1996 Formula Nippon Championship

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

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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 B 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 B All
8   Shinji Nakano All
Team 5ZIGEN 5   Marco Apicella Reynard 95D
Reynard 96D
Judd KV2 Y All
6   Hidetoshi Mitsusada Lola T95/50
Reynard 96D
All
Advan Pal Checkers 7   Masami Kageyama Lola T95/50 Judd KV2 Y All
17   Taichiro Oonishi Lola T94/50 Mugen MF308 All
Shionogi Team Nova 9   Pedro de la Rosa Lola T96/51 Mugen MF308 B All
10   Norberto Fontana All
Slim Beauty House Cerumo 12   Yukihiro Hane Lola T94/50 Mugen MF308 B All
Nihon Lead Yamada 15   Masao Yamada Lola T94/50 Mugen MF308 Y 1–5, 7–8, 10
  Tetsuya Tanaka 6, 9
Kanagawa Clinic Stellar 20   Andrew Gilbert-Scott Reynard 96D Mugen MF308 B All
21   Michael Krumm Reynard 96D All
X Japan Racing Team LeMans 24   Naoki Hattori Reynard 96D Mugen MF308 B All
25   Ralf Schumacher All
Navi Connection Racing Team 27   Masahiko Kageyama Reynard 96D Mugen MF308 B 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 B All
31   Hideki Okada Lola T95/50 All
Funai Super Aguri 55   Katsutomo Kaneishi Reynard 95D Mugen MF308 B All
56   Satoshi Motoyama All
PIAA Nakajima Racing 64   Toranosuke Takagi Reynard 96D Mugen MF308 B All
65   Takuya Kurosawa All
Asahi Kiko Sports 72   Atsushi Kawamoto Lola T93 Cosworth DFV B All
73   Tetsuji Tamanaka All

Race calendar and results

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Race No Track Country Date Laps Distance Time Speed Winner Pole Position Fastest Race Lap
1 Suzuka   Japan 28 April 1996 34 5.864=199.376 km 1'01:47.773 193.581 km/h Kazuyoshi Hoshino Toranosuke Takagi Michael Krumm
2 Mine   Japan 12 May 1996 62 3.239=200.818 km 1'22:15.253 146.486 km/h Ralf Schumacher Michael Krumm Norberto Fontana
3 Fuji   Japan 26 May 1996 45 4.470=201.150 km 1'03:40.066 189.562 km/h Norberto Fontana Ralf Schumacher Norberto Fontana
4 Tokachi   Japan 23 June 1996 38 5.100=193.800 km 1'09:32.702 167.201 km/h Ralf Schumacher Toranosuke Takagi Michael Krumm
5 Suzuka   Japan 7 July 1996 35 5.864=205.241 km 1'03:28.642 193.998 km/h Toranosuke Takagi Toranosuke Takagi Shinji Nakano
6 Sugo   Japan 4 August 1996 54 3.704=200.016 km 1'05:18.450 183.761 km/h Toranosuke Takagi Toranosuke Takagi Toranosuke Takagi
7 Fuji   Japan 1 September 1996 45 4.470=201.150 km 0'59:22.324 203.277 km/h Naoki Hattori Naoki Hattori Norberto Fontana
8 Mine   Japan 15 September 1996 62 3.239=200.818 km 1'19:35.895 151.374 km/h Ralf Schumacher Toshio Suzuki Katsutomo Kaneishi
9 Suzuka   Japan 29 September 1996 35 5.864=205.241 km 1'02:50.115 195.980 km/h Naoki Hattori Ralf Schumacher Shinji Nakano
10 Fuji   Japan 20 October 1996 45 4.470=201.15 km 1'13:56.568 163.221 km/h Katsutomo Kaneishi Kazuyoshi Hoshino Shinji Nakano

Standings

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For every race points were awarded: 10 points to the winner, 6 for runner-up, 4 for third place, 3 for fourth place, 2 for fifth place and 1 for sixth place. No additional points were awarded. No driver had a point deduction.

