# 2016 Super Formula Championship

The 2016 Japanese Super Formula Championship was the forty-fourth season of premier Japanese open-wheel motor racing, and the fourth under the name of Super Formula. Hiroaki Ishiura started his 2015 Championship defense when the season began on 24 April, and ended after seven rounds on 30 October.
The series changed tyre supplier from Bridgestone to Yokohama.

## Teams and drivers

All teams were Japanese-registered and used the Dallara SF14 spec-racer chassis. Eight cars were powered by Honda's HR-414E engine, with the other 11 cars using Toyota's RI4A engine.
| Team | No. | Driver | Engine | Rounds |
| P.mu/cerumo・INGING | 1 | Hiroaki Ishiura | Toyota RI4A | All |
| P.mu/cerumo・INGING | 2 | Yuji Kunimoto | Toyota RI4A | All |
| Kondō Racing | 3 | James Rossiter | Toyota RI4A | All |
| Kondō Racing | 4 | William Buller | Toyota RI4A | All |
| SUNOCO Team LeMans | 7 | Narain Karthikeyan | Toyota RI4A | All |
| SUNOCO Team LeMans | 8 | Kamui Kobayashi | Toyota RI4A | All |
| Real Racing | 10 | Koudai Tsukakoshi | Honda HR-414E | All |
| Real Racing | 11 | Takuya Izawa | Honda HR-414E | All |
| Team Mugen | 16 | Naoki Yamamoto | Honda HR-414E | All |
| KCMG | 18 | Yuichi Nakayama | Toyota RI4A | All |
| ITOCHU ENEX Team Impul | 19 | João Paulo de Oliveira | Toyota RI4A | All |
| ITOCHU ENEX Team Impul | 20 | Yuhi Sekiguchi | Toyota RI4A | All |
| Drago Corse | 34 | Takashi Kogure | Honda HR-414E | All |
| Vantelin Team TOM'S | 36 | André Lotterer | Toyota RI4A | All |
| Vantelin Team TOM'S | 37 | Kazuki Nakajima | Toyota RI4A | All |
| Docomo Team Dandelion Racing | 40 | Tomoki Nojiri | Honda HR-414E | All |
| Docomo Team Dandelion Racing | 41 | Stoffel Vandoorne | Honda HR-414E | All |
| Nakajima Racing | 64 | Daisuke Nakajima | Honda HR-414E | All |
| Nakajima Racing | 65 | Bertrand Baguette | Honda HR-414E | All |

## Race calendar and results

A provisional calendar for the 2016 season was released on 10 December 2015. The 7 rounds of the 2016 Super-Formula Championship were held over 7 months from April through October, with a 7 week long summer hiatus through June to mid-July. All events were held on premier, natural terrain road racing circuits in Japan. Thus far, no events on the Super Formula calendar have been held on super-speedway ovals or on city street circuits.
The Autopolis round was cancelled on May 29 due to damage caused by the Kumamoto earthquake. However, on July 15, it was decided that Okayama would take its place at the same date, holding a double-header round.
| Round | Round | Circuit | Date | Pole Position | Fastest Lap | Winning Driver | Winning Team |
| 1 | 1 | Suzuka Circuit | 24 April | Naoki Yamamoto | Yuhi Sekiguchi | Naoki Yamamoto | Team Mugen |
| 2 | 2 | Okayama International Circuit | 29 May | Hiroaki Ishiura | Kamui Kobayashi | Hiroaki Ishiura | P.mu/cerumo・INGING |
| 3 | 3 | Fuji Speedway | 17 July | Stoffel Vandoorne | Kazuki Nakajima | João Paulo de Oliveira | ITOCHU ENEX Team Impul |
| 4 | 4 | Twin Ring Motegi | 21 August | Yuhi Sekiguchi | Kamui Kobayashi | Yuhi Sekiguchi | ITOCHU ENEX Team Impul |
| 5 | R1 | Okayama International Circuit | 10 September | Kazuki Nakajima | Kazuki Nakajima | Stoffel Vandoorne | Docomo Team Dandelion Racing |
| 5 | R2 | Okayama International Circuit | 11 September | Tomoki Nojiri | Hiroaki Ishiura | Yuji Kunimoto | P.mu/cerumo・INGING |
| 6 | 6 | Sportsland SUGO | 25 September | Yuhi Sekiguchi | Yuhi Sekiguchi | Yuhi Sekiguchi | ITOCHU ENEX Team Impul |
| 7 | R1 | Suzuka Circuit | 30 October | Hiroaki Ishiura | André Lotterer | Yuji Kunimoto | P.mu/cerumo・INGING |
| 7 | R2 | Suzuka Circuit | 30 October | Hiroaki Ishiura | Narain Karthikeyan | Stoffel Vandoorne | Docomo Team Dandelion Racing |

