KCMG came away from a challenging weekend at Fuji Speedway with a points finish, as the squad took on Rounds 3, 6 and 7 of the 2026 SUPER FORMULA season.
Kenta Yamashita and Giuliano Alesi set solid early pace in FP1 on Friday, ending the session eighth and ninth respectively. However, Saturday saw neither driver advance through to Q2 in wet conditions, meaning Yamashita lined up 18th and Alesi 23rd for the opener.
During Round 6, both drivers made good progress, in particular after the pit-stops, with Yamashita gaining four places to cross the line 14th, while on the other side of the garage, Alesi managed to climb up five positions, finishing 18th.
Sunday morning saw the rescheduled Round 3 take place, which was postponed at Autopolis due to adverse weather conditions. Seita Nonaka stepped into the #9 car for this race as qualifying had already taken place back in April, with Yamashita starting 14th and Nonaka just behind in 15th.
Both drivers had to avoid an incident at Turn 1 on the opening tour of Fuji Speedway, costing them positions in the 25-lap event. Yamashita managed to climb his way back up to 13th, while Nonaka crossed the line 18th for the Hong Kong outfit.
Later that day for Round 7, Yamashita lined up seventh after showing strong pace to advance into Q2. The current SUPER GT500 champion battled throughout the race, pulling off several overtakes in the closing stages to take a points finish for the squad, securing 10th.
Meanwhile in the #9 machine, Alesi was forced to retire from the event due to a technical issue.
SUPER FORMULA now heads to its most northern stop on the calendar to take on Round 8 of the 2026 campaign at Sportsland SUGO on 8-9 August.
KENTA YAMASHITA
“Saturday’s wet qualifying session was difficult as we lacked performance in those conditions. Our race pace was positive in the opener, but I spent most of the event battling with other championship contenders who also qualified further back. In the rescheduled Round 3, I lost several positions avoiding an incident and even though I was able to recover, we knew this event would be about improving our set-up. For the final race of the weekend, I advanced to Q2 and lined up seventh on the grid. We struggled throughout for front tyre temperatures but still managed to battle our way into the top 10 in the closing stages. We have to improve to get back towards the front, however, we were able to spend a lot of time understanding the car and I hope we can build on that for the next round in Sugo.”
GIULIANO ALESI
“In qualifying, there are still areas where we’re lacking performance and need to continue working closely on to improve. We showed encouraging race pace on Saturday, making up a handful of positions. However, ahead of Round 7, we noticed some unusual data during the reconnaissance lap. The issue continued into the event, so we made the decision to retire the car. Our focus is now on the next round at Sportsland SUGO, which is a circuit that has always suited me well, and I’m confident of a stronger weekend there next time.”
SEITA NONAKA
“I knew it was going to be a challenge stepping back into the car for Round 3. There was an incident ahead of me at Turn 1 on the opening lap, which cost me several positions. Even though I was able to get back up to speed quickly, I struggled to adjust to the car’s balance. However, I’m grateful for the opportunity to have gained more crucial experience in Super Formula machinery this season. I feel frustrated that I couldn’t achieve more with my time in the car, but would like to say thank you to everyone who supported me.”
RYUJI DOI KCMG HEAD OF MOTORSPORT
“Although the results weren’t at the level we wanted them to be, there were still positives from the event. We were able to see some encouraging signs where we have potential to improve, giving us confidence moving forward. However, we still have a long way to go before we can consistently be competing at the front of the field. Our race pace has been solid, but it also highlighted the importance of making better strategic decisions. We will continue developing our car so that the drivers have the best possible opportunities for the remainder of the season to ensure their hard work is rewarded.”
Media enquiries: Cristina Villar
Email address: cristina@kcmg.com.hk
For more information about KCMG please visit www.kcmg.com.hk. To keep track of all the latest updates, please like KCMG’s Facebook page or follow on X and Instagram.
About KCMG
KC Motorgroup Ltd (KCMG) is an international motorsport services group established in 2007 by Paul Ip. The group, with its headquarters located in Hong Kong, has operations reaching across the Asia Pacific region. KCMG operates closely with many partner companies and racing organisations around the world to provide unrivalled motorsport services, equipment, team management and quality distribution in the automotive industry. For more information on all of the team’s activities please visit www.kcmg.com.hk or email info@kcmg.com.hk.
