2012 Formula Nippon Championship

The 2012 Formula Nippon Championship was the fortieth season of the premier Japanese open-wheel motor racing series. The series for Formula Nippon racing cars was contested over seven rounds with a non-championship final round at Fuji Speedway as part of the JAF Grand Prix. The two-time Le Mans winner André Lotterer was the defending champion.

This was also the final season run under the name Formula Nippon, the series would be renamed into Japanese Championship Super Formula, a name selected by public, in 2013.^[1]

Teams and drivers

Team	No.	Driver	Engine	Rounds
Petronas Team TOM'S	1	André Lotterer^[2]	Toyota RV8K	All
Petronas Team TOM'S	2	Kazuki Nakajima^[2]	Toyota RV8K	All
Kondō Racing	3	Hironobu Yasuda^[2]	Toyota RV8K	All
Team LeMans	7	Kazuya Oshima^[2]	Toyota RV8K	All
Team Kygnus Sunoco	8	Loïc Duval^[2]	Toyota RV8K	All
HP Real Racing	10	Toshihiro Kaneishi^[2]	Honda HR12E	All
HP Real Racing	11	Yuhki Nakayama	Honda HR12E	4–5
Team Mugen	15	Takuma Sato^[3]	Honda HR12E	6–7
Team Mugen	16	Naoki Yamamoto^[2]	Honda HR12E	All
SGC by KCMG	18	Ryo Orime^[2]	Toyota RV8K	All
Team Impul	19	João Paulo de Oliveira^[2]	Toyota RV8K	All
Team Impul	20	Tsugio Matsuda^[2]	Toyota RV8K	All
Nakajima Racing	31	Daisuke Nakajima^[2]	Honda HR12E	All
Nakajima Racing	32	Takashi Kogure^[2]	Honda HR12E	All
Project μ/cerumo・INGING	38	Kohei Hirate^[2]	Toyota RV8K	All
Project μ/cerumo・INGING	39	Yuji Kunimoto^[2]	Toyota RV8K	All
Docomo Team Dandelion Racing	40	Takuya Izawa^[2]	Honda HR12E	All
Docomo Team Dandelion Racing	41	Koudai Tsukakoshi^[2]	Honda HR12E	All
Le Beausset Motorsports	62	Koki Saga^[2]	Toyota RV8K	All

Note:All drivers (except Yuhki Nakayama) also participated the non-Championship JAF Grand Prix.

Race calendar and results

2012 venues

All races will be held in Japan. A non-championship round, entitled JAF Grand Prix Super GT and Formula Nippon Sprint Cup 2012, will be held at the conclusion of the season.^[4]

Round	Circuit	Date	Pole Position	Fastest Lap	Winning Driver	Winning Team
1	Suzuka Circuit	15 April	Takuya Izawa	João Paulo de Oliveira	Kazuki Nakajima	Petronas Team TOM'S
2	Twin Ring Motegi	13 May	André Lotterer	João Paulo de Oliveira	André Lotterer	Petronas Team TOM'S
3	Autopolis	27 May	Koudai Tsukakoshi	Hironobu Yasuda	Koudai Tsukakoshi	Docomo Team Dandelion Racing
4	Fuji Speedway	15 July	Kazuki Nakajima	João Paulo de Oliveira	André Lotterer	Petronas Team TOM'S
5	Twin Ring Motegi	5 August	João Paulo de Oliveira	Hironobu Yasuda	João Paulo de Oliveira	Team Impul
6	Sportsland SUGO	23 September	Takuya Izawa	Loïc Duval	Takuya Izawa	Docomo Team Dandelion Racing
7	Suzuka Circuit	4 November	Tsugio Matsuda	Takuya Izawa	Takuya Izawa	Docomo Team Dandelion Racing
7	Suzuka Circuit	4 November	João Paulo de Oliveira	Kohei Hirate	Kazuki Nakajima	Petronas Team TOM'S
NC	Fuji Speedway	18 November	Koudai Tsukakoshi	João Paulo de Oliveira	Takuya Izawa	Docomo Team Dandelion Racing

Championship standings

Drivers' Championship

Scoring system

Round	Position	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	5th	6th	7th	8th	Pole
1–6	Points	10	8	6	5	4	3	2	1	1
7	Points	8	4	3	2.5	2	1.5	1	0.5	1

Pos	Driver	SUZ	MOT	AUT	FUJ	MOT	SUG	SUZ		FUJ	Points
1	Kazuki Nakajima	1	3	5	2	4	5	12	1	7	46
2	Koudai Tsukakoshi	2	5	1	9	3	2	3	3	Ret	43
3	Takuya Izawa	6	4	2	13	5	1	1	6	1	41.5
4	André Lotterer	5	1	Ret	1	2	10	5	8	DSQ	35.5
5	João Paulo de Oliveira	3	2	Ret	6	1	6	4	Ret	2	34.5
6	Loïc Duval	9	11	3	4	6	3	7	2	3	25
7	Kazuya Oshima	4	8	6	3	Ret	4	8	7	10	21.5
8	Tsugio Matsuda	8	6	4	5	7	Ret	2	Ret	5	20
9	Kohei Hirate	10	NC	7	7	8	8	9	5	6	8
10	Takashi Kogure	15	Ret	10	10	13	Ret	6	4	11	4
11	Naoki Yamamoto	7	7	9	12	Ret	14	15	Ret	8	4
12	Toshihiro Kaneishi	12	13	12	Ret	11	7	14	14	12	2
13	Yuji Kunimoto	14	9	8	8	10	13	11	12	4	2
14	Hironobu Yasuda	11	12	13	16	9	11	13	9	16	0
15	Takuma Sato						9	17	10	13	0
16	Daisuke Nakajima	16	10	11	11	12	12	10	11	9	0
17	Koki Saga	13	14	Ret	14	Ret	15	16	13	14	0
18	Yuhki Nakayama				15	14					0
19	Ryo Orime	17	15	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	18	15	15	0
Pos	Driver	SUZ	MOT	AUT	FUJ	MOT	SUG	SUZ		FUJ	Points

