is a Japanese racing driver of Zainichi Korean descent who competes in Super GT for Racing Project Bandoh. He is the champion of the 2016 Super Formula Championship and the 2010 Japanese Formula 3 Championship. He also drove for Toyota Gazoo Racing in LMP1 at the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans.
He is the younger brother of 2008 Macau Grand Prix winner Keisuke Kunimoto.
Early career highlights 2008 Formula Challenge Japan, Series Champion; Formula BMW, Macau GP Support race, 5th position 2007 Formula Toyota, 10th Overall; Formula Challenge Japan, 4th Overall 2006 All Japan Kart Championship, FA Class, 8th Overall 2005 All Japan Kart Championship, ICA Class, 3rd Overall 2004 All Japan Kart Championship, ICA Class, 7th Overall; F-ARTA Arta Challenge Series 2003 All Japan Kart Championship, ICA Class; F-ARTA Arta Challenge Series 2002 All Japan Junior Kart Championship, 4th Overall 2001 All Japan Junior Kart Championship, 12th Overall
Career From 2009 to 2010, Kunimoto competed in Japanese Formula 3 Championship with TOM'S where he clinched third place, and was champion the next year.
Super GT Kunimoto made his debut in the series' GT300 Class with apr on 2009 with Takuto Iguchi. For the next two seasons, he paired with Morio Nitta. The latter pair clinched one win and four podium during two season in 2010 & 2011.
Kunimoto then stepped up to GT500 with Kraft in 2012 with Andrea Caldarelli new to the series, as the pair clinched one podium in the season. Kunimoto then moved to Team LeMans partnering Kazuya Oshima for three seasons. Both pairs only won once from 2013, and five podiums. For 2016, Kunimoto moved to WedsSport Bandoh alongside Yuhi Sekiguchi. He won only once on that season. After that, he became the main driver for Bandoh for four seasons, with Kenta Yamashita, Sho Tsuboi, Ritomo Miyata, and Sena Sakaguchi as his teammate. Kunimoto won again with Sakaguchi in 2-23 at Suzuka Circuit. For 2024, he stayed with the same team and teammate.
Super Formula
Kunimoto made his debut in Formula Nippon in 2011 with Cerumo・INGING as a single car entry. Kunimoto then won the series title in 2016 with his maiden two wins and four podiums, as he beat Andre Lotterer by three points. After that, he did not win another title, and race till now. After eight seasons with Cerumo INGING, he moved to Kondo Racing in 2019, then KCMG. For 2024, Kunimoto moves to Team Impul with Theo Pourchaire.
24 Hours of Le Mans Kunimoto made a wildcard debut with Toyota Gazoo Racing for 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans. He paired with Jose Maria Lopez, and Nicolas Lapierre. The car only completed 160 laps, and did not finish the race.
Racing record Career summary
Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position2008 Formula Challenge Japan TDP Scholarship16875152721st 2009 Japanese Formula 3 Championship Petronas Team TOM'S1644211973rd Super GT - GT300 apr900003210th 2010 Japanese Formula 3 Championship Petronas Team TOM'S161091012139 1st Super GT - GT300 apr71013475th 2011 Super GT - GT300 apr80001387th Formula Nippon Project μ//cerumo・INGING700006.510th 2012 Super GT - GT500 Lexus Team KeePer Kraft800012813th Formula Nippon Project μ//cerumo・INGING80000213th 2013 Super GT - GT500 Lexus Team LeMans ENEOS81102525th Super Formula P.mu/cerumo・INGING700001010th 2014 Super GT - GT500 Lexus Team LeMans ENEOS80002447th Super Formula P.mu/cerumo・INGING9000219.57th 2015 Super GT - GT500 Lexus Team LeMans ENEOS80001329th Super Formula P.mu/cerumo・INGING800007.59th 2016 Super GT - GT500 Lexus Team WedsSport Bandoh81102584th Super Formula P.mu/cerumo・INGING9200433 1st 2017 Super GT - GT500 Lexus Team WedsSport Bandoh700002214th Super Formula P.mu/cerumo・INGING70101168th 24 Hours of Le Mans Toyota Gazoo Racing100000DNF 2018 Super GT - GT500 Lexus Team WedsSport Bandoh 8 0 0 0 2 32 11th Super Formula JMS P.mu/cerumo・INGING8000011.58th 2019 Super GT - GT500 Lexus Team WedsSport Bandoh8020127.511th Super Formula Kondo Racing70000517th 2020 Super GT - GT500 TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh 8 0 0 0 0 10 17th Super Formula carrozzeria KCMG70001299th 2021 Super GT - GT500 TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh 8 0 2 1 2 36 11th Super Formula carrozzeria KCMG70000318th Super Taikyu - ST-4 Hayashi Telempu SHADE Racing63026130‡1st‡ 2022 Super GT - GT500 TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh8040028.511th Super Formula KCMG1000001016th Super Taikyu - ST-4 SHADE Racing61136142‡2nd‡ 2023 Super GT - GT500 TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh810003012th Super Formula Kids com Team KCMG90000717th Super Taikyu - ST-4 SHADE Racing6030156‡7th‡ 2024 Super Formula Itochu Enex Team Impul 9 0 0 0 0 7 13th Super GT - GT500 TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh 8 0 0 0 0 6 15th Super Taikyu - ST-4 SHADE Racing 2025 Super GT - GT500 TGR Team WedsSport Bandoh8011018.515th Super Taikyu - ST-Z SHADE Racing2026 Super GT - GT500 TGR Team WedsSport BandohSuper Taikyu - ST-ZSHADE RacingSRO Japan Cup - GT4Akiland Racing ‡ Team standings
Complete Super GT results
Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 DC Pts 2009 apr Toyota Corolla Axio GT300OKASUZFUJSEPSUGSUZFUJAUTMOT10th32 2010 apr Toyota Corolla Axio GT300SUZOKAFUJSEPSUGSUZFUJMOT5th47 2011 apr Toyota Corolla Axio GT300OKAFUJSEPSUGSUZFUJAUTMOT7th38 2012 Lexus Team KeePer Kraft Lexus SC430 GT500OKAFUJSEPSUGSUZFUJAUTMOT13th28 2013 Lexus Team LeMans ENEOS Lexus SC430 GT500 OKAFUJSEPSUGSUZFUJAUTMOT5th52 2014 Lexus Team LeMans ENEOS Lexus RC F GT500 OKAFUJAUTSUGFUJSUZBURMOT7th44 2015 Lexus Team LeMans ENEOS Lexus RC F GT500OKAFUJCHAFUJSUZSUGAUTMOT9th32 2016 Lexus Team WedsSport BANDOH Lexus RC F GT500 OKAFUJSUGFUJSUZCHAMOTMOT4th58 2017 Lexus Team WedsSport BANDOH Lexus LC 500 GT500 OKAFUJAUTSUGFUJSUZCHAMOT14th22 2018 Lexus Team WedsSport BANDOH Lexus LC 500 GT500OKAFUJSUZCHAFUJSUGAUTMOT11th32 2019 Lexus Team WedsSport BANDOH Lexus LC 500 GT500OKA‡FUJSUZCHAFUJSUGAUTMOT11th27.5 2020 TGR Team WedsSport BANDOH Toyota GR Supra GT500 GT500 FUJ FUJ SUZ MOT FUJ SUZ MOT FUJ17th10 2021 TGR Team WedsSport BANDOH Toyota GR Supra GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ MOT SUZ SUG AUT MOT FUJ 11th 36 2022 TGR Team WedsSport BANDOH Toyota GR Supra GT500 GT500OKAFUJSUZFUJSUZSUGAUTMOT11th28.5 2023 TGR Team WedsSport BANDOH Toyota GR Supra GT500 GT500OKAFUJSUZFUJSUZSUGAUTMOT12th30 2024 TGR Team WedsSport BANDOH Toyota GR Supra GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ SUZ FUJ SUZ SUG AUT MOT 15th 6 2025 TGR Team WedsSport BANDOH Toyota GR Supra GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ SEP FS1 FS2 SUZ SUG AUT MOT 15th 18,5 2026 TGR Team WedsSport BANDOH Toyota GR Supra GT500 GT500 OKA FUJ SEP FUJ SUZ SUG AUT MOT
‡ Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed. (Number) Driver did not take part in this sprint race, points are still awarded for the teammate's result. * Season still in progress.
Complete Formula Nippon/Super Formula results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 910 DC Points 2011 Project μ/cerumo・INGING Toyota SUZAUT FUJ MOT SUZSUG MOT110th6.5 2012 Project μ/cerumo・INGING Toyota SUZ MOT AUT FUJ MOT SUG SUZ1 SUZ213th2 2013 P.mu/cerumo・INGING Toyota SUZ AUT FUJ MOT SUG SUZ1 SUZ210th10 2014 P.mu/cerumo・INGING Toyota SUZ FUJ1 FUJ2 FUJ MOT AUT SUG SUZ1 SUZ2 7th 19.5 2015 P.mu/cerumo・INGING Toyota SUZ OKA FUJ MOT AUT SUG SUZ1 SUZ2 9th 7.5 2016 P.mu/cerumo・INGING Toyota SUZ OKA FUJ MOT OKA1OKA2 SUG SUZ1 SUZ2 1st 33 2017 P.mu/cerumo・INGING Toyota SUZ OKA1 OKA2 FUJ MOT AUT SUG SUZ1 SUZ2 8th 16 2018 JMS P.mu/cerumo・INGING Toyota SUZ1 AUT SUG FUJ MOT OKA SUZ2 8th 11.5 2019 Kondō Racing Toyota SUZ1 AUT SUG FUJ MOT OKA SUZ2 17th 5 2020 carrozzeria Team KCMG Toyota MOT OKA SUG AUT SUZ1 SUZ2 FUJ 9th 29 2021 carrozzeria Team KCMG Toyota FUJ SUZ1 AUT SUG MOT1 MOT2 SUZ2 18th 3 2022 KCMG Toyota FUJ FUJ SUZ AUT SUG FUJ MOT MOT SUZ SUZ 16th 10 2023 Kids com KCMG Toyota FUJ FUJ SUZ AUT SUG FUJ MOT SUZ SUZ 17th 7 2024 Itochu Enex Team Impul Toyota SUZ1 AUT SUG FUJ MOT FUJ FUJ SUZ SUZ 13th 7 * Season still in progress.
24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 2017 Toyota Gazoo Racing José María López Nicolas Lapierre Toyota TS050 Hybrid LMP1 160 DNF DNF
References
External links
Official website Twitter Page