Autopolis was built at a cost of approximately 500 million US dollars by real estate developer Tomonori Tsurumaki and opened in 1990, located within Aso Kuju National Park near Kamitsue village. The circuit was designed by Yoshitoshi Sakurai, who had served as project leader of the Honda F1 team during the 1960s. Tsurumaki's ambition to host a Formula One race led the circuit to sponsor the Benetton F1 team in 1990 and 1991, with the Autopolis logo prominently displayed on those cars.
The only major international event held at Autopolis in its early years was the final round of the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season, the 430 km of Autopolis, won by Michael Schumacher and Karl Wendlinger in a Sauber-Mercedes. Financial collapse followed: Tsurumaki's Nippon Tri-Trust went bankrupt in 1993, the year an F1 race had been planned, and the circuit passed through several owners before Kawasaki Motors acquired it in 2005.
The Autopolis layout spans 4.673 km and rises and falls over 50 metres of elevation. The start/finish straight sits at 820 metres above sea level, and the thin air at altitude affects engine breathing and aerodynamic efficiency, a characteristic similar to the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City. The opening section of the lap runs generally downhill before the course climbs again through the latter portion. These gradients, combined with a mix of medium-speed corners, create a physically demanding challenge for both drivers and machinery.
Autopolis first held a Super Formula round in 2006 and has been part of the calendar with some exceptions ever since. The April slot — shared with Super Formula Lights — typically makes the Autopolis round one of the early-season fixtures, often coming after the series opener at Suzuka.
The circuit's altitude and layout produce race dynamics that differ from the speed-dominant circuits of Fuji and Suzuka. Tire degradation, energy management, and the specific demands of the uphill braking zones are recurring factors in Super Formula race strategies at Autopolis. The track has produced competitive mid-field battles as teams tune setups for an environment that rewards mechanical balance over outright top speed.
In the 2024 Super Formula Championship, the Autopolis round was the second of the season, with Tadasuke Makino winning his first career Super Formula race for Docomo Team Dandelion Racing. Ayumu Iwasa had taken pole position but was overtaken at the start. Makino managed a controlled race from the front and held off the field to claim victory, while the round also saw Ben Barnicoat deputise for Theo Pourchaire at Team Impul for his Super Formula debut.
Autopolis occupies an unusual place in Japanese motorsport history: built with Formula One ambitions, the circuit never hosted the race its founder intended, yet it evolved into a reliable fixture in domestic racing's premium tiers. Its remote setting in the volcanic highlands of Kyushu gives it a character distinct from circuits closer to Japan's population centres, and its elevation-influenced dynamics ensure that a Super Formula round at Autopolis is always a meaningful test of engineering adaptability. The circuit has also featured in Gran Turismo Sport and Gran Turismo 7, extending its profile beyond domestic audiences.
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