The 2026 D1 Grand Prix series (known for sponsorship reason as 2026 Gran Turismo D1 Grand Prix series) is a professional drifting competition based in Japan which will be the twenty-sixth season of the D1 Grand Prix series. The competition is organized by Sunpros under Japanese Automobile Federation (JAF) Semi national competition format and recognize as Japan Drift Championship. The championship is planned to be contested over 10 rounds starting at Aichi Sky Expo on 24th of March and ended on 15th of November 2026 at Odaiba.
Provisional schedule was released following the final round of 2025 season. Aichi Sky Expo in Nagoya will host the opening two rounds of the season. The venue is located near Centrair which have previously held D1GP round back in 2013. In turns, Okuibuki Motorpark will not held any round for the first time since 2019. The rest of the calendar will be held at same weekend as previous year.[2]
Best 24 is brought back for the first time since 2015 when the system was known as tanso qualifying. The best 24 format will be run on several round only. This led to change on tanso and teams' points which now reward point to 24 driver and its team if the best 24 format is used while the driver overall standings remain only awarding point to top 16 driver regardless of the system being used and team standings remain only scored by highest finishing driver.
Multi cars team that is not participating in 2025 is mandated to participate for full-season.
The noise limit is reduced from 113 dB to 110 dB or vary depends on venue.
The number of mechanic allowed in staging area during tanso is increased from one to two mechanics.
During tsuiso race director allowed to assign a score correction to lead car for serious driving error.
Team member must now mandated to wear a similar team wear.
Only mechanic with fire-proof suit is allowed in hot pit area.
Masashi Yokoi leave D-Max Racing Team at the end of the 2025 season after 13 years. He planned to compete with his own Mind Control Racing team and driving a Nissan Silvia S14 he entered World Time Attack Challenge Drift class with.[25][20]
D-Max announced Kojiro Mekuwa transferred from G-Meister to replace Masashi Yokoi who left the team.[22]
Following Kojiro Mekuwa arrival to the team, D-Max use Valino tires for Mekuwa and Kenshiro Wada use Valino's sister brand, Drift Star.
Shibata Racing Team downscale to one car with Koudai Sobagiri and not renewed Tetsuya Hibino's contract.[15][26]
D1 Lights runner-up, Kazutaka Yanagi announced he will stepping up to D1GP driving the same team and car as in D1 Lights.[12]
Super GT's Team Mach joined Droo-P as the team title sponsor alongside Hiroshima Toyota and entered as Hiroshima Toyota team Mach & Droo-P.[16]
Sayaka Shimoda returns to the series after 2 year away. She joined Naoki Nakamura on Valino's works team and driving a Toyota GR86.[23]
Ryu Nakamura joined Drift Star works team replacing Masakazu Doi.[21]
2023 D1 Lights champion, Hisato Yonai returns to the series after a year off. He is sponsored by car care product Gyeon and will drive the same Nissan 180SX he previously use in 2024. He will be using Harson tires.[17]
Cusco moved Yoshitatsu Kaneda and his Toyota GR Yaris from their Formula Drift Japan line-up to replace Atsuki Hoshi and his GR Corolla respectively. Kaneda will make his first D1GP appearance since 2018 with his GR Yaris being the first example to compete in the series.[4]
Team G-Meister partner with CARGUY and entered two teams under A and B designation. G-Meister owner Koji Yamaguchi joined by Shigehisa Sasayama drive BMW E92 and Toyota GR86 respectively and both after a year away from the series on the A team. Yoshichika Tamagawa and Daiki Nishiyama both graduate from D1 Lights is on the B team. Tamagawa will drive his A80 Supra he previously use in Formula Drift Japan while Nishiyama upgraded the same S15 he use in D1 Lights.[11]
Lattapon Keawchin (Pop) joined Takahiro Ueno in Team Vertex replacing his compatriot and senior Daychapon Toyingcharoen (Pond).
Toyo Tires announced conclusion to Team Toyo Tires Drift works team structure after 2026 season.[19]
Maopo Yamanaka was initially entered driving for WEINS Toyota Kanagawa × 俺だっ！Racing. However due to misconduct, his D1GP license is suspended. Tsuyoshi Tezuka is brought in to replace him returning to the team as a driver for the first time since final two round of 2022 season. Tezuka will be making his first full time appearance for the first time since 2017.[24]
Daigo Saito return to using Yokohama for the first time since 2022.
Tetsura Nakada change his tires supplier to Antares.
Taiwanese driver, Hsu Lei set to make his debut driving a Toyota GR Supra. He will be the first Taiwanese driver to enter D1GP since TaI Xiao-Hsang in 2022.
In-season changes
Seimi Tanaka is unable to participate for the whole due to his car involved in a road accident while being transported.[27]
Ryu Nakamura change his car to the same V8 powered S13 Silvia that his father, Naoki win the 2024 championship with in Tsukuba round.
Masato Kawabata set to miss both Tsukuba round as he will be at Ultrace event in Poland.[28] This will be his first time not competing in D1GP round since 2003.
