Yuji Kunimoto


Yuji Kunimoto is a Japanese racing driver for Toyota Gazoo Racing who is currently competing in Super GT for Racing Project Bandoh and in Super Formula for Team Impul. He is the champion of the 2016 Super Formula Championship and the 2010 Japanese Formula 3 Championship.
He is the younger brother of 2008 Macau Grand Prix winner Keisuke Kunimoto.

Early Career highlights

  • 2008 Formula Challenge Japan, Series Champion; Formula BMW, Macau GP Support race, 5th position
  • 2007 Formula Toyota, 10th Overall; Formula Challenge Japan, 4th Overall
  • 2006 All Japan Kart Championship, FA Class, 8th Overall
  • 2005 All Japan Kart Championship, ICA Class, 3rd Overall
  • 2004 All Japan Kart Championship, ICA Class, 7th Overall; F-ARTA Arta Challenge Series
  • 2003 All Japan Kart Championship, ICA Class; F-ARTA Arta Challenge Series
  • 2002 All Japan Junior Kart Championship, 4th Overall
  • 2001 All Japan Junior Kart Championship, 12th Overall

Career

From 2009, 2010 Kunimoto competed in Japanese Formula 3 Championship with TOM'S where he clinched third place, and as a champion the next year.

Super GT

Kunimoto made his debut in the series' GT300 Class with apr on 2009 with Takuto Iguchi. the next 2 seasons he paired with Morio Nitta. The latter pair clinch 1 win and 4 podium during 2 season in 2010 & 2011.
Kunimoto then step up to GT500 with Kraft in 2012 with Andrea Caldarelli new to the series, as the pair clinch 1 podium in the season. Kunimoto then moves to Team LeMans partnering Kazuya Oshima for three seasons. Both pair only won once from 2013, and five podiums. For 2016, Kunimoto moves to WedsSport Bandoh alongside Yuhi Sekiguchi. He won only once on that season. After that he is the main driver for Bandoh for four seasons, with Kenta Yamashita, Sho Tsuboi, Ritomo Miyata, and Sena Sakaguchi as his teammate. Kunimoto wins again with Sakaguchi in 2-23 at Suzuka Circuit. For 2024, he stays with the same team and teammate.

Super Formula

[file:Yuji Kunimoto 2010 Motorsport Japan.jpg|thumb|220px|Kunimoto in 2010.]
Kunimoto made his debut in Formula Nippon in 2011 with CerumoINGING as a single car entry. Kunimoto then won the series title in 2016 with his maiden two wins and four podiums, as he beats Andre Lotterer by three points. After that he did not win another title, and race till now. After eight seasons with Cerumo INGING, he moves to Kondo Racing in 2019, then KCMG. For 2024, Kunimoto moves to Team Impul with Theo Pourchaire.

Le Mans 24

Kunimoto made a wildcard debut with Toyota Gazoo Racing for 2017 [24 Hours of Le Mans]. He paired with Jose Maria Lopez, and Nicolas Lapierre. The car only completed 160 laps, and did not finish the race.

