1997 Formula Nippon Championship

1997 Formula Nippon Championship

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1996

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1998

Related series:
1997 International Formula 3000 Championship
1997 British Formula 3000 Championship

The 1997 Formula Nippon Championship was contested over 10 rounds, 17 different teams, 37 different drivers, 3 different chassis and 2 different engines competed.

Each round saw a Special Stage after the original qualifying. The best six qualifiers had to compete in a separate session for the pole.

Teams and drivers

Team	#	Driver	Chassis	Engine	Rounds
Team LeMans	1	Template:Flagicon Norberto Fontana	Reynard 96D Reynard 97D	Mugen MF308	All
	2	Template:Flagicon Esteban Tuero	Reynard 96D		1–6
		Template:Flagicon Michael Krumm			8
		Template:Flagicon Yuji Tachikawa			9–10
Asahi Kiko Sports	3	Template:Flagicon Atsushi Kawamoto	Reynard 96D	Mugen MF308	All
Team 5ZIGEN	5	Template:Flagicon Marc Goossens	Reynard 96D	Judd KV2 Mugen MF308	All
	6	Template:Flagicon Risto Virtanen	Reynard 95D Reynard 96D	Judd KV2	1–3
		Template:Flagicon Eiichi Tajima			4–10
Team Anabuki Dome with Mugen	8	Template:Flagicon Juichi Wakisaka	Dome F104	Mugen MF308	All
Shionogi Team Nova	9	Template:Flagicon Pedro de la Rosa	Lola T97/51	Mugen MF308	All
	10	Template:Flagicon Akira Iida			All
Team Cerumo	11	Template:Flagicon Hidetoshi Mitsusada	Lola T96/52	Mugen MF308	1–9
		Template:Flagicon Michael Krumm			10
	12	Template:Flagicon Sarah Kavanagh	Reynard 95D Lola T94/50	Cosworth AC Mugen MF308	1–2
		Template:Flagicon Shinsuke Shibahara			8–10
Team TMS	17	Template:Flagicon Masahiko Kondo	Reynard 97D	Mugen MF308	All
	18	Template:Flagicon Ralph Firman			All
Team Impul	19	Template:Flagicon Takuya Kurosawa	Lola T96/52	Mugen MF308	All
	20	Template:Flagicon Masahiko Kageyama	Reynard 96D Lola T95/50		All
Be Brides ARP Asuka	21	Template:Flagicon Tetsuya Tanaka	Lola T95/50	Mugen MF308	1, 5–10
Navi Connection Racing Team	27	Template:Flagicon Masami Kageyama	Reynard 96D Reynard 97D	Mugen MF308	All
	28	Template:Flagicon Katsumi Yamamoto	Reynard 95D Reynard 96D		All
Super Nova with Mirai Kamome Service with Mirai	32	Template:Flagicon Vincenzo Sospiri	Reynard 95D	Mugen MF308	9–10
	33	Template:Flagicon Toshio Suzuki	Reynard 95D		All
Auto Tech Stellar STP Stellar	34	Template:Flagicon Mauro Martini	Reynard 96D	Mugen MF308	3
		Template:Flagicon Andrew Gilbert-Scott			4, 6, 9
		Template:Flagicon Andrea Boldrini			7–8, 10
	35	Template:Flagicon Michael Krumm	Reynard 96D		1–3
		Template:Flagicon Marco Apicella			4–10
Takagi B-1 Racing Team	36	Template:Flagicon Tetsuji Tamanaka	Lola T95/50	Mugen MF308	All
	37	Template:Flagicon Masao Yamada	Lola T94/50		1–5, 7–10
Funai Super Aguri	55	Template:Flagicon Katsutomo Kaneishi	Reynard 96D	Mugen MF308	All
	56	Template:Flagicon Satoshi Motoyama	Reynard 94D Reynard 97D Reynard 95D		1–9
		Template:Flagicon Ryo Michigami			10
Team LeyJun Sri Lanka with Team LeyJun	62	Template:Flagicon Tetsushi Toda	Reynard 94D	Mugen MF308	4–8
	63	Template:Flagicon Dilantha Malagamuwa	Reynard 96D		1–5
		Template:Flagicon "Osamu"			6–10
PIAA Nakajima Racing	64	Template:Flagicon Toranosuke Takagi	Reynard 97D	Mugen MF308	All
	65	Template:Flagicon Koji Yamanishi			All

Race calendar and results

All races were held in Japan.

