1996 Formula Nippon Championship Explained

The 1996 Formula Nippon Championship was the first season under the name Formula Nippon; before 1996, the category was named Japanese Formula 3000. This season was contested over 10 rounds. Fifteen different teams, 28 different drivers, three different chassis and three different engines competed. Ralf Schumacher won the championship, winning three races.

This was the final season for six-time Top Formula Champion Kazuyoshi Hoshino, who announced his retirement from the series prior to the start of the 1997 season.

Teams and drivers

Team		Driver	Chassis	Engine	Tyre	Rounds
Kamome Service Racing Team with Impul Calsonic Racing Team with Impul	1	Toshio Suzuki	Lola T96/94 Lola T96/52	Mugen MF308	align=center rowspan=2		All
	19	Kazuyoshi Hoshino	Lola T96/95 Lola T96/52		All
Team Anabuki Dome with Mugen Team avex Dome with Mugen	2	Katsumi Yamamoto	Dome F104i	Mugen MF308	align=center rowspan=2		All
	8	Shinji Nakano			All
Team 5ZIGEN	5	Marco Apicella	Reynard 95D Reynard 96D	Judd KV2	align=center rowspan=2		All
	6	Hidetoshi Mitsusada	Lola T95/50 Reynard 96D		All
Advan Pal Checkers	7	Masami Kageyama	Lola T95/50	Judd KV2	align=center rowspan=2		All
	17	Taichiro Oonishi	Lola T94/50	Mugen MF308	All
Shionogi Team Nova	9	Pedro de la Rosa	Lola T96/51	Mugen MF308	align=center rowspan=2		All
	10	Norberto Fontana			All
Slim Beauty House Cerumo	12	Yukihiro Hane	Lola T94/50	Mugen MF308		All
Nihon Lead Yamada	15	Masao Yamada	Lola T94/50	Mugen MF308	align=center rowspan=2		1–5, 7–8, 10
		Tetsuya Tanaka			6, 9
Kanagawa Clinic Stellar	20	Andrew Gilbert-Scott	Reynard 96D	Mugen MF308	align=center rowspan=2		All
	21	Michael Krumm	Reynard 96D		All
X Japan Racing Team LeMans	24	Naoki Hattori	Reynard 96D	Mugen MF308	align=center rowspan=2		All
	25	Ralf Schumacher			All
Navi Connection Racing Team	27	Masahiko Kageyama	Reynard 96D	Mugen MF308	align=center rowspan=3		All
	28	Masahiko Kondo	Reynard 94D Reynard 95D		1–7, 9–10
		Tom Kristensen			8
Art Brilliant Gullwing	30	Eiichi Tajima	Lola T94/50	Mugen MF308	align=center rowspan=2		All
	31	Hideki Okada	Lola T95/50		All
Funai Super Aguri	55	Katsutomo Kaneishi	Reynard 95D	Mugen MF308	align=center rowspan=2		All
	56	Satoshi Motoyama			All
PIAA Nakajima Racing	64	Toranosuke Takagi	Reynard 96D	Mugen MF308	align=center rowspan=2		All
	65	Takuya Kurosawa			All
Asahi Kiko Sports	72	Atsushi Kawamoto	Lola T93	Cosworth DFV	align=center rowspan=2		All
	73	Tetsuji Tamanaka			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	28 April	Toranosuke Takagi	Michael Krumm	Kazuyoshi Hoshino	Calsonic Racing Team with Impul
2	Mine Circuit	12 May	Michael Krumm	Norberto Fontana	Ralf Schumacher	X Japan Racing Team LeMans
3	Fuji Speedway	26 May	Ralf Schumacher	Norberto Fontana	Norberto Fontana	Shionogi Team Nova
4	Tokachi International Speedway	23 June	Toranosuke Takagi	Michael Krumm	Ralf Schumacher	X Japan Racing Team LeMans
5	Suzuka Circuit	7 July	Toranosuke Takagi	Shinji Nakano	Toranosuke Takagi	PIAA Nakajima Racing
6	Sportsland SUGO	4 August	Toranosuke Takagi	Toranosuke Takagi	Toranosuke Takagi	PIAA Nakajima Racing
7	Fuji Speedway	1 September	Naoki Hattori	Norberto Fontana	Naoki Hattori	X Japan Racing Team LeMans
8	Mine Circuit	15 September	Toshio Suzuki	Katsutomo Kaneishi	Ralf Schumacher	X Japan Racing Team LeMans
9	Suzuka Circuit	29 September	Ralf Schumacher	Shinji Nakano	Naoki Hattori	X Japan Racing Team LeMans
10	Fuji Speedway	20 October	Kazuyoshi Hoshino	Shinji Nakano	Katsutomo Kaneishi	Funai Super Aguri

