Super Formula Championship


The Japanese Super Formula Championship is a formula racing series held primarily in Japan. It is considered to be the pinnacle of single-seater racing in Japan or Asia as a whole, making it one of the top motorsport series in the region. The series is sanctioned by the Japan Automobile Federation and managed by Japan Race Promotion., Super Formula is the second fastest racing series in the world, after Formula One.
The first Japanese top formula championship was held in 1973 as the All-Japan Formula 2000 Championship. In 1978, the series transformed into the All-Japan Formula Two Championship, and again in 1987, into the All-Japan Formula 3000 Championship. For the most part, these Japanese racing series closely followed their European counterparts in terms of technical regulations. The JRP was established in 1995, and began managing the series in 1996, under its new name, the Formula Nippon Championship. This began what is commonly known as the modern era of the series, which has seen it become more independent with regard to technical regulations. The series' name was changed again in 2013, to Super Formula.

History

Background

In Japan, touring and sports car racing was very popular throughout the 1960s. The Japanese Grand Prix was originally held as an event for touring and sports cars, and was immediately established as the largest motor racing event in the country during its original run between 1963 and 1969. On the other hand, formula car racing had a more difficult time being established in the nation's motorsport landscape. The inaugural JAF Grand Prix at Fuji Speedway in 1969 was Japan's first major single-seater race. And in 1971, the Japanese Grand Prix was reformatted into an event centered around formula car racing. Neither event managed to be as popular with spectators as the Japanese Grand Prix was during its time as a sports car race.

All-Japan Formula 2000 (1973–1977)

In 1973, the Japan Automobile Federation established the All-Japan Formula 2000 Championship as the first top-level formula racing series in Japan, to promote the sport of formula car racing in the country.
The series was based on the European Formula Two Championship. But unlike European F2, which only allowed the use of racing engines based on mass production models, the JAF approved the use of purpose-built racing engines from manufacturers such as Mitsubishi Motors.

All-Japan Formula Two (1978–1986)

In 1976, the FIA modified the Formula Two regulations to allow the use of purpose-built racing engines. With this change, the reasoning behind the name "Formula 2000" had disappeared, which led to the series being renamed the All-Japan Formula Two Championship from 1978.
These early years of formula racing in Japan were led by drivers such as Kunimitsu Takahashi, Kazuyoshi Hoshino, Masahiro Hasemi, Keiji Matsumoto, and Satoru Nakajima, who would go on to become the first Japanese driver to compete full-time in the Formula One World Championship. During the transition from Formula 2000 to Formula 2, a number of foreign drivers from the European F2 circuit began competing in and winning races in the Japanese series. 1981 European F2 champion Geoff Lees became the series' first non-Japanese champion when he won the All-Japan F2 title in 1983.
The Suzuka Formula Two Championship was held concurrently at all events staged at Suzuka Circuit, to compete against the Fuji Grand Champion Series. During its existence from 1977 to 1986, it was considered to be of equal prestige to the All-Japan Formula 2 Championship.

1987 championship

When European Formula Two ended in 1984, its Japanese counterpart did not follow suit immediately. The JAF considered starting a new Formula Two series from 1988. However, all entrants ran Formula 3000 cars in 1987. So, the 1987 Formula Two Championship was cancelled due to no entry of any cars for that format.

All-Japan Formula 3000 (1987–1995)

Switching to the open Formula 3000 standard in 1987, the All-Japan Formula 3000 Championship officially started in 1988.
During the late 1980s, a number of factors contributed to a surge in popularity for Japanese Top Formula racing. Honda-powered Formula One teams began winning multiple championships. The Japanese Grand Prix was reintroduced to the Formula One calendar in 1987, and that same year, Satoru Nakajima began competing full-time in F1. Fans began following the series through Fuji Television's broadcasts of Formula One, resulting in an increased interest in all forms of formula racing. Combined with the asset-driven bubble economy of the 1980s, the All-Japan Formula 3000 Championship attracted several entrants and investors.
Veteran drivers such as Hoshino, Hasemi, Takahashi, and Matsumoto were succeeded by a new generation of Japanese talents, led by 1988 champion Aguri Suzuki, and 1991 champion Ukyo Katayama – who would each go on to enjoy significant tenures in Formula One. The prosperous conditions within All-Japan F3000 also attracted many promising young drivers outside of Japan to compete in the series. Among those drivers included future Formula One Grand Prix winners Jean Alesi, Johnny Herbert, Eddie Irvine, and Heinz-Harald Frentzen. The most notable of these young drivers from outside Japan, however, was future seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher, who made a one-off appearance at Sportsland Sugo in 1991.
The eventual burst of the bubble economy led to a decline in the series' popularity during the early to mid 1990s. Japanese and European regulations paralleled one another until 1996, when the International Formula 3000 series became a one-make format to lower costs.

