
Yusuke Tomibayashi transferred from Team Mach to Pacific Racing Team, to replace Liang Jiatong, who moved to GT World Challenge Asia with Harmony Racing.[7][23] F4 graduate Yuta Fujiwara made his series debut as Pacific Racing Team's third driver.[20]
Miki Koyama transferred from Arnage Racing to R'Qs Motor Sports as the fourth driver for the team, joining Hisashi Wada, Masaki Jyonai, and Masaki Kano. The team will have different line up on each race, with Jyonai raced all rounds, while Jyonai & Kano each had four rounds, and Koyama had three.[7]
Team Mach have a new line up as Takamitsu Matsui and Yusuke Tomibayashi move to Tsuchiya Engineering and Pacific Racing ewsoectively. Two-time GT300 champion Kiyoto Fujinami who previously drove for Team Mach from 2017 to 2018, returns to the series after missing the 2023 season. and former GAINER third driver Yusuke Shiotsu joined the team.[17]
Mid-season changes
GT300
2023 International GT Open champion Charlie Fagg, who drove for D'station Racing in WEC and the Asian Le Mans Series, rejoined the team as the third driver. He replaced Marco Sรธrensen at the Fuji 3 Hours, and Suzuka 3 Hours. Fagg has been promoted as the second driver of the team as Sรธrensen focus on his WEC commitent.[44]
Reigning Super Taikyu Series ST-3 Class champion driver Takashi Ito picked as the fourth driver for NILZZ Racing, and replaces Yusaku Shibata for the fourth round at Fuji, and last round of Suzuka.[24] Shibata returns to the team for round 5 at SUGO.[45]
Manabu Orido, and Rin Arakawa replaces Hiroaki Nagai, and Takuya Otaki respectively for the Motegi round.
Former Yogibo Racing driver Reimei Ito joins LM corsa as the third driver for the last round at Suzuka.[25] While GAINER recruited Super Taikyu ST-Z driver Kazuki Oki as their third driver for that round.[22]
Takuya Otaki returns for the final round, with Takayuki Aoki replaced by Tomei's owner Atsushi Tanaka.
Calendar
A confirmed eight round provisional 2024 calendar was announced on 3 August 2023.[46] On 3 October 2023, it was announced that the seventh round at Autopolis would be moved back two weeks to 19โ20 October, in order to eliminate a clash of dates with the MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix.[47]
On 29 February 2024, distances for all rounds were confirmed. The Golden Week race at Fuji Speedway, the Spring race at Suzuka Circuit, and the penultimate race at Autopolis will be three-hour timed races, the first championship races to be run to a timed format. The Summer races at Fuji and Suzuka will be 350 kilometres long.[48] On 28 August 2024, it was announced that the 2nd Suzuka round was postponed to 7โ8 December due to the threat of Typhoon Shanshan,[49] followed by an 21 October 2024 announcement the race will be reduced from 61 laps (350 km) to 52 laps (300 km)with an earlier (12.40) start featuring a time certain finish of 15.30 if the 52 laps cannot be completed by then.[50]
^The team is operated by Mugen, and their cars are entered as ARTA Mugen Civic Type R-GTs.[13]
^ abCar No. 7 entered as BMW Team Studie ร CRS, and car No. 18 entered as Team UpGarage
^ abCar No. 11 entered as GAINER, and car No. 45 entered as PONOS Racing
^ abCar No. 22 entered as R'Qs Motor Sports, and car No. 50 entered as Anest Iwata Racing with Arnage
^Matsuda and Quintarelli drove for Impul in 2010 and NISMO from 2014-2023.
^ abQualifying was canceled due to bad weather. The pole position was awarded according to the previous free practice result, but will not get points.
^ abYuki Nemoto, and Haruki Kurosawa did not run during the race as a third driver and were ineligible for championship points.
^Haruki Kurosawa did not participate in qualiflying & not run during the race as a third driver and were ineligible for championship points.
^Haruki Kurosawa did not participate in qualiflying & not run during the race as a third driver and were ineligible for championship points.
^ abcHaruki Kurosawa, Yuki Nemoto, and Kazuki Oki did not participate in qualiflying & not run during the race as a third driver and were ineligible for championship points.
^ abYuki Nemoto, and Yusuke Mitsui did not run during the race as a third driver and were ineligible for championship points.