Championship standings

Drivers' Championship

Scoring system:

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

Rank Driver SUZ MIN FUJ TOK SUZ SUG FUJ MIN SUZ FUJ Points 1 Ralf Schumacher 3 1 19 1 4 Ret Ret 1 4 Ret 40 2 Naoki Hattori 8 Ret 2 3 3 8 1 3 1 Ret 38 3 Kazuyoshi Hoshino 1 Ret 3 4 5 2 Ret Ret 2 Ret 31 4 Toranosuke Takagi Ret 3 Ret Ret 1 1 Ret Ret 6 Ret 25 5 Norberto Fontana 14 2 1 Ret 8 Ret 2 Ret 11 Ret 22 6 Shinji Nakano 2 13 Ret 9 6 7 3 2 9 4 20 7 Katsutomo Kaneishi 6 Ret 4 5 7 Ret 4 Ret Ret 1 19 8 Pedro de la Rosa 5 7 6 6 Ret 11 6 Ret 5 2 13 9 Takuya Kurosawa Ret 8 15 7 2 5 8 5 8 Ret 10 10 Satoshi Motoyama 7 Ret 5 17 12 3 5 6 Ret DNS 9 11 Masami Kageyama 10 5 Ret 2 17 15 9 11 Ret Ret 8 12 Toshio Suzuki 18 Ret 12 11 9 10 7 4 3 Ret 7 13 Andrew Gilbert Scott Ret Ret 7 14 Ret 4 Ret 7 Ret 5 5 14 Masahiko Kageyama Ret Ret Ret Ret 16 12 Ret 9 7 3 4 14 Michael Krumm 4 6 11 16 11 9 Ret Ret Ret Ret 4 16 Marco Apicella 12 4 8 8 14 13 12 Ret 10 Ret 3 17 Katsumi Yamamoto 9 Ret 10 Ret Ret 6 Ret 10 Ret Ret 1 17 Masahiko Kondo Ret 9 16 13 Ret Ret 14 Ret 6 1  – Atsushi Kawamoto Ret 11 Ret 15 19 16 13 Ret Ret 7 0  – Tom Kristensen 8 0  – Hidetoshi Mitsusada Ret Ret 9 Ret 10 14 10 12 Ret Ret 0  – Hideki Okada 11 Ret 17 10 20 Ret 11 10 Ret DNS 0  – Taichiro Ohnishi 15 10 14 Ret 15 Ret Ret Ret 14 Ret 0  – Eiichi Tajima 13 12 13 12 18 Ret Ret Ret Ret DNS 0  – Yukihiro Hane 16 Ret Ret Ret 13 Ret 16 13 12 Ret 0  – Tetsuya Tanaka Ret 13 0  – Tetsuji Tamanaka 17 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 15 Ret NC 0  – Masao Yamada DNQ DNQ 18 DNQ DNQ 15 DNQ Ret 0

Bold – Pole Italics – Fastest Lap

Team's championship

Rank Team Car SUZ MIN FUJ TOK SUZ SUG FUJ MIN SUZ FUJ Points 1 X-Japan Le Mans 24 8 Ret 2 3 3 8 1 3 1 Ret 78 25 3 1 19 1 4 Ret Ret 1 4 Ret 2 Team Impul 1 18 Ret 12 11 9 10 7 4 3 Ret 38 19 1 Ret 3 4 5 2 Ret Ret 2 Ret 3 PIAA Nakajima 64 Ret 3 Ret Ret 1 1 Ret Ret 6 Ret 35 65 Ret 8 15 7 2 5 8 5 8 Ret 4 Shionogi Nova 9 5 7 6 6 Ret 11 6 Ret 5 2 35 10 14 2 1 Ret 8 Ret 2 Ret 11 Ret 5 Funai Super Aguri 55 6 Ret 4 5 7 Ret 4 Ret Ret 1 35 56 7 Ret 5 17 12 3 5 6 Ret DNS 6 Mugen Dome 2 9 Ret 10 Ret Ret 6 Ret 10 Ret Ret 21 8 2 13 Ret 9 6 7 3 2 9 4 7 Kanagawa Clinic Stellar 20 Ret Ret 7 14 Ret 4 Ret 7 Ret 5 9 21 4 6 11 16 11 9 Ret Ret Ret Ret 8 Pal Checkers 7 10 5 Ret 2 17 15 9 11 Ret Ret 8 17 15 10 14 Ret 15 Ret Ret Ret 14 Ret 9 Navi Connection 27 Ret Ret Ret Ret 16 12 Ret 9 7 3 5 28 Ret 9 16 13 Ret Ret 14 8 Ret 6 10 5Zigen 5 12 4 8 8 14 13 12 Ret 10 Ret 3 6 Ret Ret 9 Ret 10 14 10 12 Ret Ret  – Asahi Kiko Sports 72 Ret 11 Ret 15 19 16 13 Ret Ret 7 0 73 17 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 15 Ret NC  – Art Brilliant Gullwing 30 13 12 13 12 18 Ret Ret Ret Ret DNS 0 31 11 Ret 17 10 20 Ret 11 10 Ret DNS  – Slim Beauty House Cerumo 12 16 Ret Ret Ret 13 Ret 16 13 12 Ret 0  – Nihon Lead Yamada 15 DNQ DNQ 18 DNQ DNQ Ret 15 DNQ 13 Ret 0

