# 2012 Formula Nippon Championship

The 2012 Formula Nippon Championship was the fortieth season of the premier Japanese open-wheel motor racing series. The series for Formula Nippon racing cars was contested over seven rounds with a non-championship final round at Fuji Speedway as part of the JAF Grand Prix. The two-time Le Mans winner André Lotterer was the defending champion.
This was also the final season run under the name Formula Nippon, the series would be renamed into Japanese Championship Super Formula, a name selected by public, in 2013.

## Teams and drivers

| Team | No. | Driver | Engine | Rounds |
| Petronas Team TOM'S | 1 | André Lotterer | Toyota RV8K | All |
| Petronas Team TOM'S | 2 | Kazuki Nakajima | Toyota RV8K | All |
| Kondō Racing | 3 | Hironobu Yasuda | Toyota RV8K | All |
| Team LeMans | 7 | Kazuya Oshima | Toyota RV8K | All |
| Team Kygnus Sunoco | 8 | Loïc Duval | Toyota RV8K | All |
| HP Real Racing | 10 | Toshihiro Kaneishi | Honda HR12E | All |
| HP Real Racing | 11 | Yuhki Nakayama | Honda HR12E | 4–5 |
| Team Mugen | 15 | Takuma Sato | Honda HR12E | 6–7 |
| Team Mugen | 16 | Naoki Yamamoto | Honda HR12E | All |
| SGC by KCMG | 18 | Ryo Orime | Toyota RV8K | All |
| Team Impul | 19 | João Paulo de Oliveira | Toyota RV8K | All |
| Team Impul | 20 | Tsugio Matsuda | Toyota RV8K | All |
| Nakajima Racing | 31 | Daisuke Nakajima | Honda HR12E | All |
| Nakajima Racing | 32 | Takashi Kogure | Honda HR12E | All |
| Project μ/cerumo・INGING | 38 | Kohei Hirate | Toyota RV8K | All |
| Project μ/cerumo・INGING | 39 | Yuji Kunimoto | Toyota RV8K | All |
| Docomo Team Dandelion Racing | 40 | Takuya Izawa | Honda HR12E | All |
| Docomo Team Dandelion Racing | 41 | Koudai Tsukakoshi | Honda HR12E | All |
| Le Beausset Motorsports | 62 | Koki Saga | Toyota RV8K | All |
Note:All drivers (except Yuhki Nakayama) also participated the non-Championship JAF Grand Prix.

## Race calendar and results

* All races will be held in Japan. A non-championship round, entitled JAF Grand Prix Super GT and Formula Nippon Sprint Cup 2012, will be held at the conclusion of the season.
| Round | Circuit | Date | Pole Position | Fastest Lap | Winning Driver | Winning Team |
| 1 | Suzuka Circuit | 15 April | Takuya Izawa | João Paulo de Oliveira | Kazuki Nakajima | Petronas Team TOM'S |
| 2 | Twin Ring Motegi | 13 May | André Lotterer | João Paulo de Oliveira | André Lotterer | Petronas Team TOM'S |
| 3 | Autopolis | 27 May | Koudai Tsukakoshi | Hironobu Yasuda | Koudai Tsukakoshi | Docomo Team Dandelion Racing |
| 4 | Fuji Speedway | 15 July | Kazuki Nakajima | João Paulo de Oliveira | André Lotterer | Petronas Team TOM'S |
| 5 | Twin Ring Motegi | 5 August | João Paulo de Oliveira | Hironobu Yasuda | João Paulo de Oliveira | Team Impul |
| 6 | Sportsland SUGO | 23 September | Takuya Izawa | Loïc Duval | Takuya Izawa | Docomo Team Dandelion Racing |
| 7 | Suzuka Circuit | 4 November | Tsugio Matsuda | Takuya Izawa | Takuya Izawa | Docomo Team Dandelion Racing |
| 7 | Suzuka Circuit | 4 November | João Paulo de Oliveira | Kohei Hirate | Kazuki Nakajima | Petronas Team TOM'S |
| NC | Fuji Speedway | 18 November | Koudai Tsukakoshi | João Paulo de Oliveira | Takuya Izawa | Docomo Team Dandelion Racing |

