# 2008 Formula Nippon Championship

The 2008 Formula Nippon Championship was the thirty-sixth season of the premier Japanese open-wheel motor racing series. The series for Formula Nippon racing cars was contested over eight rounds. All teams were required to use Lola chassis (Lola FN06) and have the choice between utilising Mugen Honda (Mugen HF386E) or Toyota (Toyota RV8J) engines.
Defending champion Tsugio Matsuda secured the championship with a round in hand. Together with teammate Benoît Tréluyer, Matsuda's Team Impul also secured the teams championship with a round to go.

## Teams and drivers

| Team | # | Driver | Chassis | Engine | Rounds |
| Lawson Team Impul | 1 | Tsugio Matsuda | Lola FN06 | Toyota RV8J | All |
| Lawson Team Impul | 2 | Benoît Tréluyer | Lola FN06 | Toyota RV8J | All |
| Kondo Racing | 3 | Naoki Yokomizo | Lola FN06 | Toyota RV8J | All |
| Kondo Racing | 4 | João Paulo de Oliveira | Lola FN06 | Toyota RV8J | All |
| SG Team 5Zigen | 5 | Toshihiro Kaneishi | Lola FN06 | Honda HF386E | All |
| SG Team 5Zigen | 6 | Katsuyuki Hiranaka | Lola FN06 | Honda HF386E | 1–4, 7–8 |
| SG Team 5Zigen | 6 | Hiroki Yoshimoto | Lola FN06 | Honda HF386E | 5–6 |
| Team LeMans | 7 | Satoshi Motoyama | Lola FN06 | Toyota RV8J | All |
| Team LeMans | 8 | Hiroaki Ishiura | Lola FN06 | Toyota RV8J | All |
| TP Checker Team Impul | 20 | Kohei Hirate | Lola FN06 | Toyota RV8J | 1–6, 8 |
| TP Checker Team Impul | 20 | Richard Lyons | Lola FN06 | Toyota RV8J | 7 |
| PIAA Nakajima Racing | 31 | Loïc Duval | Lola FN06 | Honda HF386E | All |
| PIAA Nakajima Racing | 32 | Takashi Kogure | Lola FN06 | Honda HF386E | All |
| Petronas Team TOM'S | 36 | André Lotterer | Lola FN06 | Toyota RV8J | All |
| Petronas Team TOM'S | 37 | Seiji Ara | Lola FN06 | Toyota RV8J | All |
| DoCoMo Team Dandelion Racing | 40 | Kosuke Matsuura | Lola FN06 | Honda HF386E | All |
| DoCoMo Team Dandelion Racing | 41 | Takeshi Tsuchiya | Lola FN06 | Honda HF386E | All |
| Cerumo/Inging | 47 | Ronnie Quintarelli | Lola FN06 | Toyota RV8J | All |
| Cerumo/Inging | 48 | Yuji Tachikawa | Lola FN06 | Toyota RV8J | All |
| Autobacs Racing Team Aguri | 55 | Yuji Ide | Lola FN06 | Honda HF386E | All |
| Autobacs Racing Team Aguri | 56 | Takuya Izawa | Lola FN06 | Honda HF386E | All |
| Stonemarket Blaak Cerumo/Inging | 67 | Roberto Streit | Lola FN06 | Toyota 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 |
| 5 | Suzuka Circuit | 13 July | Satoshi Motoyama | Roberto Streit | Kohei Hirate | Team Impul |
| 6 | Twin Ring Motegi | 10 August | Tsugio Matsuda | Roberto Streit | Loïc Duval | Nakajima Racing |
| 6 | Twin Ring Motegi | 10 August | Takeshi Tsuchiya | Takeshi Tsuchiya | Seiji Ara | TOM'S Racing |
| 7 | Fuji Speedway | 31 August | João Paulo de Oliveira | Takashi Kogure | João Paulo de Oliveira | Kondō Racing |
| 7 | Fuji Speedway | 31 August | Kosuke Matsuura | 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 5–7 R1 | Points | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rds 5–7 R2 | Points | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* – 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 | SUZ | MOT | MOT | FUJ | FUJ | SUG | Pts |
| 1 | Tsugio Matsuda | 1 | 1 | 1 | Ret | 1 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 93.5 |
| 2 | Loïc Duval | 10 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | Ret | 2 | 7 | 3 | 62 |
| 3 | André Lotterer | Ret | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 49 |
| 4 | Kohei Hirate | Ret | 2 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 1 | Ret | DNS | | | 5 | 42 |
| 5 | Takashi Kogure | 6 | 5 | Ret | 9 | 3 | 7 | 5 | Ret | 3 | 6 | 2 | 41 |
| 6 | João Paulo de Oliveira | Ret | Ret | 9 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 33 |
| 7 | Yuji Tachikawa | 2 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 17 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 15 | 31 |
| 8 | Benoît Tréluyer | 4 | 7 | Ret | 8 | Ret | 13 | 15 | Ret | 7 | 2 | 4 | 27 |
| 9 | Ronnie Quintarelli | 5 | 8 | Ret | 7 | 10 | 9 | Ret | 13 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 21.5 |
