# 2013 Super Formula Championship

The 2013 Japanese Championship Super Formula season was the forty-first season of premier Japanese open-wheel motor racing, and the first under the new name of Super Formula. The series was contested over six rounds and a non-championship final round at Fuji Speedway as part of the JAF Grand Prix. 2013 was also the last season using the original chassis (SF13, known as FN09 in previous seasons) by Swift Engineering as for 2014 Dallara would supply a new chassis, the SF14, to the series.
Naoki Yamamoto won his first drivers' championship with Team Mugen, while Petronas Team TOM's won the teams' championship. Yamamoto and André Lotterer finished the year with the same number of points. At the time, Super Formula had an unconventional championship tiebreaker method where the driver that scored the most points in the final round of the season would be declared the champion. Lotterer had more wins, but had to miss the final round due to his commitments in the FIA World Endurance Championship, while Yamamoto finished first and third in the double-header finale at Suzuka to equal Lotterer's point total and win the championship.
In the same season, Loïc Duval won the Sportsland Sugo round, defeating Lotterer by 0.041 seconds. It was the closest margin of victory in series history.

## Teams and drivers

| Team | No. | Driver | Engine | Rounds |
| Petronas Team TOM'S | 1 | Kazuki Nakajima | Toyota RV8K | All |
| Petronas Team TOM'S | 2 | James Rossiter | Toyota RV8K | 1, 6 |
| Petronas Team TOM'S | 2 | André Lotterer | Toyota RV8K | 2–5, NC |
| Kondō Racing | 3 | Hironobu Yasuda | Toyota RV8K | All |
| Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans | 7 | Ryō Hirakawa | Toyota RV8K | All |
| Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans | 8 | Andrea Caldarelli | Toyota RV8K | 1, 6 |
| Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans | 8 | Loïc Duval | Toyota RV8K | 2–5, NC |
| HP Real Racing | 10 | Koudai Tsukakoshi | Honda HR12E | All |
| HP Real Racing | 11 | Yuhki Nakayama | Honda HR12E | All |
| Team Mugen | 15 | Takuma Sato | Honda HR12E | 1, 5–6, NC |
| Team Mugen | 15 | Takashi Kobayashi | Honda HR12E | 2–4 |
| Team Mugen | 16 | Naoki Yamamoto | Honda HR12E | All |
| KCMG | 18 | Richard Bradley | Toyota RV8K | All |
| Lenovo Team Impul | 19 | João Paulo de Oliveira | Toyota RV8K | All |
| Lenovo Team Impul | 20 | Tsugio Matsuda | Toyota RV8K | All |
| Nakajima Racing | 31 | Daisuke Nakajima | Honda HR12E | All |
| Nakajima Racing | 32 | Takashi Kogure | Honda HR12E | All |
| P.mu/cerumo・INGING | 38 | Kohei Hirate | Toyota RV8K | All |
| P.mu/cerumo・INGING | 39 | Yuji Kunimoto | Toyota RV8K | All |
| Docomo Team Dandelion Racing | 40 | Takuya Izawa | Honda HR12E | All |
| Docomo Team Dandelion Racing | 41 | Hideki Mutoh | Honda HR12E | All |
| Tochigi Le Beausset Motorsports | 62 | Koki Saga | Toyota RV8K | All |

## Race calendar and results

A provisional calendar for the 2013 season was released on 10 August 2012. All races were held in Japan.
| Round | Circuit | Date | Pole Position | Fastest Lap | Winning Driver | Winning Team |
| 1 | Suzuka Circuit | 14 April | Takuya Izawa | Takashi Kogure | Takuya Izawa | Docomo Team Dandelion Racing |
| 2 | Autopolis | 2 June | André Lotterer | Kazuki Nakajima | André Lotterer | Petronas Team TOM'S |
| 3 | Fuji Speedway | 14 July | Loïc Duval | André Lotterer | André Lotterer | Petronas Team TOM'S |
| 4 | Twin Ring Motegi | 4 August | Kazuki Nakajima | André Lotterer | Kazuki Nakajima | Petronas Team TOM'S |
| 5 | Sportsland SUGO | 29 September | Loïc Duval | Takashi Kogure | Loïc Duval | Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans |
| 6 | Suzuka Circuit | 10 November | Naoki Yamamoto | Ryō Hirakawa | Naoki Yamamoto | Team Mugen |
| 6 | Suzuka Circuit | 10 November | Naoki Yamamoto | Ryō Hirakawa | Kazuki Nakajima | Petronas Team TOM'S |
| NC | Fuji Speedway Report | 24 November | Yuji Kunimoto | Takuya Izawa | Yuji Kunimoto | P.mu/cerumo・INGING |

### Calendar changes

* On 1 November the first Motegi round, scheduled for 12 May, was taken off the calendar for 2013.
* The race at Inje Speedium, scheduled for 25 August, was cancelled during the 2013 season.
* The non-championship JAF Grand Prix was originally scheduled for 17 November but was rescheduled to 24 November.

