1997 Formula Nippon Championship

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 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 Jr. 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
Ryō 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" 6–10
PIAA Nakajima Racing 64 Toranosuke Takagi Reynard 97D Mugen MF308 All
65 Koji Yamanishi All

Race calendar and results

All races were held in Japan.

Race Track Date Pole position Fastest Race Lap Winning driver Winning team
1 Suzuka Circuit 27 April Toranosuke Takagi Katsutomo Kaneishi Pedro de la Rosa Shionogi Team Nova
2 Mine Circuit 18 May Toranosuke Takagi Katsumi Yamamoto Pedro de la Rosa Shionogi Team Nova
3 Fuji Speedway 1 June Takuya Kurosawa Takuya Kurosawa Takuya Kurosawa Team Impul
4 Suzuka Circuit 6 July Toranosuke Takagi Masahiko Kageyama Toranosuke Takagi PIAA Nakajima Racing
5 Sportsland SUGO 3 August Pedro de la Rosa Norberto Fontana Pedro de la Rosa Shionogi Team Nova
6 Fuji Speedway 31 August Pedro de la Rosa Pedro de la Rosa Pedro de la Rosa Shionogi Team Nova
7 Mine Circuit 14 September Toranosuke Takagi Pedro de la Rosa Norberto Fontana Team LeMans
8 Twin Ring Motegi 28 September Pedro de la Rosa Masami Kageyama Pedro de la Rosa Shionogi Team Nova
9 Fuji Speedway 19 October Katsutomo Kaneishi Pedro de la Rosa Katsutomo Kaneishi Funai Super Aguri
10 Suzuka Circuit 9 November Pedro de la Rosa Masahiko Kageyama Pedro de la Rosa Shionogi 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
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