The 1997 Formula Nippon Championship was the twenty-fifth season of premier Japanese single-seater racing, and the second under the Formula Nippon name and the management of Japan Race Promotion (JRP). The series was contested over 10 rounds at five venues, including the new Twin Ring Motegi circuit. 17 different teams, 37 different drivers, three different chassis and three different engines competed. This was also the first season with Bridgestone as the series' sole tyre supplier, and the last with multiple engine suppliers before Mugen supplied engines to all teams in 1998.

Beginning in 1997, each round saw a Special Stage after the original qualifying. The best six qualifiers had to compete in a separate session for the pole.

Team Nova driver Pedro de la Rosa won the championship in his second season, with six wins and podium finishes in all ten races. He became the first driver to win the Formula Nippon and All-Japan Grand Touring Car GT500 Championships in the same year.

Teams and drivers All teams competed with tyres supplied by Bridgestone. Team # Driver Chassis Engine RoundsTeam LeMans1 Norberto FontanaReynard 96DReynard 97DMugen MF308All2 Esteban TueroReynard 96D1–6 Michael Krumm8 Yuji Tachikawa9–10Asahi Kiko Sports3 Atsushi KawamotoReynard 96DMugen MF308AllTeam 5ZIGEN5 Marc GoossensReynard 96DJudd KV2Mugen MF308All6 Risto VirtanenReynard 95DReynard 96DJudd KV21–3 Eiichi Tajima4–10Team Anabuki Dome with Mugen8 Juichi WakisakaDome F104Mugen MF308AllShionogi Team Nova9 Pedro de la RosaLola T97/51Mugen MF308All10 Akira IidaAllTeam Cerumo11 Hidetoshi MitsusadaLola T96/52Mugen MF3081–9 Michael Krumm1012 Sarah KavanaghReynard 95DLola T94/50Cosworth ACMugen MF3081–2 Shinsuke Shibahara8–10Team TMS17 Masahiko KondoReynard 97DMugen MF308All18 Ralph Firman Jr.AllTeam Impul19 Takuya KurosawaLola T96/52Mugen MF308All20 Masahiko KageyamaReynard 96DLola T95/50AllBe Brides ARP Asuka21 Tetsuya TanakaLola T95/50Mugen MF3081, 5–10Navi Connection Racing Team27 Masami KageyamaReynard 96DReynard 97DMugen MF308All28 Katsumi YamamotoReynard 95DReynard 96DAllSuper Nova with MiraiKamome Service with Mirai32 Vincenzo SospiriReynard 95DMugen MF3089–1033 Toshio SuzukiReynard 95DAllAuto Tech StellarSTP Stellar34 Mauro MartiniReynard 96DMugen MF3083 Andrew Gilbert-Scott4, 6, 9 Andrea Boldrini7–8, 1035 Michael KrummReynard 96D1–3 Marco Apicella4–10Takagi B-1 Racing Team36 Tetsuji TamanakaLola T95/50Mugen MF308All37 Masao YamadaLola T94/501–5, 7–10Funai Super Aguri55 Katsutomo KaneishiReynard 96DMugen MF308All56 Satoshi MotoyamaReynard 94DReynard 97DReynard 95D1–9 Ryō Michigami10Team LeyJunSri Lanka with Team LeyJun62 Tetsushi TodaReynard 94DMugen MF3084–863 Dilantha MalagamuwaReynard 96D1–5 "Osamu"6–10PIAA Nakajima Racing64 Toranosuke TakagiReynard 97DMugen MF308All65 Koji YamanishiAll

