The 2008 Formula Nippon Championship was the thirty-sixth season of premier Japanese single-seater racing, and the thirteenth under the Formula Nippon moniker. The series was contested over 11 races across eight weekends at five venues, with three double-header race meetings awarding half-points added to the calendar. 11 teams and 22 drivers competed over the course of the season.
Defending champion Tsugio Matsuda of Team Impul successfully defended his title and won his second series championship, becoming the first driver since Satoru Nakajima to win consecutive championships in Japanese top formula racing. Together with teammate Benoît Tréluyer, Team Impul also secured the teams championship with a round to go.
This was the final season for Lola as the series' chassis supplier, and the last race for Toyota and Honda's three-litre, naturally-aspirated V8 engines that were introduced in 2006. This was also the final season for four-time Formula Nippon Champion Satoshi Motoyama, who retired from the series after 2008.
Teams and drivers All teams used tyres supplied by Bridgestone and Lola B06/51 chassis. Team # Driver Engine RoundsLawson Team Impul 1 Tsugio MatsudaToyota RV8J All 2 Benoît TréluyerToyota RV8J AllKondo Racing 3 Naoki YokomizoToyota RV8J All 4 João Paulo de OliveiraToyota RV8J AllSG Team 5Zigen 5 Toshihiro KaneishiHonda HF386E All 6 Katsuyuki HiranakaHonda HF386E 1–4, 7–8 Hiroki Yoshimoto 5–6Team LeMans 7 Satoshi MotoyamaToyota RV8J All 8 Hiroaki IshiuraToyota RV8J AllTP Checker Team Impul 20 Kohei HirateToyota RV8J 1–6, 8 Richard Lyons 7PIAA Nakajima Racing 31 Loïc DuvalHonda HF386E All 32 Takashi KogureHonda HF386E AllPetronas Team TOM'S 36 André LottererToyota RV8J All 37 Seiji AraToyota RV8J AllDoCoMo Team Dandelion Racing 40 Kosuke MatsuuraHonda HF386E All 41 Takeshi TsuchiyaHonda HF386E AllCerumo/Inging 47 Ronnie QuintarelliToyota RV8J All 48 Yuji TachikawaToyota RV8J AllAutobacs Racing Team Aguri 55 Yuji IdeHonda HF386E All 56 Takuya IzawaHonda HF386E AllStonemarket Blaak Cerumo/Inging 67 Roberto StreitToyota RV8J All
Calendar
All races held in Japan. Round Circuit Date Pole position Fastest lap Winning driver Winning team 1 Fuji Speedway 6 April Tsugio Matsuda Yuji Tachikawa Tsugio Matsuda Team Impul 2 Suzuka Circuit 11 May Tsugio Matsuda Yuji Tachikawa Tsugio Matsuda Team Impul 3 Twin Ring Motegi 25 May Tsugio Matsuda Tsugio Matsuda Tsugio Matsuda Team Impul 4 Okayama International Circuit 8 June Tsugio Matsuda Satoshi Motoyama Loïc Duval Nakajima Racing 5 Suzuka Circuit 13 July Tsugio Matsuda Hiroaki Ishiura Tsugio Matsuda Team Impul Satoshi Motoyama1 Roberto Streit Kohei Hirate Team Impul 6 Twin Ring Motegi 10 August Tsugio Matsuda Roberto Streit Loïc Duval Nakajima Racing Takeshi Tsuchiya1 Takeshi Tsuchiya Seiji Ara TOM'S Racing 7 Fuji Speedway 31 August João Paulo de Oliveira Takashi Kogure João Paulo de Oliveira Kondō Racing Kosuke Matsuura1 Toshihiro Kaneishi Kosuke Matsuura Dandelion Racing 8 Sportsland SUGO 21 September Satoshi Motoyama Loïc Duval Tsugio Matsuda Team Impul
Championship standings
Drivers' Championship
Scoring system Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 PP Rds 1–4, 8 Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1 1 Rds 5–7R1 Points 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 10 1 Rds 5–7R2 Points 5 4 3 2 10 * – In race 2 at the August Fuji meeting, the race was run behind the safety car for five laps before the race was halted. Half points were awarded.
Pos Driver FUJ SUZ MOT OKA SUZ MOT FUJ SUG Pts 1 Tsugio Matsuda111Ret1822451 93.5 2 Loïc Duval101031621Ret273 62 3 André LottererRet322241175412 49 4 Kohei HirateRet26351RetDNS5 42 5 Takashi Kogure65Ret9375Ret362 41 6 João Paulo de OliveiraRetRet9114533186 33 7 Yuji Tachikawa217741712449915 31 8 Benoît Tréluyer47Ret8Ret1315Ret724 27 9 Ronnie Quintarelli58Ret7109Ret13637 21.5 10 Takuya IzawaRet94512RetRet1218178 19 11 Satoshi MotoyamaRet416Ret83951414Ret 14 12 Naoki YokomizoNC611676Ret111212Ret 12 13 Roberto Streit315RetRet1110Ret9191810 11 14 Seiji AraRet111010131171101016 9 15 Toshihiro Kaneishi11Ret514Ret146Ret162011 9 16 Hiroaki Ishiura7138Ret14Ret13817169 9 17 Takeshi Tsuchiya814141216Ret814111114 4 18 Kosuke Matsuura121612139Ret1068113 3.5 19 Yuji Ide91815NC15Ret12RetNC1917 2 20 Hiroki Yoshimoto18151410 0 21 Katsuyuki HiranakaRet1213151515Ret 0 22 Richard Lyons1313 0 Pos Driver FUJ SUZ MOT OKA SUZ MOT FUJ SUG PtsBold - Pole Italics - Fastest Lap
Teams' Championship
Scoring system Position 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Rds 1–4, 8 Points 15 12 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1 Rds 5–7R1 Points 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 10 Rds 5–7R2 Points 5 4 3 2 10 Pos Team Car FUJ SUZ MOT OKA SUZ MOT FUJ SUG Pts 1 Lawson Team Impul 1111Ret1822451 114.5 247Ret8Ret1315Ret724 2 PIAA Nakajima Racing 31101031621Ret273 103 3265Ret9375Ret362 3 Petronas Team TOM'S 36Ret322241175412 58 37Ret111010131171101016 4 Cerumo/Inging 4758Ret7109Ret13637 52.5 48217741712449915 5 Kondo Racing 3NC611676Ret111212Ret444RetRet9114533186 6 TP Checker Impul 20Ret26351RetDNS1313542 7 Team LeMans 7Ret416Ret83951414Ret 22 87138Ret14Ret13817169 8 Autobacs Racing Team Aguri 5591815NC15Ret12RetNC1917 21 56Ret94512RetRet1218178 9 Stonemarket Cerumo/Inging 67315RetRet1110Ret9191810 11 10 SG Team 5Zigen 511Ret514Ret146Ret162011 9 6Ret121315181514101515Ret 11DoCoMo Team Dandelion Racing 40121612139Ret10681137.5 41814141216Ret814111114
Notes For the doubleheader race weekends, the driver that finished 8th in Race 1 was awarded pole for Race 2 in a reverse grid from 8th to 1st. These are not officially counted as pole positions by the JRP.
External links 2008 Japanese Championship Formula Nippon