Driver's championship

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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
Scoring system
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Points 10 6 4 3 2 1
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Points finish
Blue Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

Team's championship

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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
Scoring system
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Points 10 6 4 3 2 1
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Points finish
Blue Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

Complete Overview

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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 Ralf Schumacher   Germany Team LeMans Reynard Mugen Honda 10 3 8 1 1 19 4 1 8 4 8 R 8 R 3 1 1 4 9 R
2 Naoki Hattori   Japan Team LeMans Reynard Mugen Honda 9 8 10 R 2 2 5 3 2 3 16 8 1 1 7 3 2 1 3 R
3 Kazuyoshi Hoshino   Japan Team Impul Lola Mugen Honda 2 1 4 R 5 3 18 4 4 5 3 2 4 R 6 R 4 2 1 R
4 Toranosuke Takagi   Japan Nakajima Racing Reynard Mugen Honda 1 R 5 3 10 R 1 R 1 1 1 1 2 R 19 R 3 6 4 R
5 Norberto Fontana   Argentina Team Nova Lola Mugen Honda 16 14 11 2 4 1 8 R 22 8 15 R 6 2 8 R 17 11 11 R
6 Shinji Nakano   Japan Dome Mugen Dome Mugen 4 2 22 13 3 R 10 9 13 6 14 7 3 3 4 2 21 9 5 4
7 Katsutomo Kaneishi   Japan Super Aguri Reynard Mugen Honda 13 6 17 R 8 4 11 5 12 7 6 R 14 4 5 R 11 R 7 1
8 Pedro de la Rosa   Spain Team Nova Lola Mugen Honda 11 5 3 7 7 6 9 6 7 R 9 11 5 6 2 R 6 5 14 2
9 Takuya Kurosawa   Japan Nakajima Racing Reynard Mugen Honda 18 R 18 8 15 15 2 7 3 2 7 5 10 8 12 5 7 8 8 R
10 Satoshi Motoyama   Japan Super Aguri Reynard Mugen Honda 15 7 9 R 14 5 19 17 10 12 4 3 7 5 9 6 12 R 2 NS
11 Masami Kageyama   Japan Advan Sport Pal Lola Mugen Honda 14 10 12 5 11 R 7 2 16 17 11 15 20 9 15 11 13 R 18 R
12 Toshio Suzuki   Japan Team Impul Lola Mugen Honda 5 18 2 R 18 12 3 11 6 9 12 10 13 7 1 4 5 3 13 R
13 Andrew Gilbert Scott   United Kingdom Stellar International Reynard Mugen Honda 21 R 19 R 17 7 13 14 9 R 2 4 23 R 13 7 15 R 15 5
14 Michael Krumm   Germany Stellar International Reynard Mugen Honda 3 4 1 6 19 11 6 16 17 11 10 9 16 R 18 R 14 R 17 R
Masahiko Kageyama   Japan Navi Connection Racing Reynard Mugen Honda 8 R 15 R 12 R 16 R 5 16 13 12 9 R 16 9 8 7 12 3
16 Marco Apicella   Italy Team 5Zigen Reynard Judd 12 12 6 4 6 8 17 8 24 14 26 13 11 12 11 R 9 10 10 R
17 Katsumi Yamamoto   Japan Dome Mugen Dome Mugen 7 9 13 R 13 10 15 R 15 R 5 6 12 R 20 14 10 R 16 R
Masahiko Kondo   Japan Navi Connection Racing Reynard Mugen Honda 20 R 21 9 22 16 22 13 20 R 17 R 19 14 - - 20 R 19 6
- Atsushi Kawamoto   Japan Asahi Kiko Sports Lola Cosworth 22 R 20 11 24 R 21 15 19 19 21 16 22 13 24 R 19 R 20 7
- Tom Kristensen   Denmark Navi Connection Racing Reynard Mugen Honda - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 10 8 - - - -
- Hidetoshi Mitsusada   Japan Team 5Zigen Lola Judd 6 R 16 R 9 9 14 R 11 10
Team 5Zigen Reynard Judd 22 14 15 10 17 12 16 R 6 R
- Hideki Okada   Japan Team Gullwing Lola Mugen Honda 17 11 7 R 16 17 12 10 14 20 18 R 18 11 21 10 24 R 21 NS
- Taichiro Oonishi   Japan Advan Sport Pal Lola Mugen Honda 23 15 24 10 21 14 23 R 21 15 24 R 24 R 23 R 23 14 24 R
- Eiichi Tajima   Japan Team Gullwing Lola Mugen Honda 19 13 14 12 20 13 20 12 18 18 20 R 21 R 22 R 26 R 22 NS
- Yukihiro Hane   Japan Team Cerumo Lola Mugen Honda 24 16 23 R 23 R 24 R 23 13 19 R 17 16 14 13 18 12 23 R
- Tetsuya Tanaka   Japan Nihon Lead Yamada Lola Mugen Honda - - - - - - - - - - 23 R - - - - 22 13 - -
- Tetsuji Tamanaka   Japan Asahi Kiko Sports Lola Cosworth 25 17 25 R 25 R 25 R 25 R 25 R 25 R 25 15 25 R 25 NC
- Masao Yamada   Japan Nihon Lead Yamada Lola Mugen Honda 26 NQ 26 NQ 26 18 26 NQ 26 NQ - - 26 15 26 NQ - - 26 R
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