Brazilian-Japanese Formula Drift Japan driver, Yukio Fausto debuted at Ebisu round as spot entry. He will be driving Nissan Silvia S15.[9]
Masashi Yokoi received a race ban after accumulating 25 penalty point misses round 7. He returned in following round 8.
2026 Formula Drift champions, Conor Shanahan is set to make spot entry for the Odaiba round. He will be driving a Toyota GR Corolla previously used in Formula Drift Japan by Kalle Rovanperä.[5]
Former Russian Drift Series champion, Jack Shanahan is set to make spot entry for the Odaiba round. He will be driving a Toyota GR Corolla prepared by Cusco. His and younger brother, Conor appearance would be the first time D1GP has a pair of siblings since Naoto and Masao Suenaga in 2021 season.[5]
Final classification within each round is determined by highest qualifying position; for example, of the two drivers eliminated in the Best Four, the driver who qualified higher is awarded 3rd position and the final place on the podium. Tie breaker is determined by higher points in tanso standings.
Positions
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5th
6th
7th
8th
9th
10th
11th
12th
13th
14th
15th
16th
Point
25
21
18
16
13
12
11
10
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
Tanso point
4
3
2
1
Teams' standings
Points scored by the highest finishing driver in each round. Point for position 17 to 24th only awarded when best 24 system is used.
Positions
1st
2nd
3rd
4th
5-8th
9-16th
17-24th
Points
26
20
15
10
6
3
1
Overall standings
Pos
Driver
Aichi
Tsukuba
Ebisu
Autopolis
Odaiba
Total
Rd.1
Rd.2
Rd.3
Rd.4
Rd.5
Rd.6
Rd.7
Rd.8
Rd.9
Rd.10
1
Koudai Sobagiri
2
2
91
34
31
51
13
21
164
2
Masashi Yokoi
1
DSQ
1
11
1
14
54
144
3
Naoki Nakamura
91
31
22
4
64
DSQ
24
3
127
4
Hideyuki Fujino
17
1
3
92
103
DNQ
31
DNQ
86
5
Kojiro Mekuwa
102
6
54
23
9
9
12
11
85
6
Yuki Tano
11
DNQ
12
13
52
20
4
12
75
7
Hokuto Matsuyama
3³
DNQ
DNQ
16
4
7
7
12
64
8
Ryu Nakamura
DNQ
17
11
DNQ
2
12
6
8
54
9
Lattapon Keawchin (Pop)
16
7
4
5
23
DNQ
41
10
Yuta Fujiwara
DNQ
5
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
10
4
36
11
Yumeto Hatanaka
12
103
103
DNQ
16
17
DNQ
7
35
12
Yoshicika Tamagawa R
DNQ
19
DNQ
10
7
4
DNQ
DNQ
34
13
Junya Ishikawa
23
11⁴
DNQ
DNQ
11
14
52
DNQ
32
14
Kenshiro Wada
Ret
DNQ
DNQ
8
DNQ
63
11
DNQ
30
15
Ryo Ishi
5
4
DNQ
DNQ
17
19
DNQ
DNQ
29
16
Tetsuya Kume
20
16
DNQ
DNQ
14
2
13
DNQ
29
17
Hisato Yonai
7
20
13
6
DNQ
24
DNQ
16
28
18
Masato Kawabata
14
14
DNQ
13
8
6
28
19
Shiina Tamaki
44
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
8
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
27
20
Takuya Inaoka
6
DNQ
16
DNQ
DNQ
11
DNQ
10
26
21
Daiki Nishiyama R
DNQ
18
6
12
21
15
16
14
23
22
Koji Tada
24
12
DNQ
11
DNQ
23
9
13
22
23
Daigo Saito
21
15
Ret
DNQ
DNQ
8
DNQ
93
22
24
Mitsuru Murakami
19
9²
15
Ret
15
16
14
DNQ
19
25
Kazutaka Yanagi R
8
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
13
10
DNQ
DNQ
17
26
Teruyoshi Iwai
13
WD
7
DNQ
24
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
15
27
Keiichi Nomura
18
DNQ
8
15
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
12
28
Takahiro Ueno
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
7
18
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
11
29
Koji Yamaguchi
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
14
12
DNQ
DNQ
15
10
30
Sayaka Shimoda
15
13
DNQ
DNQ
19
21
15
DNQ
8
31
Hayato Miyoshi
Ret
Ret
14
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
3
—
Yukio Fausto
DNQ
18
0
—
Shigehisa Sasayama
22
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
0
—
Yoshitatsu Kaneda
DNQ
21
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
0
—
Yukio Matsui
DNQ
22
DNQ
DNQ
20
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
0
—
Tetsuro Nakada
DNQ
DNQ
22
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
0
—
Tezuka Tsuyoshi
DNQ
23
DNQ
DNQ
DNQ
22
DNQ
DNQ
0
Tanso standings
Tie breaker is determined by higher event results position.
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Aichi Sky Expo, Aichi Prefecture 
Tsukuba Circuit, Ibaraki Prefecture 
Ebisu Circuit, Fukushima Prefecture 
Autopolis, Oita Prefecture 
Odaiba, Tokyo Bay 
