1997 Formula Nippon Championship

1997 Formula Nippon Championship

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1996

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1998

Related series:
1997 International Formula 3000 Championship
1997 British Formula 3000 Championship

The 1997 Formula Nippon Championship was contested over 10 rounds. 17 different teams, 37 different drivers, 3 different chassis and 2 different engines competed.

Teams and drivers

Team	#	Driver	Chassis	Engine	Rounds
Team LeMans	1	Norberto Fontana	Reynard 96D Reynard 97D	Mugen MF308	All
	2	Esteban Tuero	Reynard 96D		1–6
		Michael Krumm			8
		Yuji Tachikawa			9–10
Asahi Kiko Sports	3	Atsushi Kawamoto	Reynard 96D	Mugen MF308	All
Team 5ZIGEN	5	Marc Goossens	Reynard 96D	Judd KV2 Mugen MF308	All
	6	Risto Virtanen	Reynard 95D Reynard 96D	Judd KV2	1–3
		Eiichi Tajima			4–10
Team Anabuki Dome with Mugen	8	Juichi Wakisaka	Dome F104	Mugen MF308	All
Shionogi Team Nova	9	Pedro de la Rosa	Lola T97/51	Mugen MF308	All
	10	Akira Iida			All
Team Cerumo	11	Hidetoshi Mitsusada	Lola T96/52	Mugen MF308	1–9
		Michael Krumm			10
	12	Sarah Kavanagh	Reynard 95D Lola T94/50	Cosworth AC Mugen MF308	1–2
		Shinsuke Shibahara			8–10
Team TMS	17	Masahiko Kondo	Reynard 97D	Mugen MF308	All
	18	Ralph Firman			All
Team Impul	19	Takuya Kurosawa	Lola T96/52	Mugen MF308	All
	20	Masahiko Kageyama	Reynard 96D Lola T95/50		All
Be Brides ARP Asuka	21	Tetsuya Tanaka	Lola T95/50	Mugen MF308	1, 5–10
Navi Connection Racing Team	27	Masami Kageyama	Reynard 96D Reynard 97D	Mugen MF308	All
	28	Katsumi Yamamoto	Reynard 95D Reynard 96D		All
Super Nova with Mirai Kamome Service with Mirai	32	Vincenzo Sospiri	Reynard 95D	Mugen MF308	9–10
	33	Toshio Suzuki	Reynard 95D		All
Auto Tech Stellar STP Stellar	34	Mauro Martini	Reynard 96D	Mugen MF308	3
		Andrew Gilbert-Scott			4, 6, 9
		Andrea Boldrini			7–8, 10
	35	Michael Krumm	Reynard 96D		1–3
		Marco Apicella			4–10
Takagi B-1 Racing Team	36	Tetsuji Tamanaka	Lola T95/50	Mugen MF308	All
	37	Masao Yamada	Lola T94/50		1–5, 7–10
Funai Super Aguri	55	Katsutomo Kaneishi	Reynard 96D	Mugen MF308	All
	56	Satoshi Motoyama	Reynard 94D Reynard 97D Reynard 95D		1–9
		Ryo Michigami			10
Team LeyJun Sri Lanka with Team LeyJun	62	Tetsushi Toda	Reynard 94D	Mugen MF308	4–8
	63	Dilantha Malagamuwa	Reynard 96D		1–5
		Osamu Nakajima			6–10
PIAA Nakajima Racing	64	Toranosuke Takagi	Reynard 97D	Mugen MF308	All
	65	Koji Yamanishi			All

Calendar

Race No	Track	Country	Date	Laps	Distance	Time	Speed	Winner	Pole Position	Fastest Race Lap
1	Suzuka	Japan	27 April 1997	35	5.864=205.241 km	1'03:21.391	194.368 km/h	Pedro de la Rosa	Toranosuke Takagi	Katsutomo Kaneishi
2	Mine	Japan	18 May 1997	62	3.239=200.818 km	1'21:52.463	147.165 km/h	Pedro de la Rosa	Toranosuke Takagi	Katsumi Yamamoto
3	Fuji	Japan	1 June 1997	45	4.470=201.15 km	0'59:08.195	204.087 km/h	Takuya Kurosawa	Takuya Kurosawa (ss) Pedro de la Rosa (fq)	Takuya Kurosawa
4	Suzuka	Japan	6 July 1997	35	5.864=205.241 km	1'03:54.672	192.681 km/h	Toranosuke Takagi	Toranosuke Takagi (ss) Pedro de la Rosa (fq)	Masahiko Kageyama
5	Sugo	Japan	3 August 1997	54	3.704=200.016 km	1'09:24.918	172.886 km/h	Pedro de la Rosa	Pedro de la Rosa (ss) Masahiko Kageyama (fq)	Norberto Fontana
6	Fuji	Japan	31 August 1997	45	4.470=201.15 km	0'59:22.035	203.294 km/h	Pedro de la Rosa	Pedro de la Rosa	Pedro de la Rosa
7	Mine	Japan	14 September 1997	62	3.239=200.818 km	1'21:57.038	147.029 km/h	Norberto Fontana	Toranosuke Takagi	Pedro de la Rosa
8	Motegi	Japan	28 September 1997	43	4.796=206.228 km	1'09:34.297	177.855 km/h	Pedro de la Rosa	Pedro de la Rosa	Masami Kageyama
9	Fuji	Japan	19 October 1997	45	4.470=201.15 km	1'01:29.628	196.264 km/h	Katsutomo Kaneishi	Katsutomo Kaneishi (ss) Norberto Fontana (fq)	Pedro de la Rosa
10	Suzuka	Japan	9 November 1997	35	5.864=205.241 km	1'02:07.829	198.203 km/h	Pedro de la Rosa	Pedro de la Rosa	Masahiko Kageyama

Note:

Race 2 first finisher Norberto Fontana 1'21:51.024/147.209 km/h, but 1 minute penalty.

(ss) indicate the winner of the special stage, who started from pole - (fq) indicate the original fastest qualifier. In all other races, the fastest qualifier was also the winner of the special stage.

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	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 Nakajima						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	Ryo 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