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 second edition, we present an interview with driver Kenta Yamashita, who together with his teammate Sho Tsuboi in the au TOM’S GR Supra in the GT500 class last season had won third championship title and this season he is aiming for his third consecutive title.
* Interviewed at the Official tests Okayama
Kenta Yamashita No. 36 au TOM’S GR Supra（2025 GT500 class Champion）
− Now that the Official tests at Okayama are finished, how do you feel about how the GR Supra cars and your car No. 36 have done? Of the four sessions in the Official Tests at Okayama, our No. 36 car was the fastest in three of the sessions, so I think the set-up of the car is rather good. Considering how long the GR Supra cars were run (used), I think its condition is close to perfect, and since our car No. 36 ran at the highest level among them, makes me really grateful to see that. But since these were just tests, there are surely things we can’t know about the potential of the other makes, so to be honest, I feel that we won’t know where stand until we start running in the qualifying of the opening round. So, I want to see us keep working without being overly confident. But as we stand now, I think things are going well in terms of our car’s condition.
− For TGR TEAM au TOM’S cars, there haven’t been any changes in the driver pairs for this season, so in terms of the organization it means you can expect things to be much the same as during past consecutive title wins, can’t you? For our team TOM’S there have been no changes in the engineers and team staff members. However, as for the other GT500 class teams, including the GR Supra teams, it feels as if their aim has been to “beat car No. 36”, which certainly makes us feel how strong the TOM’S team (with its three consecutive titles) is. For this reason, I do have a reassuring feeling of confidence that as long as I don’t make any mistakes things will be OK. Because it can only be when (the race) environment is there that the top position can be taken. So I really feel glad that we had a series of such season titles.
− We believe that this season your team’s goal will be to win a fourth consecutive title, and a third consecutive title for you, Yamashita-san, so will you tell us as much as you can about your mental attitude and the series strategy for this season? Last season there was a race that we failed to get what we aimed for (Round 7 at AUTOPOLIS where the team got no series points), and since there were detailed choices that we failed to make completely, so the year I want to see us be more severe in that respect. If we can do that, the competition should be easier for us, and if possible, I want to see us clinch the title as early as we can. As in the 2024 season, I hope to see us clinch it in the qualifying of the final round. Because I don’t want us to be in a situation where we are under pressure all the way through the final race (wry smile). What I need to do is to concentrate on doing my job. If I just think about that, this season again (winning the title) should be OK.”
For the next interview, we will be talking with Naoya Gamou, who drove the No. 65 LEON PYRAMID AMG to win his second GT300 class Championship title. We hope you will look forward to it.