Race calendar and results All races were held in Japan. RaceTrackDatePole positionFastest Race LapWinning driverWinning team1Suzuka Circuit27 April Toranosuke Takagi Katsutomo Kaneishi Pedro de la RosaShionogi Team Nova2Mine Circuit18 May Toranosuke Takagi Katsumi Yamamoto Pedro de la RosaShionogi Team Nova3Fuji Speedway1 June Takuya Kurosawa Takuya Kurosawa Takuya KurosawaTeam Impul4Suzuka Circuit6 July Toranosuke Takagi Masahiko Kageyama Toranosuke TakagiPIAA Nakajima Racing5Sportsland SUGO3 August Pedro de la Rosa Norberto Fontana Pedro de la RosaShionogi Team Nova6Fuji Speedway31 August Pedro de la Rosa Pedro de la Rosa Pedro de la RosaShionogi Team Nova7Mine Circuit14 September Toranosuke Takagi Pedro de la Rosa Norberto FontanaTeam LeMans8Twin Ring Motegi28 September Pedro de la Rosa Masami Kageyama Pedro de la RosaShionogi Team Nova9Fuji Speedway19 October Katsutomo Kaneishi Pedro de la Rosa Katsutomo KaneishiFunai Super Aguri10Suzuka Circuit9 November Pedro de la Rosa Masahiko Kageyama Pedro de la RosaShionogi 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 Pedro de la Rosa 1 1 2 3 1 1 2 1 2 1 82 2 Takuya Kurosawa 2 2 1 Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 2 28 3 Norberto Fontana 9 8 6 Ret 7 2 1 3 Ret Ret 21 4 Hidetoshi Mitsusada 3 7 4 4 Ret 3 3 9 5 20 5 Masami Kageyama 11 9 11 5 6 4 7 2 3 4 19 6 Toranosuke Takagi Ret DNS 3 1 Ret Ret 5 Ret Ret 5 18 7 Masahiko Kageyama Ret Ret 5 2 3 Ret 15 Ret 12 3 16 8 Ralph Firman Jr. Ret 4 15 6 2 13 Ret 5 Ret 11 12 9 Katsutomo Kaneishi 7 Ret Ret 10 Ret 18 8 Ret 1 Ret 10 10 Akira Iida 6 3 Ret 7 Ret 5 10 11 Ret 13 7 11 Satoshi Motoyama 4 DNS Ret Ret Ret Ret 6 Ret 4 7 12 Marco Apicella 8 5 8 4 Ret 6 8 6 13 Toshio Suzuki 8 5 7 Ret 4 16 9 8 Ret 9 5 14 Juichi Wakisaka 12 6 Ret Ret Ret 7 11 4 Ret Ret 4 15 Koji Yamanishi 5 Ret 8 Ret Ret Ret Ret 17 Ret 7 2 16 Esteban Tuero Ret Ret 9 11 Ret 6 1 17 Michael Krumm Ret 13 Ret 6 10 1 18 Tetsuya Tanaka Ret Ret 11 14 Ret 13 6 1 19 Katsumi Yamamoto 10 Ret Ret 9 Ret 12 Ret 14 7 Ret 0 20 Andrea Boldrini 13 7 Ret 0 21 Atsushi Kawamoto Ret 10 16 15 9 Ret 12 15 8 14 0 22 Masahiko Kondo 15 DNS 12 14 8 14 Ret 13 11 Ret 0 23 Eiichi Tajima 13 Ret 9 Ret Ret Ret 12 0 24 Yuji Tachikawa 9 Ret 0 25 Marc Goossens Ret Ret Ret Ret Ret 10 Ret 10 Ret Ret 0 26 Dilantha Malagamuwa Ret 11 14 Ret 10 0 27 Shinsuke Shibahara 12 10 Ret 0 28 Risto Virtanen Ret Ret 10 0 29 Andrew Gilbert-Scott 12 Ret 14 0 30 Masao Yamada Ret 12 Ret Ret DSQ DNQ DNQ DNQ DNQ 0 31 Tetsuji Tamanaka 13 Ret 13 16 Ret Ret Ret Ret DNQ DNQ 0 32 Sarah Kavanagh 14 Ret 0 33 "Osamu" 15 16 16 Ret 16 0 34 Vincenzo Sospiri Ret 15 0 35 Tetsushi Toda 17 Ret 17 17 DNQ 0 36 Mauro Martini Ret 0 37 Ryō 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