2008 Formula Nippon Championship Explained

The 2008 Formula Nippon Championship was the thirty-sixth season of the premier Japanese open-wheel motor racing series. The series for Formula Nippon racing cars was contested over eight rounds. All teams were required to use Lola chassis (Lola FN06) and have the choice between utilising Mugen Honda (Mugen HF386E) or Toyota (Toyota RV8J) engines.

Defending champion Tsugio Matsuda secured the championship with a round in hand. Together with teammate Benoît Tréluyer, Matsuda's Team Impul also secured the teams championship with a round to go.

Teams and drivers

Team		Driver	Chassis	Engine	Rounds
Lawson Team Impul	1	Tsugio Matsuda	Lola FN06	Toyota RV8J	All
	2	Benoît Tréluyer	Lola FN06	Toyota RV8J	All
Kondo Racing	3	Naoki Yokomizo	Lola FN06	Toyota RV8J	All
	4	João Paulo de Oliveira	Lola FN06	Toyota RV8J	All
SG Team 5Zigen	5	Toshihiro Kaneishi	Lola FN06	Honda HF386E	All
	6	Katsuyuki Hiranaka	Lola FN06	Honda HF386E	1–4, 7–8
		Hiroki Yoshimoto			5–6
Team LeMans	7	Satoshi Motoyama	Lola FN06	Toyota RV8J	All
	8	Hiroaki Ishiura	Lola FN06	Toyota RV8J	All
TP Checker Team Impul	20	Kohei Hirate	Lola FN06	Toyota RV8J	1–6, 8
	Richard Lyons	7
PIAA Nakajima Racing	31	Loïc Duval	Lola FN06	Honda HF386E	All
	32	Takashi Kogure	Lola FN06	Honda HF386E	All
Petronas Team TOM'S	36	André Lotterer	Lola FN06	Toyota RV8J	All
	37	Seiji Ara	Lola FN06	Toyota RV8J	All
DoCoMo Team Dandelion Racing	40	Kosuke Matsuura	Lola FN06	Honda HF386E	All
	41	Takeshi Tsuchiya	Lola FN06	Honda HF386E	All
Cerumo/Inging	47	Ronnie Quintarelli	Lola FN06	Toyota RV8J	All
	48	Yuji Tachikawa	Lola FN06	Toyota RV8J	All
Autobacs Racing Team Aguri	55	Yuji Ide	Lola FN06	Honda HF386E	All
	56	Takuya Izawa	Lola FN06	Honda HF386E	All
Stonemarket Blaak Cerumo/Inging	67	Roberto Streit	Lola FN06	Toyota RV8J	All

Calendar

• All races held in Japan.

Round	Circuit	Date	Pole Position	Fastest Lap	Winning Driver	Winning Team
1	Fuji Speedway	6 April	Tsugio Matsuda	Yuji Tachikawa	Tsugio Matsuda	Team Impul
2	Suzuka Circuit	11 May	Tsugio Matsuda	Yuji Tachikawa	Tsugio Matsuda	Team Impul
3	Twin Ring Motegi	25 May	Tsugio Matsuda	Tsugio Matsuda	Tsugio Matsuda	Team Impul
4	Okayama International Circuit	8 June	Tsugio Matsuda	Satoshi Motoyama	Loïc Duval	Nakajima Racing
5	Suzuka Circuit	13 July	Tsugio Matsuda	Hiroaki Ishiura	Tsugio Matsuda	Team Impul
			Satoshi Motoyama	Roberto Streit	Kohei Hirate	Team Impul
6	Twin Ring Motegi	10 August	Tsugio Matsuda	Roberto Streit	Loïc Duval	Nakajima Racing
			Takeshi Tsuchiya	Takeshi Tsuchiya	Seiji Ara	TOM'S Racing
7	Fuji Speedway	31 August	João Paulo de Oliveira	Takashi Kogure	João Paulo de Oliveira	Kondō Racing
			Kosuke Matsuura	Toshihiro Kaneishi	Kosuke Matsuura	Dandelion Racing
8	Sportsland SUGO	21 September	Satoshi Motoyama	Loïc Duval	Tsugio Matsuda	Team Impul

Championship standings

Drivers' Championship

Scoring system:

	Position	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	PP
Rds 1 - 4, 8	Points	15	12	10	8	6	5	4	3	2	1	1
Rds 5 - 7 R1	Points	10	8	6	5	4	3	2	1	0	1
Rds 5 - 7 R2	Points	5	4	3	2	1	0

• – In race 2 at the August Fuji meeting, the race was run behind the safety car for five laps before the race was halted. Half points were awarded.