Formula Nippon (1996–2012)

In 1995, Japan Race Promotion was established by Fuji Television, and became the new promoter and organising body of Japanese top formula racing, recognised by the JAF. As F3000 went down the path of a spec formula series abroad, the JRP opted to continue with the previous F3000 regulations which allowed for open chassis and engine competition. For 1996, the first full season under the management of JRP, the series changed its name to Formula Nippon.
Many of the top drivers in Formula Nippon continued to race in sports cars and touring cars as their predecessors had done in years past. Pedro de la Rosa became the first "double champion" of Japan in 1997 when he won both the Formula Nippon and All-Japan GT Championship GT500 titles in the same calendar year. Satoshi Motoyama and Richard Lyons would later accomplish the same feat in 2003 and 2004, respectively.
Drivers continued to use Formula Nippon as a stepping stone into Formula One including the aforementioned de la Rosa, Ralf Schumacher, Shinji Nakano, Toranosuke Takagi, and Ralph Firman. But by the late 2000s, Formula Nippon's status as a pathway into Formula One had diminished, and the series was greatly affected by the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers - going from 20 cars in 2008 to 13 in 2009.

Super Formula (2013–present)

On 5 August 2012, the JRP announced that the series would change its name from Formula Nippon to Super Formula in 2013, stating a "desire to establish the series on an equal footing with the FIA Formula One World Championship and the IndyCar Series as the undisputed, standard-bearer top formula racing in Asia."
The series experienced renewed international interest when 2015 GP2 Series champion, Stoffel Vandoorne, entered full-time in 2016 with Docomo Team Dandelion Racing. Vandoorne would finish his season with two race victories before making the step up to F1 with McLaren in 2017. A year later, 2016 GP2 Series champion Pierre Gasly entered the series, bringing Red Bull sponsorship with him to Team Mugen. Gasly finished 2017 as the Rookie of the Year, with two wins, and finished runner-up in the standings by half a point.
Felix Rosenqvist, Álex Palou, and Patricio O'Ward later became IndyCar Series race winners after racing in Super Formula. Palou, who was the 2019 Rookie of the Year, went on to win the IndyCar Series championship in 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Liam Lawson, the 2023 Super Formula series runner-up, drove in Formula One for AlphaTauri/RB Formula One Team for parts of the 2023 and 2024 seasons, and drove two races in 2025 for Red Bull Racing before moving back to RB Formula One Team.
In 2023, Masahiko Kondo became the new Chairman of JRP, succeeding Satoru Nakajima. During Kondo's first season as chairman, Super Formula experienced a 64 percent increase in annual attendance from the previous season. Princess Yōko of Mikasa was named as the special honorary president of JRP in 2025, and the Princess Yōko Cup was given to the series champion.

Scoring system

In 2020, Super Formula adopted a new top-ten scoring system similar to the one used in Super GT, awarding 20 points to the race winner. Bonus points were given to the top three qualifiers in every round; three points for pole position, two for second place, and one for third place.
A top-six points system was used in All-Japan F3000 and Formula Nippon from 1988 to 2006, inspired by the contemporary Formula One points system. Beginning in 2007, the series followed Formula One once again and paid out points to the top eight finishers. A bonus point was awarded to the polesitter starting in 2008, during which the regular points system was changed again to award the top ten finishers and give 15 points to the race winner in standard events. The points system reverted back to a top-eight format from 2009–2019, though some rounds would have special points payouts.
; Race points
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th 10th
Points2015118654321

; Qualifying points
Position 1st 2nd 3rd
Points321