Umamusume: Pretty Derby is heading to one of motor racing’s best-known corners. Cygames has acquired the naming rights to Suzuka’s 130R, which will become the “Umamusume 130R” from November 20, 2026, for approximately one year.
The deal accompanies a separate role for the game as the first founding partner of the 2027 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix. There is an important limit, however: Cygames says no promotional material will be displayed at 130R during that F1 race weekend.
What changes at Suzuka, and when?
In its November 12 announcement, Cygames set November 20 as the start date for the corner’s new name. The agreement concerns naming rights, not the sale of the circuit or an announced change to the track layout.
The high-speed corner sits beyond Suzuka’s west straight. For fans accustomed to the short, familiar “130R” name, the agreement adds the title of Cygames’ racing game to an established part of the venue’s identity.
Trackside promotional material is planned for the 25th JAF Suzuka Grand Prix on November 21-22, which includes rounds 11 and 12 of the 2026 Super Formula Championship. It will also be displayed during the unofficial session on November 20.
Why the Japanese GP deal is a separate part of the story
Umamusume’s founding-partner role covers the 2027 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka on April 9-11. Cygames describes founding partners as the event’s highest-tier supporters and says this is the first time the Japanese GP has had one.
The company plans a special Umamusume booth in the GP Square Fanzone during the race weekend, with further details to follow. That fan-zone presence should not be confused with advertising at the newly named corner: the announcement explicitly excludes 130R promotional displays during the 2027 F1 Japanese Grand Prix.
GPFans’ report also notes that distinction. It makes this more specific than a claim that the game will simply cover the corner in branding throughout next year’s F1 event.
What is Umamusume: Pretty Derby?
In the Cygames game, players act as trainers helping their Umamusume racers prepare for competition. Cygames says the partnership draws on a shared theme of competitors working with their teams to win.
For fans planning a visit, the confirmed pieces are the November naming-rights start, the Super Formula promotional displays and the April F1 fan-zone booth. The company has not yet detailed all the activities at that booth. The corner’s new commercial name and the restrictions on race-weekend signage are both part of the announcement.
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Archive photo: Suzuka Circuit’s 130R on April 23, 2017, before this naming-rights agreement. It does not show the new branding. Photo: Wata0929, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and compressed to WebP; adapted image shared under the same license.