Colour	Result
Gold	Winner
Silver	Second place
Bronze	Third place
Green	Points finish
Blue	Non-points finish
Blue	Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple	Retired (Ret)
Red	Did not qualify (DNQ)
Red	Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black	Disqualified (DSQ)
White	Did not start (DNS)
	Withdrew (WD)
	Race cancelled (C)
Blank	Did not practice (DNP)
	Did not arrive (DNA)
	Excluded (EX)

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

Teams' Championship

Pos	Team	No.	SUZ	MOT	AUT	FUJ	MOT	SUG	SUZ		FUJ	Points
1	Docomo Team Dandelion Racing	40	6	4	2	13	5	1	1	6	1	78.5
1	Docomo Team Dandelion Racing	41	2	5	1	9	3	2	3	3	Ret	78.5
2	Petronas Team TOM'S	1	5	1	Ret	1	2	10	5	8	DSQ	76.5
2	Petronas Team TOM'S	2	1	3	5	2	4	5	12	1	7	76.5
3	Team Impul	19	3	2	Ret	6	1	6	4	Ret	2	51.5
3	Team Impul	20	8	6	4	5	7	Ret	2	Ret	5	51.5
4	Team Kygnus Sunoco	8	9	11	3	4	6	3	7	2	3	25
5	Team LeMans	7	4	8	6	3	Ret	4	8	7	10	21.5
6	Project μ/cerumo・INGING	38	10	NC	7	7	8	8	9	5	6	10
6	Project μ/cerumo・INGING	39	14	9	8	8	10	13	11	12	4	10
7	Nakajima Racing	31	16	10	11	11	12	12	10	11	9	4
7	Nakajima Racing	32	15	Ret	10	10	13	Ret	6	4	11	4
8	Mugen	15						9	17	10	13	4
8	Mugen	16	7	7	9	12	Ret	14	15	Ret	8	4
9	HP Real Racing	10	12	13	12	Ret	11	7	14	14	12	2
9	HP Real Racing	11				15	14					2
10	Kondō Racing	3	11	12	13	16	9	11	13	9	16	0
11	Le Beausset Motorsports	62	13	14	Ret	14		15	16	13	14	0
12	SGC by KCMG	18	17	15	Ret	Ret	Ret	Ret	18	15	15	0
Pos	Team	No.	SUZ	MOT	AUT	FUJ	MOT	SUG	SUZ		FUJ	Points

Colour	Result
Gold	Winner
Silver	Second place
Bronze	Third place
Green	Points finish
Blue	Non-points finish
Blue	Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple	Retired (Ret)
Red	Did not qualify (DNQ)
Red	Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black	Disqualified (DSQ)
White	Did not start (DNS)
	Withdrew (WD)
	Race cancelled (C)
Blank	Did not practice (DNP)
	Did not arrive (DNA)
	Excluded (EX)

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

References

^ "Forumula Nippon to be renamed Super Formula starting 2013, possible expansion in Asia". Response.jp. IID.Inc. 6 August 2012. Archived from the original on 28 October 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2012.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q "Entry List". Formula Nippon. Japan Race Promotion Company, Ltd. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2012.
^ "Takuma Sato will join TEAM MUGEN to challenge Formula NIPPON Round6 SPORTSLAND SUGO, Round7 SUZUKA CIRCUIT, and JAF GP FUJI SPRINT CUP". Mugen Power. Mugen Motorsports. 14 June 2012. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
^ "2012 International Sporting Calendar" (PDF). FIA.com. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 20 April 2012. p. 6. Retrieved 23 April 2012.

External links

2012 Japanese Championship Formula Nippon

[1] "Forumula Nippon to be renamed Super Formula starting 2013, possible expansion in Asia". Response.jp. IID.Inc. 6 August 2012. Archived from the original on 28 October 2012. Retrieved 25 September 2012.

[Entry-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q "Entry List". Formula Nippon. Japan Race Promotion Company, Ltd. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 23 April 2012.

[3] "Takuma Sato will join TEAM MUGEN to challenge Formula NIPPON Round6 SPORTSLAND SUGO, Round7 SUZUKA CIRCUIT, and JAF GP FUJI SPRINT CUP". Mugen Power. Mugen Motorsports. 14 June 2012. Archived from the original on 30 May 2014. Retrieved 14 July 2012.

[4] "2012 International Sporting Calendar" (PDF). FIA.com. Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile. 20 April 2012. p. 6. Retrieved 23 April 2012.

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v t e Super Formula Championship
Previous names: Japanese Formula 2000 Japanese Formula Two Japanese Formula 3000 Formula Nippon
Formula 2000	1973 1974 1975 1976 1977
Formula Two	1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986
Formula 3000	1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Formula Nippon	1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
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