The 2025 series entry list has been released, and teams have begun preparation for the official test in March as well as the season opening round held in Okayama in April. Meantime, GTA circulated the 2025 sporting regulations that include changes in the qualifying, the series point system of GT300 class, the number of tire sets allowed to bring in, the detail of penalties, etc. with the stakeholders of SUPER GT and media. Key points of the regulations are described below. *Changes for this season are marked in red in the sporting regulations abstracts. (Please refer to the official sporting regulations for accuracy) *Photos posted are for illustrative purpose only and do not directly represent the contents of the article.
2025 SUPER GT Sporting Regulations Appendix-8 Knock-Out Qualifying Session – Procedure Details (abstract) 3. Sessions ① All competitor cars must participate and run at this session. Each car must have its lap time timed. ② The cars that scored the best lap times (GT300 =18 cars, GT500 = 10 cars) can proceed to Q2. When the Group division procedures are applied for GT300 at Q1, the top 9 cars from Group A and 9 cars from Group B will proceed into Q2. ③ The teams will be notified of the cars elected to join the Q2, through the lap time monitors. ④ The cars that do not make it to Q2 will line in the Qualifying results according to the Q1 lap times (GT300 = 19 position and downwards, GT500 = 11th position and downwards). When the GT300 Group division system is applied, the fastest lap time achiever in the Q1 fast group- the 10th position car, will be given the 19th position in the entire qualifying session results, and the other group’s Q1 10th position car will be given the 20th position in the whole qualifying session results. And the sequence continues downward in this alternating manner. 2) Q2 Only the cars eligible to continue in the Qualifying sessions after Q1 (GT300 = 18 cars, GT500 = 10 cars) may participate in Q2. ① The Qualifying raking will be determined according to the lap time achieved at this session (GT300 top 1st – 18th position, GT500 1st – 10th position). ② Any car that due to some reason is not timed during Q2 will join the Qualifying time table behind the cars timed at Q2 and according to this car’s Q1 time results.
・For the qualifying, positions were determined based on the sum of the lap times from Q1 and Q2 in the 2024 season, however, the 2025 season will adopt a knock-out format that was used in the past. ・In Q1, all cars run together in the GT500 class and the cars will be divided into 2 groups, Group A and B, in the GT300 class. ・The numbers of cars advancing to Q2 are top 10 cars of Q1 in the GT500 class and a total of 18 cars from Q1 (top 9 cars of Group A and B) in the GT300 class, which is different from former knock-out system. ・Qualifying duration is, for both classes, 10 minutes for Q1 (10 minutes for each group in GT300 class) and 10 minutes for Q2.
2025 SUPER GT Sporting Regulations Art.7 Series Points 2. The points given to drivers and teams on each event sanctioned as the Series go as follows: 1) Points for drivers: (1) The drivers (pair) whose car scores the fastest lap time will be awarded 1 point. (2) The following points will be given to the drivers (pair) of each Class, after each race and according to the rank order from the high-classified cars according to the classification. However, for competitions with an initial race distance of 700 km or more or an initial race time of 4 hours or more, the detail will be announced through a SUPER GT Race Bulletin that will be issued before respective event.
GT500 class points allocation
GT300 class points allocation
2) Points for teams: (3) The following points will be given to the top teams according to the classification of GT500/GT300 classes. However, for competitions with an initial race distance of 700 km or more or an initial race time of 4 hours or more, the detail will be announced through a SUPER GT Race Bulletin that will be issued before respective event.
・For the series point granted in the qualifying, only the pole position (1st place of qualifying of both classes) will receive one point, as in the past, after the change to knock-out format. ・Revision was made only for the GT300 class for the series points granted based on the race classification, which expanded the range of allocation to 1st to 15th positions. With the change, top positions will receive increased points, 25 points to 1st place and 20 points to 2nd places, and others will receive points based on the table above. For the GT500 class, the points are granted to 1st to 10th places where the highest points granted being the 20 points given to 1st position, which is no change from last year. ・Point allocation tables for the races that are 700km or over or 4 hours or longer were predefined in the regulations last year, but GTA will announce the detail every time before the respective event.
