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.
Teams and drivers Team Driver Engine Rounds Petronas Team TOM'S 1 André Lotterer Toyota RV8K All 2 Kazuki Nakajima Toyota RV8K All Kondō Racing 3 Hironobu Yasuda Toyota RV8K All Team LeMans 7 Kazuya Oshima Toyota RV8K All Team Kygnus Sunoco 8 Loïc Duval Toyota RV8K All HP Real Racing 10 Toshihiro Kaneishi Honda HR12E All 11 Yuhki Nakayama Honda HR12E 4–5 Team Mugen 15 Takuma Sato Honda HR12E 6–7 16 Naoki Yamamoto Honda HR12E All SGC by KCMG 18 Ryo Orime Toyota RV8K All Team Impul 19 João Paulo de Oliveira Toyota RV8K All 20 Tsugio Matsuda Toyota RV8K All Nakajima Racing 31 Daisuke Nakajima Honda HR12E All 32 Takashi Kogure Honda HR12E All Project μ/cerumo・INGING 38 Kohei Hirate Toyota RV8K All 39 Yuji Kunimoto Toyota RV8K All Docomo Team Dandelion Racing 40 Takuya Izawa Honda HR12E All 41 Koudai Tsukakoshi Honda HR12E All Le Beausset Motorsports 62 Koki Saga Toyota RV8K All Note:All drivers (except Yuhki Nakayama) also participated the non-Championship JAF Grand Prix.
Race calendar and results
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.
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 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 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 PointsBold – 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 41 2 5 1 9 3 2 3 3 Ret 2 Petronas Team TOM'S 1 5 1 Ret 1 2 10 5 8 DSQ 76.5 2 1 3 5 2 4 5 12 1 7 3 Team Impul 19 3 2 Ret 6 1 6 4 Ret 2 51.5 20 8 6 4 5 7 Ret 2 Ret 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 39 14 9 8 8 10 13 11 12 4 7 Nakajima Racing 31 16 10 11 11 12 12 10 11 9 4 32 15 Ret 10 10 13 Ret 6 4 11 8 Mugen 15 9 17 10 13 4 16 7 7 9 12 Ret 14 15 Ret 8 9 HP Real Racing 10 12 13 12 Ret 11 7 14 14 12 2 11 15 14 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 PointsBold – Pole Italics – Fastest Lap
References
External links 2012 Japanese Championship Formula Nippon