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

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Pole |
| Rounds 1–4, 6 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Round 5 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2.5 | 2 | 1.5 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Round 7 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2.5 | 2 | 1.5 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 |

#### Driver standings

| Pos | Driver | SUZ | OKA$^†$ | FUJ | MOT | OKA | OKA | SUG | SUZ | SUZ | Points |
| 1 | Yuji Kunimoto | 2 | 6 | Ret | 4 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 33 |
| 2 | André Lotterer | 7 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 30 |
| 3 | Yuhi Sekiguchi | 14 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 18 | 8 | 28.5 |
| 4 | Stoffel Vandoorne | 3 | 12 | Ret | 6 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 27 |
| 5 | Hiroaki Ishiura | 11 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 27 |
| 6 | Kazuki Nakajima | 12 | 17 | 2 | 7 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 16 | 22 |
| 7 | João Paulo de Oliveira | 10 | 19 | 1 | Ret | 8 | 5 | Ret | 8 | 4 | 15.5 |
| 8 | Naoki Yamamoto | 1 | 5 | Ret | 8 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 19 | Ret | 15.5 |
| 9 | Tomoki Nojiri | 9 | 4 | 13 | Ret | 4 | 16 | 3 | 4 | Ret | 14.5 |
| 10 | James Rossiter | 6 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 12 |
| 11 | Koudai Tsukakoshi | 5 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 |
| 12 | Daisuke Nakajima | Ret | 7 | DNS | 10 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 10.5 |
| 13 | Takashi Kogure | 4 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 |
| 14 | Narain Karthikeyan | Ret | 16 | 7 | Ret | 3 | Ret | 12 | 15 | 14 | 5 |
| 15 | Bertrand Baguette | 8 | 14 | 14 | Ret | 14 | 18 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 4.5 |
| 16 | Takuya Izawa | Ret | 3 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 8 | 13 | 16 | Ret | 3.5 |
| 17 | Kamui Kobayashi | 16 | 18 | 10 | 9 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 9 | 7 | 1 |
| 18 | Yuichi Nakayama | 13 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 17 | 13 | Ret | 14 | 11 | 0 |
| 19 | William Buller | 15 | 11 | Ret | 13 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | SUZ | OKA | FUJ | MOT | OKA | OKA | SUG | SUZ | SUZ | 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 | OKA$^†$ | FUJ | MOT | OKA | OKA | SUG | SUZ | SUZ | Points |
| 1 | P.mu/cerumo・INGING | 1 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 16 | 3 | 3 | 54 |
| 1 | P.mu/cerumo・INGING | 2 | 2 | 6 | Ret | 4 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 54 |
| 2 | VANTELIN Team TOM'S | 36 | 7 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 51 |
| 2 | VANTELIN Team TOM'S | 37 | 12 | 17 | 2 | 7 | 19 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 16 | 51 |
| 3 | ITOCHU ENEX Team Impul | 19 | 10 | 19 | 1 | Ret | 8 | 5 | Ret | 8 | 4 | 42 |
| 3 | ITOCHU ENEX Team Impul | 20 | 14 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 9 | 1 | 18 | 8 | 42 |
| 4 | Docomo Team Dandelion Racing | 40 | 9 | 4 | 13 | Ret | 4 | 16 | 3 | 4 | Ret | 36.5 |
| 4 | Docomo Team Dandelion Racing | 41 | 3 | 12 | Ret | 6 | 1 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 36.5 |
| 5 | Nakajima Racing | 64 | Ret | 7 | DNS | 10 | 6 | 12 | 2 | 10 | 10 | 15 |
| 5 | Nakajima Racing | 65 | 8 | 14 | 14 | Ret | 14 | 18 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 15 |
| 6 | Team Mugen | 16 | 1 | 5 | Ret | 8 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 19 | Ret | 14.5 |
| 7 | Real Racing | 10 | 5 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 14.5 |
| 7 | Real Racing | 11 | Ret | 3 | 11 | 14 | 16 | 8 | 13 | 16 | Ret | 14.5 |
| 8 | Kondō Racing | 3 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 5 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 15 | 12 |
| 8 | Kondō Racing | 4 | 15 | 11 | Ret | 13 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 12 |
| 9 | Drago Corse | 34 | 4 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 |
| 10 | SUNOCO Team LeMans | 7 | Ret | 16 | 7 | Ret | 3 | Ret | 12 | 15 | 14 | 6 |
| 10 | SUNOCO Team LeMans | 8 | 16 | 18 | 10 | 9 | 18 | 17 | 17 | 9 | 7 | 6 |
| 11 | KCMG | 18 | 13 | 10 | 9 | 15 | 17 | 13 | Ret | 14 | 11 | 0 |
| Pos | Team | No. | SUZ | OKA$^†$ | FUJ | MOT | OKA | OKA | SUG | SUZ | SUZ | 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) |
$^†$ Half points were awarded at the first Okayama round as less than 75% of the scheduled distance was completed.