How a Le Mans winner is changing the game for female racing in Japan

If Super Formula can be considered in some respects the Formula 1 of Japan, then since last season, the country has also had its very own version of F1 Academy.

The Kyojo Cup series is not exactly new - 2026 marks its 10th season since it was founded - but its switch from low-cost prototypes called Vitas to pukka single-seaters last year has undoubtedly increased its profile, drawing increasing comparisons with the more globally famous all-female series that features on the F1 undercard.

Comparisons between the two series are impossible to resist given they both use Formula 4-level cars, although in the case of Kyojo Cup, KCMG machinery produced originally for the FIA Motorsport Games is used instead of the more common Tatuus chassis.

At the same time, Kyojo Cup has strengthened its links with Super Formula, appearing on the support bill on each of the championship’s visits to Fuji Speedway since 2025.

The name Kyojo is a portmanteau of two Japanese words – ‘kyousou’, meaning ‘competition’, and ‘josei’, meaning ‘woman’. The championship is the brainchild of Japan’s first Le Mans 24 Hours winner, Masanori Sekiya, who, after his top-line career came to an end, spent many years as the boss of Toyota’s domestic young driver programme.

However, Sekiya is adamant his philosophy is “totally different” to that of F1 Academy. 

The idea is not to provide a leg up to female drivers so they can go on to make their careers elsewhere, he says, but rather to provide a platform where drivers who join the series can stay for many years and become stars in their own right without ever having to leave. 

Masanori Sekiya won the 1995 Le Mans 24 Hours aboard a McLaren F1 GTR

Photo by: KYOJO CUP

“I don’t view other championships as stepping up or stepping down,” says Sekiya. “I just consider Kyojo Cup to be the pinnacle of female racing in Japan. My idea is that in Japan, the men have Super Formula, and the women have Kyojo Cup and I want to build up Kyojo Cup so that the two series are eventually considered equal.”

In its original format using the Vita, essentially a baby prototype produced by West Racing Cars that can be obtained for less than £20,000, Kyojo grew substantially in terms of numbers from its inaugural season in 2017 (won by now-SUPER GT regular Miki Koyama), when there were 13 cars, with the 2024 season attracting 37. Barring two trips to Suzuka, the series has raced exclusively at Fuji Speedway since its inception.

So why the change to single-seaters? Sekiya explains it was simply because he was made an offer from Paul Ip, the owner of KCMG, to use the KC MG-01 single-seater that was used for the FIA Motorsport Games in 2019 and ‘22, and it was too good a chance to refuse.

Many new younger drivers have emerged, including several names from overseas – six of this year’s 20 competitors are from outside Japan

“It was really a coincidence that Paul got in touch to tell me they had this car that was only used for two events and now was just sitting there,” he remembers. “I knew immediately we had to use the car. It seemed like a present from God, a present for good behaviour!”

The transition to single-seaters was not without its teething issues. The Abarth-powered KC MG-01 was originally conceived as a hybrid car, but the system was disabled midway through last season due to repeated troubles and then removed entirely for the start of this year. Last month’s second round of the series was the first to use proper standing starts, with rolling starts in use until then due to difficulties with the clutch system.

However, there has been a noticeable step up in the quality of the entrants over the last two years. Most teams have ties to Super Formula teams, even if these are largely only commercial, while many new younger drivers have emerged, including several names from overseas – six of this year’s 20 competitors are from outside Japan.

Race starts initially proved tricky in the transition to single-seaters

Photo by: KYOJO CUP

Among those is Joanne Ciconte, the Australian who has made the transition from F1 Academy and made an immediate impact with two second-place finishes in May’s opener. The 17-year-old says she is a big fan of how many laps she has been able to bank at Fuji compared to F1 Academy, where track time is inevitably severely limited.

“Racing in F1 Academy was a great experience, but I am enjoying this series a lot more,” beams Ciconte. “I see it as a true step up in my career. I love the fact we can do more laps and the championship is so equal. I think that’s a key thing when you’re identifying talent. Kyojo really showcases female talent and puts us in the spotlight.

“From a development point of view, racing in Kyojo is really helping me. I can build myself more of a driver here and the equality between the cars and teams is really high.”

The inaugural season of ‘Formula Kyojo' was won by Rio Shimono, who has returned to defend her title alongside a step up to the Formula Regional Japanese championship.

However, despite winning eight of last year’s 10 races, Shimono is having a harder time this year, with a best finish of fifth in four starts. With the cars being centrally run instead of being owned by each respective team, and heavily restricted in terms of set-up changes, she believes there isn’t much she or her crew can do to change their fortunes..

“Since last year the cars have been reshuffled, and it has made me realise that actually there is quite a bit of difference between each chassis,” Shimono sighs. “We are missing about two or three tenths in the dry, but as we can’t really change the car’s set-up, we can’t do anything to try and make up for those gaps in performance.”

Ciconte contested F1 Academy in 2025, but prefers the Kyojo Cup

Photo by: KYOJO CUP

Shimono, however, is relishing being able to challenge herself in a higher category in Formula Regional and hopes Kyojo Cup eventually introduces a faster car in the future.

“Something like Formula Regional cars would be great,” says Shimono. “I think everyone wants to drive that kind of car. With higher limits in terms of performance, we would be able to see who has the highest level among the drivers more easily, and we would learn more.”

However, Sekiya believes the current package is fast enough, pointing out the lap times are already quicker than the Japanese F4 series. “Instead of spending money on a new car, I would rather spend it on increasing the prize money,” he says.

“I realised amid all these people doubting the ability of the female drivers that the motorsport industry had become too chauvinistic and male-dominated" Masanori Sekiya

Sekiya’s opinion shouldn’t be taken as any kind of evidence that he doesn’t think the current field would be up to the challenge of driving a faster car, though. Rather, it is rooted in a belief that a championship’s value shouldn’t be based only on the speed of the car.

“In F1, if the car is five seconds a lap faster or slower, it doesn’t matter,” he asserts. “Nothing changes. In tennis, for example, the ball and rackets don’t change for a long time, because there’s no need. Only motorsport feels this need to constantly change.”

What is clear is that Sekiya sees the potential for Shimono, Ciconte and the other leading lights of the championship to become true stars on a par with those from the world of women’s tennis or women’s golf via their success in the Kyojo Cup.

Where to take the Kyojo Cup next is a debated topic

Photo by: KYOJO CUP

“During the period that we were preparing the [current] cars, I spoke with many people who believed that there was no way the girls driving the Vita could handle this step up,” Sekiya recalls.

“I realised amid all these people doubting the ability of the female drivers that the motorsport industry had become too chauvinistic and male-dominated.

“I believe it’s crucial to create an environment that allows girls to race, for the sake of the future of motorsport. This is what we are working to achieve.”

All smiles on the podium

Photo by: KYOJO CUP