Souta Arao
Souta Arao | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age Tokyo, Japan |
| Occupation | Racing driver |
| Years active | 2022–present |
| Known for | Competing in Super Formula Lights, French F4 Championship, GB3 Championship |
is a Japanese race car driver currently participating in the 2025 Super Formula Lights series with Delightworks Racing. His earlier experience includes competing in the 2022 French F4 Championship and the 2023 GB3 Championship. Arao is recognized as a Honda Racing School alumnus and is involved in the Honda Formula Dream Project.
Karting
Arao’s karting journey began in 2012, culminating in him securing the runner-up position in the OK category at the 2021 All Japan Kart Championship.
Formula 4
Arao made his debut in single-seater racing during the 2022 French F4 Championship. He had an impressive start, achieving a podium finish at Nogaro and placing fifth in the third race. At Pau, after earning pole position and finishing second in Race 1, he celebrated his inaugural victory in car racing by surpassing championship leader Hugh Barter. Throughout the subsequent events, Arao consistently appeared on the podium, including a runner-up spot at Spa-Francorchamps, and clinched victory in Race 1 of the season finale at Le Castellet. Ultimately, he secured third place overall, ahead of fellow Red Bull Junior Yuto Nomura.
GB3 Championship
In 2023, Arao progressed to the GB3 Championship, joining Hitech Grand Prix alongside teammates Alex Dunne and Michael Shin. Despite demonstrating competitive speed, Arao faced challenges in achieving top results, with his highest finishes being two fifth places at Circuit Zandvoort and Donington Park. He concluded the season ranked seventeenth in the championship standings.
Super Formula Lights
For 2024, Arao returned to Japan to compete in Super Formula Lights with Toda Racing. He subsequently moved to Delightworks Racing for his sophomore season within the series, continuing his progression within Japanese motorsport.
Red Bull Junior Team
Between 2022 and the end of 2023, Arao was part of the esteemed Red Bull Junior Team, benefiting from support and exposure provided by one of motorsport’s premier driver development initiatives.
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 | 11th* |
* Season ongoing.
‡ Team classification
Complete French F4 Championship results
(key) (Races highlighted in bold denote pole positions) (Races in italics indicate fastest laps)
| 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 | |||||||||||||||
| Remaining race results omitted for brevity | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd | 227 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Full GB3 Championship Results
(key) (Races displayed in bold denote pole position) (Races shown in italics signify 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 | Final Standing | Points Earned |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Hitech Grand Prix | OUL 1 Retired |
OUL 2 6th |
OUL 3 15th7 |
SIL1 1 Retired |
SIL1 2 Retired |
SIL1 3 Withdrew |
SPA 1 13th |
SPA 2 Retired |
SPA 3 13th2 |
SNE 1 8th |
SNE 2 10th |
SNE 3 22nd |
SIL2 1 13th |
SIL2 2 18th |
SIL2 3 Cancelled |
BRH 1 Did Not Start |
BRH 2 14th |
BRH 3 Retired |
ZAN 1 5th |
ZAN 2 9th |
ZAN 3 17th3 |
DON 1 5th |
DON 2 13th |
DON 3 15th4 |
17th overall | 146 points |
Full Super Formula Lights Results
(key) (Pole positions shown in bold) (Fastest laps indicated by italics)
| Year | Team/Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final Position | Points Total |
|---|
| 2024 Super Formula Lights | Toda Racing | style="background:#CFCFFF;" |7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 7 | 7th place | 43 points |
| 2025 Super Formula Lights | Delightworks Racing | style="background:#CFCFFF;" |8 | 11 | 7 | Season underway | 7th* | 0 | ||||||||||||||
* Current season still in progress.