# 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

| 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 |
| Kamome Service Racing Team with Impul Calsonic Racing Team with Impul | 19 | Kazuyoshi Hoshino | Lola T96/95 Lola T96/52 | Mugen MF308 | B | All |
| Team Anabuki Dome with Mugen Team avex Dome with Mugen | 2 | Katsumi Yamamoto | Dome F104i | Mugen MF308 | B | All |
| Team Anabuki Dome with Mugen Team avex Dome with Mugen | 8 | Shinji Nakano | Dome F104i | Mugen MF308 | B | All |
| Team 5ZIGEN | 5 | Marco Apicella | Reynard 95D Reynard 96D | Judd KV2 | Y | All |
| Team 5ZIGEN | 6 | Hidetoshi Mitsusada | Lola T95/50 Reynard 96D | Judd KV2 | Y | All |
| Advan Pal Checkers | 7 | Masami Kageyama | Lola T95/50 | Judd KV2 | Y | All |
| Advan Pal Checkers | 17 | Taichiro Oonishi | Lola T94/50 | Mugen MF308 | Y | All |
| Shionogi Team Nova | 9 | Pedro de la Rosa | Lola T96/51 | Mugen MF308 | B | All |
| Shionogi Team Nova | 10 | Norberto Fontana | Lola T96/51 | Mugen MF308 | B | 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 |
| Nihon Lead Yamada | 15 | Tetsuya Tanaka | Lola T94/50 | Mugen MF308 | Y | 6, 9 |
| Kanagawa Clinic Stellar | 20 | Andrew Gilbert-Scott | Reynard 96D | Mugen MF308 | B | All |
| Kanagawa Clinic Stellar | 21 | Michael Krumm | Reynard 96D | Mugen MF308 | B | All |
| X Japan Racing Team LeMans | 24 | Naoki Hattori | Reynard 96D | Mugen MF308 | B | All |
| X Japan Racing Team LeMans | 25 | Ralf Schumacher | Reynard 96D | Mugen MF308 | B | All |
| Navi Connection Racing Team | 27 | Masahiko Kageyama | Reynard 96D | Mugen MF308 | B | All |
| Navi Connection Racing Team | 28 | Masahiko Kondo | Reynard 94D Reynard 95D | Mugen MF308 | B | 1–7, 9–10 |
| Navi Connection Racing Team | 28 | Tom Kristensen | Reynard 94D Reynard 95D | Mugen MF308 | B | 8 |
| Art Brilliant Gullwing | 30 | Eiichi Tajima | Lola T94/50 | Mugen MF308 | B | All |
| Art Brilliant Gullwing | 31 | Hideki Okada | Lola T95/50 | Mugen MF308 | B | All |
| Funai Super Aguri | 55 | Katsutomo Kaneishi | Reynard 95D | Mugen MF308 | B | All |
| Funai Super Aguri | 56 | Satoshi Motoyama | Reynard 95D | Mugen MF308 | B | All |
| PIAA Nakajima Racing | 64 | Toranosuke Takagi | Reynard 96D | Mugen MF308 | B | All |
| PIAA Nakajima Racing | 65 | Takuya Kurosawa | Reynard 96D | Mugen MF308 | B | All |
| Asahi Kiko Sports | 72 | Atsushi Kawamoto | Lola T93 | Cosworth DFV | B | All |
| Asahi Kiko Sports | 73 | Tetsuji Tamanaka | Lola T93 | Cosworth DFV | B | 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 | 28 April | Toranosuke Takagi | Michael Krumm | Kazuyoshi Hoshino | Calsonic Racing Team with Impul |
| 2 | Mine Circuit | 12 May | Michael Krumm | Norberto Fontana | Ralf Schumacher | X Japan Racing Team LeMans |
| 3 | Fuji Speedway | 26 May | Ralf Schumacher | Norberto Fontana | Norberto Fontana | Shionogi Team Nova |
| 4 | Tokachi International Speedway | 23 June | Toranosuke Takagi | Michael Krumm | Ralf Schumacher | X Japan Racing Team LeMans |
| 5 | Suzuka Circuit | 7 July | Toranosuke Takagi | Shinji Nakano | Toranosuke Takagi | PIAA Nakajima Racing |
| 6 | Sportsland SUGO | 4 August | Toranosuke Takagi | Toranosuke Takagi | Toranosuke Takagi | PIAA Nakajima Racing |
| 7 | Fuji Speedway | 1 September | Naoki Hattori | Norberto Fontana | Naoki Hattori | X Japan Racing Team LeMans |
| 8 | Mine Circuit | 15 September | Toshio Suzuki | Katsutomo Kaneishi | Ralf Schumacher | X Japan Racing Team LeMans |
| 9 | Suzuka Circuit | 29 September | Ralf Schumacher | Shinji Nakano | Naoki Hattori | X Japan Racing Team LeMans |
| 10 | Fuji Speedway | 20 October | Kazuyoshi Hoshino | Shinji Nakano | Katsutomo Kaneishi | Funai Super Aguri |