Bold – Pole Italics – Fastest Lap

Complete Overview

first column of every race

10

= grid position

second column of every race

10

= race result

R=retired NC=not classified NS=did not start NQ=did not qualify

Place	Name	Country	Team	Chassis	Engine
1						10	3	8	1	1	19	4	1	8	4	8	R	8	R	3	1	1	4	9	R
2						9	8	10	R	2	2	5	3	2	3	16	8	1	1	7	3	2	1	3	R
3						2	1	4	R	5	3	18	4	4	5	3	2	4	R	6	R	4	2	1	R
4						1	R	5	3	10	R	1	R	1	1	1	1	2	R	19	R	3	6	4	R
5						16	14	11	2	4	1	8	R	22	8	15	R	6	2	8	R	17	11	11	R
6						4	2	22	13	3	R	10	9	13	6	14	7	3	3	4	2	21	9	5	4
7						13	6	17	R	8	4	11	5	12	7	6	R	14	4	5	R	11	R	7	1
8						11	5	3	7	7	6	9	6	7	R	9	11	5	6	2	R	6	5	14	2
9						18	R	18	8	15	15	2	7	3	2	7	5	10	8	12	5	7	8	8	R
10						15	7	9	R	14	5	19	17	10	12	4	3	7	5	9	6	12	R	2	NS
11						14	10	12	5	11	R	7	2	16	17	11	15	20	9	15	11	13	R	18	R
12						5	18	2	R	18	12	3	11	6	9	12	10	13	7	1	4	5	3	13	R
13						21	R	19	R	17	7	13	14	9	R	2	4	23	R	13	7	15	R	15	5
14						3	4	1	6	19	11	6	16	17	11	10	9	16	R	18	R	14	R	17	R
						8	R	15	R	12	R	16	R	5	16	13	12	9	R	16	9	8	7	12	3
16			Team 5Zigen			12	12	6	4	6	8	17	8	24	14	26	13	11	12	11	R	9	10	10	R
17	Katsumi Yamamoto					7	9	13	R	13	10	15	R	15	R	5	6	12	R	20	14	10	R	16	R
						20	R	21	9	22	16	22	13	20	R	17	R	19	14	-	-	20	R	19	6
-						22	R	20	11	24	R	21	15	19	19	21	16	22	13	24	R	19	R	20	7
-						-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	10	8	-	-	-	-
-			Team 5Zigen			6	R	16	R	9	9	14	R	11	10
	Team 5Zigen													22	14	15	10	17	12	16	R	6	R
-						17	11	7	R	16	17	12	10	14	20	18	R	18	11	21	10	24	R	21	NS
-						23	15	24	10	21	14	23	R	21	15	24	R	24	R	23	R	23	14	24	R
-						19	13	14	12	20	13	20	12	18	18	20	R	21	R	22	R	26	R	22	NS
-						24	16	23	R	23	R	24	R	23	13	19	R	17	16	14	13	18	12	23	R
-						-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	23	R	-	-	-	-	22	13	-	-
-						25	17	25	R	25	R	25	R	25	R	25	R	25	R	25	15	25	R	25	NC
-						26	NQ	26	NQ	26	18	26	NQ	26	NQ	-	-	26	15	26	NQ	-	-	26	R

External links

• 1996 Japanese Championship Formula Nippon