Racing record

Career summary

‡ Team standings

Complete Super GT results

YearTeamCarClass123456789DCPts
2009aprToyota Corolla AxioGT300OKA
5
SUZ
9
FUJ
8
SEP
16
SUG
8
SUZ
4
FUJ
12
AUT
7
MOT
5
10th32
2010aprToyota Corolla AxioGT300SUZ
8
OKA
9
FUJ
1
SEP
3
SUG
Ret
SUZ
3
FUJ
C
MOT
17
5th47
2011aprToyota Corolla AxioGT300OKA
6
FUJ
7
SEP
6
SUG
2
SUZ
7
FUJ
14
AUT
8
MOT
9
7th38
2012Lexus Team KeePer KraftLexus SC430GT500OKA
Ret
FUJ
12
SEP
10
SUG
6
SUZ
2
FUJ
7
AUT
13
MOT
Ret
13th28
2013Lexus Team LeMans ENEOSLexus SC430GT500OKA
7
FUJ
3
SEP
7
SUG
6
SUZ
Ret
FUJ
4
AUT
11
MOT
1
5th52
2014Lexus Team LeMans ENEOSLexus RC FGT500OKA
2
FUJ
3
AUT
9
SUG
5
FUJ
13
SUZ
5
BUR
9
MOT
11
7th44
2015Lexus Team LeMans ENEOSLexus RC FGT500OKA
9
FUJ
9
CHA
2
FUJ
13
SUZ
Ret
SUG
4
AUT
8
MOT
9
9th32
2016Lexus Team WedsSport BANDOHLexus RC FGT500OKA
9
FUJ
8
SUG
5
FUJ
10
SUZ
5
CHA
1
MOT
5
MOT
3
4th58
2017Lexus Team WedsSport BANDOHLexus LC 500GT500OKA
6
FUJAUT
8
SUG
12
FUJ
7
SUZ
4
CHA
12
MOT
15
14th22
2018Lexus Team WedsSport BANDOHLexus LC 500GT500OKA
9
FUJ
12
SUZ
13
CHA
3
FUJ
10
SUG
Ret
AUT
3
MOT
5
11th32
2019Lexus Team WedsSport BANDOHLexus LC 500GT500OKA
6‡
FUJ
13
SUZ
7
CHA
3
FUJ
9
SUG
8
AUT
13
MOT
7
11th27.5
2020TGR Team WedsSport BANDOHToyota GR Supra GT500GT500FUJ
9
FUJ
15
SUZ
10
MOT
Ret
FUJ
7
SUZ
9
MOT
11
FUJ
10
17th10
2021TGR Team WedsSport BANDOHToyota GR Supra GT500GT500OKA
12
FUJ
7
MOT
2
SUZ
13
SUG
Ret
AUT
13
MOT
2
FUJ
13
11th36
2022TGR Team WedsSport BANDOHToyota GR Supra GT500GT500OKA
13
FUJ
6
SUZ
5
FUJ
9
SUZ
7
SUG
15
AUT
5
MOT
7
11th28.5
2023TGR Team WedsSport BANDOHToyota GR Supra GT500GT500OKA
9
FUJ
12
SUZ
1
FUJ
12
SUZ
9
SUG
8
AUT
13
MOT
8
12th30
2024TGR Team WedsSport BANDOHToyota GR Supra GT500GT500OKA
13
FUJ
10
SUZ
12
FUJ
9
SUZ
83
SUG
Ret
AUT
12
MOT
14
15th6
2025TGR Team WedsSport BANDOHToyota GR Supra GT500GT500OKA
12†
FUJ
14
SEP
5
FS1
FS2
15
SUZ
14
SUG
10
AUT
5
MOT
11
15th18,5
2026TGR Team WedsSport BANDOHToyota GR Supra GT500GT500OKA
FUJ
SEP
FUJ
SUZ
SUG
AUT
MOT

Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed.
Driver did not take part in this sprint race, points are still awarded for the teammate's result.
* Season still in progress.

Complete Formula Nippon/Super Formula results

YearTeamEngine12345678910DCPoints
2011Project μ/cerumoINGINGToyotaSUZ
13
AUT
11
FUJ
15
MOT
12
SUZ
C
SUG
5
MOT1
4
[Twin Ring Motegi|]
DSQ
10th6.5
2012Project μ/cerumoINGINGToyotaSUZ
14
MOT
9
AUT
8
FUJ
8
MOT
10
SUG
13
SUZ1
11
SUZ2
12
13th2
2013P.mu/cerumoINGINGToyotaSUZ
10
AUT
10
FUJ
7
MOT
6
SUG
4
SUZ1
Ret
SUZ2
15
10th10
2014P.mu/cerumoINGINGToyotaSUZ
13
FUJ1
5
FUJ2
7
FUJ
3
MOT
13
AUT
2
SUG
9
SUZ1
4
SUZ2
Ret
7th19.5
2015P.mu/cerumoINGINGToyotaSUZ
17
OKA
Ret
FUJ
4
MOT
18
AUT
8
SUG
17
SUZ1
7
SUZ2
8
9th7.5
2016P.mu/cerumoINGINGToyotaSUZ
2
OKA
6
FUJ
Ret
MOT
4
OKA1
2
OKA2
1
SUG
15
SUZ1
1
SUZ2
6
1st33
2017P.mu/cerumoINGINGToyotaSUZ
3
OKA1
10
OKA2
9
FUJ
Ret
MOT
15
AUT
5
SUG
4
SUZ1
C
SUZ2
C
8th16
2018JMS P.mu/cerumoINGINGToyotaSUZ1
13
AUT
C
SUG
Ret
FUJ
3
MOT
15
OKA
8
SUZ2
4
8th11.5
2019Kondō RacingToyotaSUZ1
6
AUT
16
SUG
6
FUJ
16
MOT
10
OKA
16
SUZ2
15
17th5
2020carrozzeria Team KCMGToyotaMOT
Ret
OKA
7
SUG
5
AUT
4
SUZ1
3
SUZ2
Ret
FUJ
15
9th29
2021carrozzeria Team KCMGToyotaFUJ
8
SUZ1
Ret
AUT
Ret
SUG
13
MOT1
11
MOT2
Ret
SUZ2
15
18th3
2022KCMGToyotaFUJ
13
FUJ
15
SUZ
6
AUT
11
SUG
9
FUJ
8
MOT
15
MOT
12
SUZ
20
SUZ
18
16th10
2023Kids com KCMGToyotaFUJ
12
FUJ
16
SUZ
16
AUT
10
SUG
9
FUJ
15
MOT
10
SUZ
16
SUZ
8
17th7
2024Itochu Enex Team ImpulToyotaSUZ1
Ret
AUT
19†
SUG
7
FUJ
6
MOT
11
FUJ
13
FUJ
15
SUZ
13
SUZ
12
13th7

* Season still in progress.