Under the spotlight: Kondo Racing
Find out more about the history of Luke’s new team
Published
27 JAN 2026
Est. reading time
2 min
Luke will get behind the wheel of Kondo Racing’s Dallara SF23 in just over two months’ time, when the 2026 Super Formula campaign kicks off in Motegi.
The 23-year-old is set to compete for the Gotemba-based outfit across 12 races next season, as they bid for success in Asia’s premier single-seater series.
But what can Luke expect when he links up with his new team in Japan?
Well, Kondo Racing are a relatively established presence in Super Formula, having been created in 2000 by pop star and motorsport enthusiast Masahiko Kondo.
Kondo was a racer himself during the 1980s and 1990s, and has operated as the team’s Principal since its inception.
Though they also take part in Super GT, it is Super Formula that Kondo Racing have been competing in the longest, appearing in every season since 2000.
It didn’t take them long to start making an impact, either, with Yuji Tachikawa finishing third in the 2001 Drivers’ Championship — placing on the podium four times, including second-place finishes in Fuji and at Mine Circuit.
The following years weren’t quite as successful, though, despite podiums in Suzuka and Motegi in 2004 and 2005, respectively.
However, Kondo began picking up soon after they switched engines from Mugen to Toyota, ahead of the 2006 season.
Brazilian driver João Paulo de Oliveira got them back on the podium in 2007 at Suzuka, before winning the team’s first-ever race during 2008 at the Fuji Speedway — one of three podiums for the São Paulo native that year.
Kondo’s recent history has been better still. Kenta Yamashita has been a mainstay in car No.3 since 2017, and was one half of the duo that topped the Teams’ Championship in 2018 alongside New Zealander Nick Cassidy.
That remains their only title triumph, but they did secure a credible third-place finish in 2022 when Yamashita was joined by Sacha Fenestraz.
It’s also worth noting that Kondo Racing have claimed at least one top-three finish in each of their previous four campaigns, last failing to do so in 2021.
The challenge for Luke will be to chase down a Drivers’ Championship victory that has so far remained elusive for the team.
He can certainly hope to improve on a 7th-place finish in the standings last time out, with Yamashita achieving their solitary podium at Autopolis in May.
We’ll soon find out how Luke and Kondo Racing’s fortunes unfold in 2026, when the Super Formula season gets underway at Mobility Resort Motegi on 4th-5th April.
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