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

| Round | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | Pole |
| 1–5 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 6 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2.5 | 2 | 1.5 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Pos | Driver | SUZ | AUT | FUJ | MOT | SUG | SUZ | SUZ | FUJ | Points |
| 1 | Naoki Yamamoto | 4 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 37 |
| 2 | André Lotterer | | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | | | 7 | 37 |
| 3 | Loïc Duval | | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | | | 2 | 31 |
| 4 | Kazuki Nakajima | 5 | 12 | 8 | 1 | Ret | Ret | 1 | 4 | 24 |
| 5 | João Paulo de Oliveira | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | Ret | 3 | 17 | 6 | 19 |
| 6 | Tsugio Matsuda | 2 | 5 | 16 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 16 | 3 | 18.5 |
| 7 | Takuya Izawa | 1 | Ret | 5 | Ret | Ret | 10 | 9 | 15 | 15 |
| 8 | Takashi Kogure | 3 | Ret | 14 | 5 | 8 | 15 | 2 | 18 | 15 |
| 9 | Kohei Hirate | 12 | Ret | 2 | 15 | Ret | 5 | 7 | 9 | 11 |
| 10 | Yuji Kunimoto | 10 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 4 | Ret | 15 | 1 | 10 |
| 11 | Ryō Hirakawa | 8 | 7 | 11 | 7 | Ret | 6 | 4 | 8 | 9 |
| 12 | Daisuke Nakajima | 16 | Ret | 11 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 11 | Ret | 6 |
| 13 | Andrea Caldarelli | 7 | | | | | Ret | 5 | | 4 |
| 14 | Hironobu Yasuda | 14 | 9 | 12 | Ret | 6 | 8 | 13 | 11 | 3.5 |
| 15 | Koudai Tsukakoshi | 9 | 6 | 9 | 9 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 10 | 3 |
| 16 | James Rossiter | 11 | | | | | 7 | 6 | | 2.5 |
| 17 | Yuhki Nakayama | 18 | 8 | Ret | 11 | Ret | 11 | 12 | 13 | 1 |
| 18 | Takuma Sato | 15 | | | | 11 | 9 | 8 | 14 | 0.5 |
| 19 | Koki Saga | 17 | 11 | Ret | 16 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 0 |
| 20 | Hideki Mutoh | 13 | Ret | 13 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 0 |
| 21 | Richard Bradley | 19 | Ret | Ret | 14 | Ret | 13 | 18 | 17 | 0 |
| 22 | Takashi Kobayashi | | Ret | 15 | 17 | | | | | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | SUZ | 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 | AUT | FUJ | MOT | SUG | SUZ | SUZ | FUJ | Points |
| 1 | Petronas Team TOM'S | 1 | 5 | 12 | 8 | 1 | 2 | Ret | 1 | 4 | 58.5 |
| 1 | Petronas Team TOM'S | 2 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Ret | 7 | 6 | 7 | 58.5 |
| 2 | Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans | 7 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 7 | Ret | 6 | 4 | 8 | 42 |
| 2 | Kygnus Sunoco Team LeMans | 8 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 | Ret | 5 | 2 | 42 |
| 3 | Team Impul | 19 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | Ret | 3 | 17 | 6 | 37.5 |
| 3 | Team Impul | 20 | 2 | 5 | 16 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 16 | 3 | 37.5 |
| 4 | Team Mugen | 15 | 15 | Ret | 15 | 17 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 14 | 32.5 |
| 4 | Team Mugen | 16 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 32.5 |
| 5 | P.mu/cerumo・INGING | 38 | 12 | Ret | 2 | 15 | Ret | 5 | 7 | 9 | 21 |
| 5 | P.mu/cerumo・INGING | 39 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 4 | Ret | 15 | 1 | 21 |
| 6 | Nakajima Racing | 31 | 16 | Ret | 11 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 11 | Ret | 21 |
| 6 | Nakajima Racing | 32 | 3 | Ret | 14 | 5 | 8 | Ret | 2 | 18 | 21 |
| 7 | Docomo Team Dandelion Racing | 40 | 1 | Ret | 6 | Ret | Ret | 10 | 9 | 15 | 13 |
| 7 | Docomo Team Dandelion Racing | 41 | 13 | Ret | 13 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 13 |
| 8 | HP Real Racing | 10 | 9 | 6 | 9 | 9 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 10 | 4 |
| 8 | HP Real Racing | 11 | 18 | 8 | Ret | 11 | Ret | 11 | 12 | 13 | 4 |
| 9 | Kondō Racing | 3 | 14 | 9 | 12 | Ret | 6 | 8 | 13 | 11 | 3.5 |
| | Tochigi Le Beausset Motorsports | 62 | 17 | 11 | Ret | 16 | 9 | 14 | 14 | 16 | 0 |
| | KCMG | 18 | 19 | Ret | Ret | 14 | Ret | 13 | 18 | 17 | 0 |
| Pos | Team | No. | SUZ | 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) |