2025 SUPER GT Sporting Regulations Art. 20 Scrutineering 17． During the sessions, all drivers and all others as designated in the regulations, must wear the items and equipment described below at their own responsibility and must present these items for inspection whenever required by the Organizer. The GTA Official form with the specific description of the equipment, as described in the FIA International Sporting Code Appendix L Chapter 3, must be filled in and presented to the GTA, 7 days before the day before the Qualifying Session of the event. (all competitors must only submit the form once unless there have been any changes in the Driver’s equipment) 1) Crash protection helmet The helmet is supervised by the GTA via a sticker. The required sticker must be allocated according to directions provided by the GTA (on the right-side cheek area). Wearing of an FIA 8860-2018 standards certified helmet is mandated. However, an exception may apply if the production would not be completed before the first event of 2025-season.
・As described in the below news article, it is defined in the regulations that all participating drivers are mandated to wear a carbon fiber helmet (a product certified to the FIA 8860-2018 standards) from this season. ・By taking into account the fact that the production of the helmet may not be completed before the season opener due to massive demand from a large number of drivers, a grace period is set for the deployment. *”The first of the carbon fiber helmets required from this season, an ARAI HELMET-made model, is delivered to Koudai Tsukakoshi”
2025 SUPER GT Sporting Regulations Art. 21 Tires 13. The number of tires that the tire manufacturer is allowed to bring to the circuit is 4 (four) dry sets and 6 (six) wet tire sets – per car. One set out of the wet tires that are allowed to bring in must be tires that are functional in heavy wet conditions.For the tire manufacturer whose none of the teams that they are supplying has won a race within the respective season, the number of dry tires allowed to bring in per car for the GT500 class can be increased by one set only from Round 2 onwards. The number of tire sets allowed for races more than 300km long shall be announced previously by the GTA. The number of tire sets will be previously announced in the SUPER GT race bulletin.
・The number of tires allowed to bring in per event (300km race) is 4 sets for dry tires, which is same as last year, but it is increased by one set to 6 sets for wet tires. ・With the increase in the number of sets for wet tires, at least one set is required to be tires that function in heavy wet conditions (where track surface is soaked from heavy rain). ・Last year’s regulations permitted an addition of one set to the number of tires allowed to bring in to only the tire manufacturer who did not have any winning cars from the teams it supplied tires in previous year, but the rule is revised this year to allow the tire manufacturer who has not won in the GT500 class after Round 2 to add one set.
2025 SUPER GT Sporting Regulations Art. 13 Incident 6． Penalties to any breaches during the race are as follows: 1) The Clerk of the Course together with the Race Director has the immediate authority to time penalize during the race the 3 types of penalty as described below. (1) Time penalty: Time will be added to the final result of the car concerned. （2） Drive-through Penalty: After the board has been deployed (as described in 2) hereinafter), the driver must enter the pit lane and re-join the race from the pit exit without stopping in the pits. （3） Penalty Stop: After the board has been deployed (as described in 2) hereinafter), the driver must enter the pit lane, stop at the penalty stop area for the penalty time given, and then rejoin the race from the pit exit. The driver is not allowed to stop at his pit. It is not necessary to stop the engine at the penalty stop area. If the engine stops, the onboard starter can be used once the penalized time has elapsed. 2） When the Stewards of the Meeting have placed a penalty due to violation of the Regulations during the race, a blackboard with the necessary information; penalty details (“D” for Drive-through Penalty and “P” for Penalty Stop) with the relevant car number will be shown from the Control Line area. The same information will be announced through radio in the pits and on the monitors as well as by the penalty notice form sent to the respective team Director. A penalty citation will also be handed to the team concerned. The penalty may only be executed once the board has been shown. The penalty may be executed after it has been announced even before the driver has actually seen the board. （1） False start: Time penalty or more （2） Breach of Appendix H for example, ignoring Yellow Flag: Time penalty or more （3） Any breach during pit assistance: Time penalty or more （4） Over speeding in pit lane: Time penalty or more （5） Penalty for any contacts which are regarded as those mentioned in Clause 1 “a” of this Article: From Time penalty to penalty stop of 30 sec. （6） Any other foul play not stated in (1) ~ (5): Time penalty or more （7） Serious unethical driving conduct heavier than (1) ~ (6): Penalty stop 30 sec or more. Stewards of the Meeting may impose as mentioned in 1), reprimand, fines, point reduction, exclusion from the race in addition to or instead of a penalty.
・Previously, the drive-through penalty (passing through pit road) and penalty stop (stopping at the designated location on the pit road for instructed duration) were the standards of penalties imposed during the competition for dangerous driving conduct or violations of regulations. For this season, time penalty, which adds penalty time to the result, has been added.