| 10 | Takuya Izawa | Ret | 9 | 4 | 5 | 12 | Ret | Ret | 12 | 18 | 17 | 8 | 19 |
| 11 | Satoshi Motoyama | Ret | 4 | 16 | Ret | 8 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 14 | Ret | 14 |
| 12 | Naoki Yokomizo | NC | 6 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 6 | Ret | 11 | 12 | 12 | Ret | 12 |
| 13 | Roberto Streit | 3 | 15 | Ret | Ret | 11 | 10 | Ret | 9 | 19 | 18 | 10 | 11 |
| 14 | Seiji Ara | Ret | 11 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 9 |
| 15 | Toshihiro Kaneishi | 11 | Ret | 5 | 14 | Ret | 14 | 6 | Ret | 16 | 20 | 11 | 9 |
| 16 | Hiroaki Ishiura | 7 | 13 | 8 | Ret | 14 | Ret | 13 | 8 | 17 | 16 | 9 | 9 |
| 17 | Takeshi Tsuchiya | 8 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 16 | Ret | 8 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 4 |
| 18 | Kosuke Matsuura | 12 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 9 | Ret | 10 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 3.5 |
| 19 | Yuji Ide | 9 | 18 | 15 | NC | 15 | Ret | 12 | Ret | NC | 19 | 17 | 2 |
| 20 | Hiroki Yoshimoto | | | | | 18 | 15 | 14 | 10 | | | | 0 |
| 21 | Katsuyuki Hiranaka | Ret | 12 | 13 | 15 | | | | | 15 | 15 | Ret | 0 |
| 22 | Richard Lyons | | | | | | | | | 13 | 13 | | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | FUJ | SUZ | MOT | OKA | SUZ | SUZ | MOT | MOT | FUJ | FUJ | SUG | Pts |
| 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
#### 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 5–7 R1 | Points | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Rds 5–7 R2 | Points | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Pos | Team | Car | FUJ | SUZ | MOT | OKA | SUZ | SUZ | MOT | MOT | FUJ | FUJ | SUG | Pts |
| 1 | Lawson Team Impul | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Ret | 1 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 114.5 |
| 1 | Lawson Team Impul | 2 | 4 | 7 | Ret | 8 | Ret | 13 | 15 | Ret | 7 | 2 | 4 | 114.5 |
| 2 | PIAA Nakajima Racing | 31 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | Ret | 2 | 7 | 3 | 103 |
| 2 | PIAA Nakajima Racing | 32 | 6 | 5 | Ret | 9 | 3 | 7 | 5 | Ret | 3 | 6 | 2 | 103 |
| 3 | Petronas Team TOM'S | 36 | Ret | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 58 |
| 3 | Petronas Team TOM'S | 37 | Ret | 11 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 58 |
| 4 | Cerumo/Inging | 47 | 5 | 8 | Ret | 7 | 10 | 9 | Ret | 13 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 52.5 |
| 4 | Cerumo/Inging | 48 | 2 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 17 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 15 | 52.5 |
| 5 | Kondo Racing | 3 | NC | 6 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 6 | Ret | 11 | 12 | 12 | Ret | 44 |
| 5 | Kondo Racing | 4 | Ret | Ret | 9 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 6 | 44 |
| 6 | TP Checker Impul | 20 | Ret | 2 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 1 | Ret | DNS | 13 | 13 | 5 | 42 |
| 7 | Team LeMans | 7 | Ret | 4 | 16 | Ret | 8 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 14 | 14 | Ret | 22 |
| 7 | Team LeMans | 8 | 7 | 13 | 8 | Ret | 14 | Ret | 13 | 8 | 17 | 16 | 9 | 22 |
| 8 | Autobacs Racing Team Aguri | 55 | 9 | 18 | 15 | NC | 15 | Ret | 12 | Ret | NC | 19 | 17 | 21 |
| 8 | Autobacs Racing Team Aguri | 56 | Ret | 9 | 4 | 5 | 12 | Ret | Ret | 12 | 18 | 17 | 8 | 21 |
| 9 | Stonemarket Cerumo/Inging | 67 | 3 | 15 | Ret | Ret | 11 | 10 | Ret | 9 | 19 | 18 | 10 | 11 |
| 10 | SG Team 5Zigen | 5 | 11 | Ret | 5 | 14 | Ret | 14 | 6 | Ret | 16 | 20 | 11 | 9 |
| 10 | SG Team 5Zigen | 6 | Ret | 12 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 15 | 15 | Ret | 9 |
| 11 | DoCoMo Team Dandelion Racing | 40 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 9 | Ret | 10 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 7.5 |
| 11 | DoCoMo Team Dandelion Racing | 41 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 16 | Ret | 8 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 7.5 |