Pos Driver FUJ SUZ MOT OKA SUZ MOT FUJ SUG Pts 1 Tsugio Matsuda 1 1 1 Ret 1 8 2 2 4 5 1 93.5 2 Loïc Duval 10 10 3 1 6 2 1 Ret 2 7 3 62 3 André Lotterer Ret 3 2 2 2 4 11 7 5 4 12 49 4 Kohei Hirate Ret 2 6 3 5 1 Ret DNS 5 42 5 Takashi Kogure 6 5 Ret 9 3 7 5 Ret 3 6 2 41 6 João Paulo de Oliveira Ret Ret 9 11 4 5 3 3 1 8 6 33 7 Yuji Tachikawa 2 17 7 4 17 12 4 4 9 9 15 31 8 Benoît Tréluyer 4 7 Ret 8 Ret 13 15 Ret 7 2 4 27 9 Ronnie Quintarelli 5 8 Ret 7 10 9 Ret 13 6 3 7 21.5 10 Takuya Izawa Ret 9 4 5 12 Ret Ret 12 18 17 8 19 11 Satoshi Motoyama Ret 4 16 Ret 8 3 9 5 14 14 Ret 14 12 Naoki Yokomizo NC 6 11 6 7 6 Ret 11 12 12 Ret 12 13 Roberto Streit 3 15 Ret Ret 11 10 Ret 9 19 18 10 11 14 Seiji Ara Ret 11 10 10 13 11 7 1 10 10 16 9 15 Toshihiro Kaneishi 11 Ret 5 14 Ret 14 6 Ret 16 20 11 9 16 Hiroaki Ishiura 7 13 8 Ret 14 Ret 13 8 17 16 9 9 17 Takeshi Tsuchiya 8 14 14 12 16 Ret 8 14 11 11 14 4 18 Kosuke Matsuura 12 16 12 13 9 Ret 10 6 8 1 13 3.5 19 Yuji Ide 9 18 15 NC 15 Ret 12 Ret NC 19 17 2 20 Hiroki Yoshimoto 18 15 14 10 0 21 Katsuyuki Hiranaka Ret 12 13 15 15 15 Ret 0 22 Richard Lyons 13 13 0 Pos Driver FUJ SUZ MOT OKA SUZ MOT FUJ SUG Pts

Bold - Pole Italics - Fastest Lap

Teams' Championship

Scoring system:

	Position	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Rds 1–4, 8	Points	15	12	10	8	6	5	4	3	2	1
Rds 5–7 R1	Points	10	8	6	5	4	3	2	1	0
Rds 5–7 R2	Points	5	4	3	2	1	0

Pos	Team	Car	FUJ	SUZ	MOT	OKA	SUZ		MOT		FUJ		SUG	Pts
1	Lawson Team Impul	1	1	1	1	Ret	1	8	2	2	4	5	1	114.5
	2	4	7	Ret	8	Ret	13	15	Ret	7	2	4
2	PIAA Nakajima Racing	31	10	10	3	1	6	2	1	Ret	2	7	3	103
	32	6	5	Ret	9	3	7	5	Ret	3	6	2
3	Petronas Team TOM'S	36	Ret	3	2	2	2	4	11	7	5	4	12	58
	37	Ret	11	10	10	13	11	7	1	10	10	16
4	Cerumo/Inging	47	5	8	Ret	7	10	9	Ret	13	6	3	7	52.5
	48	2	17	7	4	17	12	4	4	9	9	15
5	Kondo Racing	3	NC	6	11	6	7	6	Ret	11	12	12	Ret	44
	4	Ret	Ret	9	11	4	5	3	3	1	8	6
6	TP Checker Impul	20	Ret	2	6	3	5	1	Ret	DNS	13	13	5	42
7	Team LeMans	7	Ret	4	16	Ret	8	3	9	5	14	14	Ret	22
	8	7	13	8	Ret	14	Ret	13	8	17	16	9
8	Autobacs Racing Team Aguri	55	9	18	15	NC	15	Ret	12	Ret	NC	19	17	21
	56	Ret	9	4	5	12	Ret	Ret	12	18	17	8
9	Stonemarket Cerumo/Inging	67	3	15	Ret	Ret	11	10	Ret	9	19	18	10	11
10	SG Team 5Zigen	5	11	Ret	5	14	Ret	14	6	Ret	16	20	11	9
	6	Ret	12	13	15	18	15	14	10	15	15	Ret
11	DoCoMo Team Dandelion Racing	40	12	16	12	13	9	Ret	10	6	8	1	13	7.5
	41	8	14	14	12	16	Ret	8	14	11	11	14

External links

• 2008 Japanese Championship Formula Nippon