With the start of the Official Tests of the 2026 AUTOBACS SUPER GT season, it is just about one month until the opening round of the series at Okayama (April 11th and 12th).
With this, we interviewed some of the drivers who will be the focus of special attention, as well and rookie drivers and newly added drivers. As we look forward to the start of the series we offer their messages to the SUPER GT fans.

In this first edition, we present an interview with driver Sho Tsuboi of au TOM’S GR Supra team who in the GT500 class last season won his third consecutive and fourth championship title (a tie for most ever) and is aiming for an unprecedented fourth consecutive title this season.

* Interviewed at the Official tests Okayama

“My aim this season is to get the 4 wins we failed to get last season. By trying to focus on winning races, I want to set my goals high.”

Sho Tsuboi
No. 36 au TOM’S GR Supra（2025 GT500 class Champion）

− At last, the 2026 season has gotten underway, hasn’t it. As champions going for a fourth title, have your tests here gone well so far?
　Things are going well so far. Especially, in these tests at Okayama, the engineers have been working in somewhat new directions in terms of the car’s concept. Determining the positive and negative effects is important, but since basically the GR Supra has become more mature, they feel it is a difficult task to make it one step better.
　Since we have a strong (setting) base, it is necessary to search for positive elements as they move forward, but it is also important to return to the base at times. We are thinking about how to avoid moving in the wrong direction.

− For TGR TEAM au TOM’S, there haven’t been any changes in the team from last year, so you have a strong foundation for your challenge to go for a fourth title, don’t you.
　Yes, there have been no changes in mechanics, and we are going forward with the same team staff. It is truly a good team organization that we have going into this season again, but despite that we weren’t able to win four races last year. We got only three wins in the series.
　Therefore, our aim again this year is to get four wins. In the opening round at Okayama and the final round at Motegi, where cars don’t have to carry any (Success Weight) load, we want to also win at Round 2 at Fuji and Round 7 at AUTOPOLIS. So, I want us to set our goals high to win there. It is a matter of how well we can concentrate on winning races, and to set our sights high.

− The new season is not far away, for it do you have any personal themes you aim for?
　Last year, after we finally got used to being called Champions, on the other hand we didn’t get Pole Position of at any of the races. Personally as well, when I drove in the qualifying Q1 or Q2, I don’t remember ever feeling really good about my driving, Although we got in good position in some races, I was still disappointing that we didn’t get pole position.
So, one of my goals is to at least get pole position. Since I am determined to work on the way I drive and what preparations I make, so I will be happy if I can turn that into real results.

For the next interview, we will be talking with Tsuboi’s teammate driving the No. 36 au TOM’S GR Supra when they won GT500 titles, Kenta Yamashita. We hope you will look forward to it.