# Souta Arao

Souta Arao (荒尾創大, Arao Sōta, born 18 December 2005) is a Japanese racing driver who is currently competing in the 2025 Super Formula Lights for Delightworks Racing. He previously competed in the French F4 Championship & GB3 Championship. He is a scholar of the Honda Racing School which formerly as Suzuka Racing School, and part of the Honda Formula Dream Project.

## Career
### Karting

Arao started karting in 2012. In 2021 he became OK vice-champion in the All Japan Kart Championship.

### Formula 4

Arao made his single-seater debut in 2022, competing in the French F4 Championship. He started his season in strong fashion, getting a podium in the season opener at Nogaro and finishing fifth in Race 3. 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. 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. He ended up third in the standings, four places ahead of fellow Red Bull Junior Yuto Nomura.

### 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. 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.

### Super Formula Lights

Arao returns to Japan for 2024, as he will race in Super Formula Lights with Toda Racing. Arao then move to Delightworks Racing for his second year in the series.

### Red Bull Junior Team

Arao was a member of the Red Bull Junior Team 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 |
| 2024 | 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 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 15$^7$ | SIL1 1 Ret | SIL1 2 Ret | SIL1 3 WD | SPA 1 13 | SPA 2 Ret | SPA 3 13$^2$ | 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 17$^3$ | DON 1 5 | DON 2 13 | DON 3 15$^4$ | 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 | 7th* | 0 |
$^*$ Season still in progress.