Video game developer Cygames announced that Umamusume Pretty Derby has become the first founding partner of the 2027 FIA Formula 1 Lenovo Japanese Grand Prix [2]. The partnership pairs the pinnacle of world motorsports with one of Japan’s most recognizable mobile games [1], [3]. The race weekend will run from April 9 to 11, 2027 at Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture [5].
Partnership at Suzuka Circuit
Cygames (HQ: Shibuya, Tokyo; President: Koichi Watanabe) announced that the agreement establishes the mobile game as a top-tier supporter for the upcoming 2027 championship round. Under this founding partnership, the company will collaborate with event organizers to support marketing programs, run promotional campaigns, and build new trackside experiences for fans attending the circuit [2]. The Grand Prix serves as the fourth round of the 2027 FIA Formula 1 World Championship, placing Cygames in front of a global television audience and hundreds of thousands of spectators [5]. Founding partners work with Grand Prix management to bring extra value to the event while helping guide the long-term direction of its growth [2].
Suzuka Circuit has hosted the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix regularly since 2009, while top-tier sports car and grand prix racing has taken place in Japan since 1963 [3], [5]. Over that entire 63-year history, the race never had an official founding partner [3], [5]. The annual gathering draws more than 300,000 spectators to the grandstands each spring [2].
Turn 130R for Umamusume Pretty Derby
As a centerpiece of the sponsorship agreement for Umamusume Pretty Derby, Cygames secured the naming rights to Suzuka Circuit’s internationally known 130R corner. Located just past the track’s west straight, the fast bend will carry the name Umamusume 130R starting November 20, 2026 [2]. The temporary naming agreement will remain in place for approximately one full year [1], [3].
Trackside promotional material will appear at the corner during the 25th JAF Suzuka Grand Prix, held from November 21 to 22, 2026. That event features rounds 11 and 12 of the Japanese Super Formula Championship, and promotional signage will also appear during the unofficial practice sessions on November 20 [2]. Cygames released a sample preview of the trackside artwork showing that the banners feature six well-known characters from the series: Daring Tact, Win Marilyn, Silence Suzuka, Stay Gold, Efforia, and Titleholder [4]. Each character represents a real-world Japanese thoroughbred racehorse, bridging the gap between equine racing history and modern Japanese pop culture for attendees walking along the outer circuit boundaries [3], [4].
The promotional banners won’t stay up for every race weekend on the 2027 calendar. Cygames and track management clarified that no promotional material will be displayed at turn 130R during the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix itself [1], [2]. Strict event regulations keep the trackside runoff areas clean for the world championship event [1].
Trackside Activities and Fan Zones
While turn 130R won’t display character billboards during the Grand Prix, fans will find gaming exhibits elsewhere on the circuit grounds. Cygames will open a special booth inside the GP Square Fanzone, offering themed decorations and collaborative projects throughout the race weekend [2], [7]. Organizers will share additional details about booth activities and merchandise closer to April [2].
Entertainment will also expand directly onto the circuit’s asphalt once Saturday’s timed sessions conclude. Suzuka Circuit announced that a special live music performance will take place on the main straight following the official Formula 1 qualifying session on April 10, 2027. Formula 1 drivers like Max Verstappen won’t participate in the performance, but the concert mirrors the post-race idol shows that character runners perform inside the game after crossing the finish line [4]. In the fictional world of Tracen Academy, athletic victory is celebrated with energetic live music concerts where winning runners take to the stage to perform for cheering stadium crowds, making the Saturday evening show at Suzuka a natural extension of the game’s identity [2], [4].
Tickets for the 2027 race go on sale starting November 15, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. JST (November 14 at 6:00 p.m. PST) through the official MobilityStation online store [2], [6]. Grand Prix organizers expect heavy demand from domestic spectators and international travelers [5]. Ticket options include grandstand seats, paddock passes, and general admission tickets for the spring weekend [2].
Motorsport Roots in Super GT
The Grand Prix deal isn’t Cygames’ first venture into professional motorsport. In February 2026, the company became the feature sponsor of Japan’s Pacific Racing Team, entering the Super GT series [4],. The partnership aimed to promote motorsport culture to video game players while giving race fans a fresh point of connection with anime-inspired media [8].
Competing in the GT300 division of Super GT, Pacific Racing Team fielded cars against sports machines from Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche. The class shares the track with GT500 manufacturer entries from Toyota, Nissan, and Honda, creating tense multi-class battles where faster cars constantly navigate slower traffic. The team’s car design featured six characters acting as official race ambassadors on the track. The squad scored points in multiple rounds, placing 18th in qualifying at Okayama in April, 13th at Fuji in August, and securing a double win at Suzuka Circuit on August 22 and 23, where they took first place in both qualifying and the final race [8].
Cygames also sponsored the 2026 Motul Grand Prix of Japan, and readers can follow how Cygames brought horse-girl racing to two wheels in our report on the Uma Musume MotoGP deal at Motegi. Cygames has also partnered with real-world horse racing events, including the Kentucky Derby, the Breeders’ Cup, and the Qatar Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe [3].
Story and Gameplay in Umamusume Pretty Derby
In Umamusume Pretty Derby, players guide student athletes at Tracen Academy through daily training and personal communication. Trainers help their trainee runners prepare for major turf trials, aiming to turn raw athletic talent into championship victories. Daily dialogue choices and tailored training regimens shape how each character performs on race day [2].
The game first debuted in Japan in February 2021 before rolling out globally in June 2025 across Android, iOS, and PC via Steam [4], [6]. Its international momentum showed at The Game Awards 2025, where it won the award for Best Mobile Game against top worldwide contenders [1], [2]. Beyond the mobile game, the property spans stage plays, animated feature films, and the television anime series Umamusume: Cinderella Gray, which streams on Amazon Prime Video and the It’s Anime YouTube channel in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia [3], [6]. That broad multimedia presence helped turn the series into a cultural phenomenon that now crosses paths with international grand prix racing [1], [3].
Cygames explained that the partnership reflects shared values between horse-girl racing fiction and high-level motorsport competition. In a public statement detailing the collaboration, Cygames said: “In Umamusume, players assume the role of a trainer and work in tandem with their Umamusume trainee to achieve victory in races. Each racer pursues her goals relentlessly, supported by her trainer, family, and friends. Cygames believes that this pursuit reflects the spirit of F1, where drivers and their teams work together to reach the top. The desire to support these similar themes of competition and camaraderie has led Umamusume to become a founding partner.” [2]
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