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

| Round | Position | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | Pole |
| 1–6 | Points | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 7 | Points | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2.5 | 2 | 1.5 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Pos | Driver | SUZ | MOT | AUT | FUJ | MOT | SUG | SUZ | SUZ | FUJ | Points |
| 1 | Kazuki Nakajima | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 46 |
| 2 | Koudai Tsukakoshi | 2 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | Ret | 43 |
| 3 | Takuya Izawa | 6 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 41.5 |
| 4 | André Lotterer | 5 | 1 | Ret | 1 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 8 | DSQ | 35.5 |
| 5 | João Paulo de Oliveira | 3 | 2 | Ret | 6 | 1 | 6 | 4 | Ret | 2 | 34.5 |
| 6 | Loïc Duval | 9 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 25 |
| 7 | Kazuya Oshima | 4 | 8 | 6 | 3 | Ret | 4 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 21.5 |
| 8 | Tsugio Matsuda | 8 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 7 | Ret | 2 | Ret | 5 | 20 |
| 9 | Kohei Hirate | 10 | NC | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 8 |
| 10 | Takashi Kogure | 15 | Ret | 10 | 10 | 13 | Ret | 6 | 4 | 11 | 4 |
| 11 | Naoki Yamamoto | 7 | 7 | 9 | 12 | Ret | 14 | 15 | Ret | 8 | 4 |
| 12 | Toshihiro Kaneishi | 12 | 13 | 12 | Ret | 11 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 2 |
| 13 | Yuji Kunimoto | 14 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 4 | 2 |
| 14 | Hironobu Yasuda | 11 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 0 |
| 15 | Takuma Sato | | | | | | 9 | 17 | 10 | 13 | 0 |
| 16 | Daisuke Nakajima | 16 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 0 |
| 17 | Koki Saga | 13 | 14 | Ret | 14 | Ret | 15 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 0 |
| 18 | Yuhki Nakayama | | | | 15 | 14 | | | | | 0 |
| 19 | Ryo Orime | 17 | 15 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 18 | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | SUZ | MOT | AUT | FUJ | MOT | SUG | SUZ | SUZ | FUJ | Points |
| 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) |

### Teams' Championship

| Pos | Team | No. | SUZ | MOT | AUT | FUJ | MOT | SUG | SUZ | SUZ | FUJ | Points |
| 1 | Docomo Team Dandelion Racing | 40 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 13 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 78.5 |
| 1 | Docomo Team Dandelion Racing | 41 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 | Ret | 78.5 |
| 2 | Petronas Team TOM'S | 1 | 5 | 1 | Ret | 1 | 2 | 10 | 5 | 8 | DSQ | 76.5 |
| 2 | Petronas Team TOM'S | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 76.5 |
| 3 | Team Impul | 19 | 3 | 2 | Ret | 6 | 1 | 6 | 4 | Ret | 2 | 51.5 |
| 3 | Team Impul | 20 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 7 | Ret | 2 | Ret | 5 | 51.5 |
| 4 | Team Kygnus Sunoco | 8 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 25 |
| 5 | Team LeMans | 7 | 4 | 8 | 6 | 3 | Ret | 4 | 8 | 7 | 10 | 21.5 |
| 6 | Project μ/cerumo・INGING | 38 | 10 | NC | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 10 |
| 6 | Project μ/cerumo・INGING | 39 | 14 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 12 | 4 | 10 |
| 7 | Nakajima Racing | 31 | 16 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 4 |
| 7 | Nakajima Racing | 32 | 15 | Ret | 10 | 10 | 13 | Ret | 6 | 4 | 11 | 4 |
| 8 | Mugen | 15 | | | | | | 9 | 17 | 10 | 13 | 4 |
| 8 | Mugen | 16 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 12 | Ret | 14 | 15 | Ret | 8 | 4 |
| 9 | HP Real Racing | 10 | 12 | 13 | 12 | Ret | 11 | 7 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 2 |
| 9 | HP Real Racing | 11 | | | | 15 | 14 | | | | | 2 |
| 10 | Kondō Racing | 3 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 16 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 0 |
| 11 | Le Beausset Motorsports | 62 | 13 | 14 | Ret | 14 | | 15 | 16 | 13 | 14 | 0 |
| 12 | SGC by KCMG | 18 | 17 | 15 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 18 | 15 | 15 | 0 |
| Pos | Team | No. | SUZ | MOT | AUT | FUJ | MOT | SUG | SUZ | SUZ | FUJ | Points |
| 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) |