## Championship standings
### Drivers' Championship
#### Scoring system

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

### Team's championship

| 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 |
| 1 | X-Japan Le Mans | 25 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 1 | 4 | Ret | Ret | 1 | 4 | Ret | 78 |
| 2 | Team Impul | 1 | 18 | Ret | 12 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 4 | 3 | Ret | 38 |
| 2 | Team Impul | 19 | 1 | Ret | 3 | 4 | 5 | 2 | Ret | Ret | 2 | Ret | 38 |
| 3 | PIAA Nakajima | 64 | Ret | 3 | Ret | Ret | 1 | 1 | Ret | Ret | 6 | Ret | 35 |
| 3 | PIAA Nakajima | 65 | Ret | 8 | 15 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 5 | 8 | Ret | 35 |
| 4 | Shionogi Nova | 9 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 6 | Ret | 11 | 6 | Ret | 5 | 2 | 35 |
| 4 | Shionogi Nova | 10 | 14 | 2 | 1 | Ret | 8 | Ret | 2 | Ret | 11 | Ret | 35 |
| 5 | Funai Super Aguri | 55 | 6 | Ret | 4 | 5 | 7 | Ret | 4 | Ret | Ret | 1 | 35 |
| 5 | Funai Super Aguri | 56 | 7 | Ret | 5 | 17 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 6 | Ret | DNS | 35 |
| 6 | Mugen Dome | 2 | 9 | Ret | 10 | Ret | Ret | 6 | Ret | 10 | Ret | Ret | 21 |
| 6 | Mugen Dome | 8 | 2 | 13 | Ret | 9 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 9 | 4 | 21 |
| 7 | Kanagawa Clinic Stellar | 20 | Ret | Ret | 7 | 14 | Ret | 4 | Ret | 7 | Ret | 5 | 9 |
| 7 | Kanagawa Clinic Stellar | 21 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 16 | 11 | 9 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 9 |
| 8 | Pal Checkers | 7 | 10 | 5 | Ret | 2 | 17 | 15 | 9 | 11 | Ret | Ret | 8 |
| 8 | Pal Checkers | 17 | 15 | 10 | 14 | Ret | 15 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 14 | Ret | 8 |
| 9 | Navi Connection | 27 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 16 | 12 | Ret | 9 | 7 | 3 | 5 |
| 9 | Navi Connection | 28 | Ret | 9 | 16 | 13 | Ret | Ret | 14 | 8 | Ret | 6 | 5 |
| 10 | 5Zigen | 5 | 12 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 13 | 12 | Ret | 10 | Ret | 3 |
| 10 | 5Zigen | 6 | Ret | Ret | 9 | Ret | 10 | 14 | 10 | 12 | Ret | Ret | 3 |
| – | Asahi Kiko Sports | 72 | Ret | 11 | Ret | 15 | 19 | 16 | 13 | Ret | Ret | 7 | 0 |
| – | Asahi Kiko Sports | 73 | 17 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 15 | Ret | NC | 0 |
| – | Art Brilliant Gullwing | 30 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 18 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | DNS | 0 |
| – | Art Brilliant Gullwing | 31 | 11 | Ret | 17 | 10 | 20 | Ret | 11 | 10 | Ret | DNS | 0 |
| – | 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 |
| Colour | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | Second place |
| Bronze | Third place |
| Green | Points finish |
| Blue | Non-points finish |
| Blue | Non-classified finish (NC) |
| Purple | Retired (Ret) |
| Red | Did not qualify (DNQ) |
| Red | Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) |
| Black | Disqualified (DSQ) |
| White | Did not start (DNS) |
| White | Withdrew (WD) |
| White | Race cancelled (C) |
| Blank | Did not practice (DNP) |
| Blank | Did not arrive (DNA) |
| Blank | Excluded (EX) |

## Complete Overview

| 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 | | | | | | | | | | |
| - | Hidetoshi Mitsusada | Japan | 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 |