6 Hours of Fuji 2026

Fuji Speedway is located at the eastern foot of Mount Fuji in Oyama, Shizuoka Prefecture, and ranks among Asia’s most historic racing circuits. Originally conceived as an American superspeedway in the NASCAR style, the Fuji Speedway Corporation was founded in 1963 initially under the name Japan NASCAR Corporation. The plans called for a 4-kilometer-long, steeply banked oval track, but the budget fell short, so only one of the planned banking sections was realized. From necessity came virtue: the facility was replanned as a road course and opened in January 1966.

Ownership changed hands several times over the decades. Mitsubishi Estate invested in the project as early as 1965 and took over track operations, remaining the owner for decades. Only in 2000 did Fuji Speedway pass to Toyota Motor, which has operated and significantly developed the circuit ever since. Under Toyota, a comprehensive renovation was initiated in 2003: the track was closed and completely redesigned according to a new layout by Hermann Tilke, before reopening on April 10, 2005.

The modern layout measures 4.563 kilometers and remains characterized to this day by its signature feature, the over 1.5-kilometer-long main straight, one of the longest straights in all of motorsport. Back in the 1980s, two chicanes were added—one shortly after the first hairpin turn and another at the entrance to the long, extremely fast final corner 300R—to temper the high speeds somewhat. Even after the Tilke modernization, this character was preserved: enormous top speeds on the straight, followed by technical sections with tight radii such as the Hairpin Corner 30R or the Dunlop Corner.

Sportively, Fuji Speedway has been inseparable from the endurance racing scene since the 1970s. Between 1982 and 1988, the circuit was a fixture of the FIA World Sportscar Championship; before that, the Fuji 1000km had already established itself as a classic of Japanese endurance racing. Fuji also wrote history in Formula 1: in 1976, the first Formula 1 race in Japan took place here, a legendary championship showdown in pouring rain between James Hunt and Niki Lauda, still regarded today as one of motorsport’s most dramatic title decisions. Formula 1 returned in 2007 after 29 years, again under chaotic weather conditions with an early safety car period; Lewis Hamilton won that day.

For the 6 Hours of Fuji as part of the FIA World Endurance Championship, the circuit thus offers an ideal contrast program: on the long straight, enormous slipstream battles and overtaking maneuvers with high risk develop, while the tight, partly specifically named corners such as Coca Cola Corner or Netz Russia demand high precision. With the distinctive panorama of Mount Fuji in the background, the circuit ranks among the most visually impressive venues on the WEC calendar and promises exciting racing with the hypercars of the top class in 2026 as well.