On the first day of pre-season testing for the 2026 Autobacs SUPER GT Series, the GT Association (GTA) has announced that Eneos will be the new fuel supplier for the GT500 class, starting this season.
Eneos, the largest petroleum company in Japan, will supply all 14 teams with domestically-produced E10 ethanol blend fuel, which has already been used by the manufacturers both in engine bench tests and private manufacturer tests leading up to this weekend’s two-day official pre-season test at Okayama International Circuit.
Eneos replaces Haltermann Carless, who, through its ETS Racing Fuels brand, had supplied SUPER GT’s premier class with carbon-neutral synthetic fuel from 2023 to 2025.
In 2026, the GT300 class will revert to using conventional high-octane petrol supplied at each circuit, after using ETS R50 blend low-carbon fuel the last two seasons.
Haltermann Carless’ initial contract with SUPER GT was set to run through the 2026 season, but given multiple factors, including the state of the Japanese economy and the challenges of importing fuel via sea freight, the series has decided to switch to a domestically-produced product a year ahead of schedule.
Eneos will also supply the Japanese Super Formula Championship with E10 blend fuel starting in 2026. However, the fuel used in GT500 this year will not be the same as the cellulose-based ethanol blend produced for Super Formula, and will be produced in a different facility.
SUPER GT intends for the GT300 class to switch to Eneos E10 fuel in the future, once production can be expanded.
“There were questions regarding the supply system and importing synthetic fuel from overseas,” said GTA Chairman Masaaki Bandoh. “We had always aimed for a domestic product from the beginning, and discussions with Eneos, along with Super Formula also adopting E10, led to us reaching an agreement with Eneos last year that ‘E10 seems feasible’. We wish to steadily progress, step by step, using domestically-produced fuel.
“At the same time, we are grateful to Haltermann Carless for their support thus far. We feel it was beneficial to have worked together,” Bandoh added.
Feature image © GTA