Race	Track	Date	Pole Position	Fastest Race Lap	Winning Driver	Winning Team
1	Suzuka Circuit	27 April	Template:Flagicon Toranosuke Takagi	Template:Flagicon Katsutomo Kaneishi	Template:Flagicon Pedro de la Rosa	Shionogi Team Nova
2	Mine Circuit	18 May	Template:Flagicon Toranosuke Takagi	Template:Flagicon Katsumi Yamamoto	Template:Flagicon Pedro de la Rosa	Shionogi Team Nova
3	Fuji Speedway	1 June	Template:Flagicon Takuya Kurosawa	Template:Flagicon Takuya Kurosawa	Template:Flagicon Takuya Kurosawa	Team Impul
4	Suzuka Circuit	6 July	Template:Flagicon Toranosuke Takagi	Template:Flagicon Masahiko Kageyama	Template:Flagicon Toranosuke Takagi	PIAA Nakajima Racing
5	Sportsland SUGO	3 August	Template:Flagicon Pedro de la Rosa	Template:Flagicon Norberto Fontana	Template:Flagicon Pedro de la Rosa	Shionogi Team Nova
6	Fuji Speedway	31 August	Template:Flagicon Pedro de la Rosa	Template:Flagicon Pedro de la Rosa	Template:Flagicon Pedro de la Rosa	Shionogi Team Nova
7	Mine Circuit	14 September	Template:Flagicon Toranosuke Takagi	Template:Flagicon Pedro de la Rosa	Template:Flagicon Norberto Fontana	Team LeMans
8	Twin Ring Motegi	28 September	Template:Flagicon Pedro de la Rosa	Template:Flagicon Masami Kageyama	Template:Flagicon Pedro de la Rosa	Shionogi Team Nova
9	Fuji Speedway	19 October	Template:Flagicon Katsutomo Kaneishi	Template:Flagicon Pedro de la Rosa	Template:Flagicon Katsutomo Kaneishi	Funai Super Aguri
10	Suzuka Circuit	9 November	Template:Flagicon Pedro de la Rosa	Template:Flagicon Masahiko Kageyama	Template:Flagicon Pedro de la Rosa	Shionogi Team Nova

Championship standings

Drivers' Championship

Scoring system

Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th
Points	10	6	4	3	2	1

Rank	Name	SUZ	MIN	FUJ	SUZ	SGO	FUJ	MIN	MOT	FUJ	SUZ	Points
1	Template:Flagicon Pedro de la Rosa	1	1	2	3	1	1	2	1	2	1	82
2	Template:Flagicon Takuya Kurosawa	2	2	1	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	2	28
3	Template:Flagicon Norberto Fontana	9	8	6	Ret	7	2	1	3	Ret	Ret	21
4	Template:Flagicon Hidetoshi Mitsusada	3	7	4	4	Ret	3	3	9	5		20
5	Template:Flagicon Masami Kageyama	11	9	11	5	6	4	7	2	3	4	19
6	Template:Flagicon Toranosuke Takagi	Ret	DNS	3	1	Ret	Ret	5	Ret	Ret	5	18
7	Template:Flagicon Masahiko Kageyama	Ret	Ret	5	2	3	Ret	15	Ret	12	3	16
8	Template:Flagicon Ralph Firman	Ret	4	15	6	2	13	Ret	5	Ret	11	12
9	Template:Flagicon Katsutomo Kaneishi	7	Ret	Ret	10	Ret	18	8	Ret	1	Ret	10
10	Template:Flagicon Akira Iida	6	3	Ret	7	Ret	5	10	11	Ret	13	7
11	Template:Flagicon Satoshi Motoyama	4	DNS	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	6	Ret	4		7
12	Template:Flagicon Marco Apicella				8	5	8	4	Ret	6	8	6
13	Template:Flagicon Toshio Suzuki	8	5	7	Ret	4	16	9	8	Ret	9	5
14	Template:Flagicon Juichi Wakisaka	12	6	Ret	Ret	Ret	7	11	4	Ret	Ret	4
15	Template:Flagicon Koji Yamanishi	5	Ret	8	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	17	Ret	7	2
16	Template:Flagicon Esteban Tuero	Ret	Ret	9	11	Ret	6					1
17	Template:Flagicon Michael Krumm	Ret	13	Ret					6		10	1
18	Template:Flagicon Tetsuya Tanaka	Ret				Ret	11	14	Ret	13	6	1
19	Template:Flagicon Katsumi Yamamoto	10	Ret	Ret	9	Ret	12	Ret	14	7	Ret	0
20	Template:Flagicon Andrea Boldrini							13	7		Ret	0
21	Template:Flagicon Atsushi Kawamoto	Ret	10	16	15	9	Ret	12	15	8	14	0
22	Template:Flagicon Masahiko Kondo	15	DNS	12	14	8	14	Ret	13	11	Ret	0
23	Template:Flagicon Eiichi Tajima				13	Ret	9	Ret	Ret	Ret	12	0
24	Template:Flagicon Yuji Tachikawa									9	Ret	0
25	Template:Flagicon Marc Goossens	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	10	Ret	10	Ret	Ret	0
26	Template:Flagicon Dilantha Malagamuwa	Ret	11	14	Ret	10						0
27	Template:Flagicon Shinsuke Shibahara								12	10	Ret	0
28	Template:Flagicon Risto Virtanen	Ret	Ret	10								0
29	Template:Flagicon Andrew Gilbert-Scott				12		Ret			14		0
30	Template:Flagicon Masao Yamada	Ret	12	Ret	Ret	DSQ		DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	0
31	Template:Flagicon Tetsuji Tamanaka	13	Ret	13	16	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNQ	DNQ	0
32	Template:Flagicon Sarah Kavanagh	14	Ret									0
33	Template:Flagicon "Osamu"						15	16	16	Ret	16	0
34	Template:Flagicon Vincenzo Sospiri									Ret	15	0
35	Template:Flagicon Tetsushi Toda				17	Ret	17	17	DNQ			0
36	Template:Flagicon Mauro Martini			Ret								0
37	Template:Flagicon Ryo Michigami										Ret	0

