Super GT has announced that both the GT500 and GT300 classes will switch to a single tire supplier from 2027, ending the series’ historic tire war.
At a press conference before Sunday’s final round at Autopolis, GTA president Masaaki Bandoh said the series was forced to make the decision to cut costs.
“Personally, it is incredibly painful,” he said. “I have always craved real, head-to-head competition. This was a difficult decision, a heartbreaking choice. After much deliberation, we have decided to move toward one-make racing.”
The bidding process will now determine which manufacturer supplies tires for both categories in Japan’s premier racing series.
Separate tenders will be issued for both the classes, although manufacturers can submit bids for both.
#8 Arta Mugen Civic Type R-GT
Photo by: Masahide Kamio
Super GT has been one of the last championships to pit tire manufacturers against each other around the world, with each supplier devoting significant resources to testing and development each year.
Until recently, four different manufacturers were involved in the flagship GT500 class, with Bridgestone, Michelin, Dunlop and Yokohama all forming close alliances with their respective teams.
However, Michelin’s withdrawal from the GT500 after 2023 left Bridgestone as the dominant manufacturer in the top category, as it began supplying tires to 12 of the 15 cars.
Michelin was previously the only manufacturer to consistently challenge Bridgestone, winning back-to-back titles with Mola Nissan in 2011–12 and again with the factory NISMO team in 2014–15.
Yokohama, which has partnered with Bandoh Toyota and Kondo Nissan, and Dunlop, which is affiliated with Nakajima Honda, have had limited success in recent years.
However, Yokohama and Dunlop have been more successful in the second division of Super GT, which includes a mix of GT3 cars and the series’ own GT300 models.
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