Super Formula confirms updated car for 2023 season

The Japanese single-seater series has been working on an overhaul of the current Dallara SF19 package since the start of 2022, conducting a number of tests across a range of circuits with a pair of development cars.

Ahead of October's season finale, the final version of the 2023 car was demonstrated, featuring revised front and rear wings, sidepods and floor, partly made from Bcomp flax fibre, as well as new Yokohama tyres featuring a larger proportion of sustainable materials.

However, confirmation that the new aero package would be used next season was delayed amid discussions with the teams about who would bear the cost of its introduction.

After an additional test at November at Motegi, series organiser JRP has confirmed the introduction of the new car, which is aimed at improving raceability as well as lowering the championship's carbon footprint.

Downforce is reduced in comparison to the existing car by an estimated eight percent, with the amount of dirty air produced cut by around half.

Hiroaki Ishiura and Koudai Tsukakoshi covered over 10,000 kilometres between them in the series' two development cars, affectionately known as 'Red Tiger' (Toyota) and 'White Tiger' (Honda) respectively.

 

Carbon-neutral fuel was evaluated during these tests, but ultimately will not be used in 2023.

The new car will make its official competition debut in pre-season testing in March. Exact dates are yet to be announced, but the series has confirmed that a single test will take place at Suzuka prior to the opening round at Fuji in April.

Super Formula also confirmed a nine-race calendar for 2023, as announced by Japanese governing body JAF late last month, with the August Motegi event becoming a regular single-race weekend.

An entry list featuring 20 cars (nine Honda-powered, 11 Toyota-powered) across 11 teams was also revealed, with TOM'S still yet to announce whether Giuliano Alesi or Ukyo Sasahara will drive its #36 car.

There remains the possibility of additional Honda-powered cars joining the series with Servus Japan, which contested last week's post-season rookie test at Suzuka as 'Team TBD'.

Super Formula 2023 provisional entry list:

Team/Engine	No.	Driver
Mugen/Honda	1	Tomoki Nojiri
	15	Liam Lawson
Kondo Racing/Toyota	3	Kenta Yamashita
	4	Kazuto Kotaka
Dandelion Racing/Honda	5	Tadasuke Makino
	6	Kakunoshin Ota
KCMG/Toyota	7	Kamui Kobayashi
	18	Yuji Kunimoto
Drago Corse/Honda	12	Nirei Fukuzumi
Rookie Racing/Toyota	14	Kazuya Oshima
Impul/Toyota	19	Yuhi Sekiguchi
	20	Ryo Hirakawa
TOM'S/Toyota	36	TBA
	37	Ritomo Miyata
Inging/Toyota	38	Sho Tsuboi
	39	Sena Sakaguchi
B-Max Racing/Honda	50	Nobuharu Matsushita
	51	Raoul Hyman
Nakajima Racing/Honda	64	Naoki Yamamoto
	65	Ren Sato