Teams' Championship

Rank	Name	Car	SUZ	MIN	FUJ	SUZ	SGO	FUJ	MIN	MOT	FUJ	SUZ	Points
1	Shionogi Nova	9	1	1	2	3	1	1	2	1	2	1	89
		10	6	3	Ret	7	Ret	5	10	11	Ret	13
2	Impul	19	2	2	1	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	2	44
		20	Ret	Ret	5	2	3	Ret	15	Ret	12	3
3	LeMans	1	9	8	6	Ret	7	2	1	3	Ret	Ret	23
		2	Ret	Ret	9	11	Ret	6		6	9	Ret
4	PIAA Nakajima	64	Ret	DNS	3	1	Ret	Ret	5	Ret	Ret	5	20
		65	5	Ret	8	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	17	Ret	7
5	Cerumo	11	3	7	4	4	Ret	3	3	9	5	10	20
		12	14	Ret						12	10	Ret
6	Navi Connection	27	11	9	11	5	6	4	7	2	3	4	19
		28	10	Ret	Ret	9	Ret	12	Ret	14	7	Ret
7	Funai Super Aguri	55	7	Ret	Ret	10	Ret	18	8	Ret	1	Ret	17
		56	4	DNS	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	6	Ret	4	Ret
8	Team TMS	17	15	DNS	12	14	8	14	Ret	13	11	Ret	12
		18	Ret	4	15	6	2	13	Ret	5	Ret	11
9	Stellar	34			Ret	12		Ret	13	7	14	Ret	6
		35	Ret	13	Ret	8	5	8	4	Ret	6	8
10	Mirai	32									Ret	15	5
		33	8	5	7	Ret	4	16	9	8	Ret	9
11	Dome with Mugen	8	12	6	Ret	Ret	Ret	7	11	4	Ret	Ret	4
12	Be Brides	21	Ret				Ret	11	14	Ret	13	6	1
13	Asahi Kiko Sports	3	Ret	10	16	15	9	Ret	12	15	8	14	0
14	5ZIGEN	5	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	10	Ret	10	Ret	Ret	0
		6	Ret	Ret	10	13	Ret	9	Ret	Ret	Ret	12
15	Team LeyJUN	62				17	Ret	17	17	DNQ			0
		63	Ret	11	14	Ret	10	15	16	16	Ret	16
16	Takagi B-1 Racing	36	13	Ret	13	16	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	DNQ	DNQ	0
		37	Ret	12	Ret	Ret	DSQ		DNQ	DNQ	DNQ	DNQ

External links

• 1997 Japanese Championship Formula Nippon