Souta Arao
| Souta Arao | |
|---|---|
Arao in 2022 | |
| Nationality | Japanese |
| Born | 18 December 2005 Tokyo, Japan |
| Super GT - GT300 career | |
| Debut season | 2026 |
| Current team | Team Mach |
| Car number | 5 |
| Starts | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Poles | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Best finish | TBD in 2026 |
| Previous series | |
| 2024–2025 2023 2022 | Super Formula Lights GB3 Championship French F4 Championship |
Souta Arao (荒尾創大, Arao Sōta; born 18 December 2005) is a Japanese racing driver who is set to compete in the 2026 Super GT Series for Team Mach. He previously raced in Super Formula Lights, the French F4 Championship & GB3 Championship.[1] He is a scholar of the Honda Racing School which formerly as Suzuka Racing School,[2] and part of the Honda Formula Dream Project.
Career
Karting
Arao started karting in 2012.[3] In 2021 he became OK vice-champion in the All Japan Kart Championship.[4]
Formula 4
Arao made his single-seater debut in 2022, competing in the French F4 Championship.[5][6] He started his season in strong fashion, getting a podium in the season opener at Nogaro and finishing fifth in Race 3.[7] More success came at the following round in Pau, where, having taken pole position and finished second in the first race, Arao achieved his first victory in car racing on Sunday, beating out championship leader Hugh Barter.[8] The next four rounds yielded a podium each, with a highest result of second at Spa-Francorchamps, before he won Race 1 at the season finale in Le Castellet.[9][10][11] He ended up third in the standings, four places ahead of fellow Red Bull Junior Yuto Nomura.[12]
GB3 Championship
For the 2023 season, it was announced that Arao would move up to the GB3 Championship, driving for Hitech Grand Prix alongside Alex Dunne and Michael Shin.[13][14] Throughout the season Arao showed pace but struggled to achieve good results. His best race results were two fifth places in the final two round at Circuit Zandvoort and Donington Park, which moved him up to 17th in the standings.[15][16]
Super Formula Lights
Arao returned to Japan for 2024, racing in Super Formula Lights with Toda Racing.[17] Arao then moved to Delightworks Racing for his second year in the series in 2025.[18][19]
Red Bull Junior Team
Arao was a member of the Red Bull Junior Team[3][20] He was part of the academy from 2022 until the end of 2023.
Racing record
Racing career summary
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | French F4 Championship | FFSA Academy | 21 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 227 | 3rd |
| 2023 | GB3 Championship | Hitech Grand Prix | 21 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 146 | 17th |
| 2024 | Super Formula Lights | Toda Racing | 18 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 43 | 7th |
| Super Taikyu - ST-Q | Team HRC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0‡ | NC‡ | |
| 2025 | Super Formula Lights | Delightworks Racing | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13th |
| 2026 | Super GT - GT300 | Team Mach | |||||||
| Super Formula | ThreeBond Racing | Reserve driver | |||||||
* Season still in progress.
‡ Team standings
Complete French F4 Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | NOG 1 2 |
NOG 2 9 |
NOG 3 5 |
PAU 1 2 |
PAU 2 20† |
PAU 3 1 |
MAG 1 3 |
MAG 2 5 |
MAG 3 Ret |
SPA 1 4 |
SPA 2 5 |
SPA 3 2 |
LÉD 1 3 |
LÉD 2 9 |
LÉD 3 7 |
CRT 1 3 |
CRT 2 7 |
CRT 3 18 |
LEC 1 1 |
LEC 2 9 |
LEC 3 2 |
3rd | 227 |
Complete GB3 Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Hitech Grand Prix | OUL 1 Ret |
OUL 2 6 |
OUL 3 157 |
SIL1 1 Ret |
SIL1 2 Ret |
SIL1 3 WD |
SPA 1 13 |
SPA 2 Ret |
SPA 3 132 |
SNE 1 8 |
SNE 2 10 |
SNE 3 22 |
SIL2 1 13 |
SIL2 2 18 |
SIL2 3 C |
BRH 1 DNS |
BRH 2 14 |
BRH 3 Ret |
ZAN 1 5 |
ZAN 2 9 |
ZAN 3 173 |
DON 1 5 |
DON 2 13 |
DON 3 154 |
17th | 146 |
Complete Super Formula Lights results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Toda Racing | AUT 1 7 |
AUT 2 7 |
AUT 3 7 |
SUG 1 6 |
SUG 2 2 |
SUG 3 7 |
FUJ 1 4 |
FUJ 2 3 |
FUJ 3 6 |
OKA 1 6 |
OKA 2 6 |
OKA 3 5 |
SUZ 1 2 |
SUZ 2 5 |
SUZ 3 2 |
MOT 1 4 |
MOT 2 5 |
MOT 3 7 |
7th | 43 |
| 2025 | Delightworks Racing | SUZ 1 8 |
SUZ 2 11 |
SUZ 3 7 |
AUT 1 |
AUT 2 |
AUT 3 |
OKA 1 |
OKA 2 |
OKA 3 |
SUG 1 |
SUG 2 |
SUG 3 |
FUJ 1 |
FUJ 2 |
FUJ 3 |
MOT 1 |
MOT 2 |
MOT 3 |
13th* | 0 |
Complete Super GT results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Team Mach | Toyota 86 MC | GT300 | OKA | FUJ |
SEP |
FUJ |
SUZ |
SUG |
AUT |
MOT |
References
- ^ Allen, Peter (23 September 2021). "French F4 reveals 22 drivers entered to race new car in 2022". Formula Scout. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ^ Wood, Ida (28 November 2021). "Takuma Sato chooses two Suzuka Racing School scholars for 2022". Formula Scout. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ^ a b "Souta Arao". Red Bull. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
- ^ "Souta Arao". www.gb-3.net. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- ^ Wolff, Perceval (14 April 2022). "Your season guide to the 2022 French F4 Championship". F1 Feeder Series. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Red Bull will also have talents in French Formula 4 from 2022 onwards". www.gpblog.com. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- ^ "Yuto Nomura and Souta Arao star in French F4 opener at Nogaro". Red Bull. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Brilliant Victory for Souta Arao in Pau F4". Red Bull. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Souta Arao grabs second in French F4 at Spa". Red Bull. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Souta Arao gets a podium in French F4 at Lédenon". Red Bull. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Arao & Nomura in the heat of Valencia French F4 action". Red Bull. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Arao wins in French F4 final in Paul Ricard". Red Bull. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
- ^ "Ayumu Iwasa remains with DAMS for second F2 season". www.motorsport.com. 12 December 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
- ^ Wood, Ida (18 January 2023). "Arao and Montoya finally confirmed in their GB3 and F3 seats for 2023". Formula Scout. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- ^ "Arao takes 5th in Race 1". Honda.Racing. 15 October 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- ^ "Arao finishes 5th in Race 1 and 17th in the s..." Honda.Racing. 23 October 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
- ^ "Honda 2024 Motorsports Program Overview". Honda Racing. 19 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2024.
- ^ "＜DELiGHTWORKS RACING＞全日本スーパーフォーミュラ・ライツ選手権 2025に2台体制で参戦". DELiGHTWORKS Motorsports. 25 February 2025. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
- ^ Wood, Ida (4 March 2025). "Super Formula Lights grid forms ahead of season opener". formulascout. Retrieved 4 March 2025.
- ^ "Red Bull will also have talents in French Formula 4 from 2022 onwards". GPBlog. 13 April 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
External links
- Souta Arao career summary at DriverDB.com
- Red Bull Driver Profile