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In 2012, Formula Nippon will run its last season with the name that bring to the series so many good times, looking to become more popular around Asia and the World, JRP will change the name of the series for 2013, the name choosing will be made through the mail sending from Japanese people to the JRP, the winner besides the fact of have the name he choosed as the name of the series, will have a pair of season tickets with paddock acess and a brand new car, either Toyota or Honda.

A great surprise let all the japanese fans very happy, during the official Honda announcement for the 2012 season, it was said that Takuma Sato was going to take place in the 2012 Formula Nippon season. As the driver also drives in Indycar we will only see Sato in one or two races of the season. Sato already took part in the off season race at Suzuka, that was held in march, during the celebrations for the 50 years of the most challenging and spetacular japanese circuit.

After a dominating year in 2011, the strong Team Tom's will face a big challenge in 2012, the season will have for the first time in Formula Nippon history, four previous champions in the grid, Tsugio Matsuda in 2007 and 2008, Loic Duval in 2009, JP Oliveira in 2010 and Andre Lotterer in 2011 are all in cars that can give them a chance of victory. Also, the young Kodai Tsukakoshi showed good skills in his first year for Dandelion in 2011, and will now fight with more experience for his first victory. The tests at Suzuka and Fuji showed that we will have a strong season, many drivers can have good results and Honda seems to be much more closer to Toyota than it was in 2011.

So let's take a view over all the teams and drivers for the 2012 Formula Nippon Season

PETRONAS Team Tom's

Engine: Toyota

Drivers:



#01 Andre Lotterer

Germany, 30 years old
Races: 79
Points: 329
Wins: 14
Poles: 3
Titles: 1
Debut: Suzuka 2003, for PIAA Nakajima



#02 Kazuki Nakajima

Japan, 27 years old
Races: 7
Points: 42
Wins: 1
Poles: 0
Titles: 0
Debut: Suzuka 2011, for PETRONAS Team Tom's


Kondo Racing

Engine: Toyota

Drivers:



#03 Hironobu Yasuda

Japan, 28 years old
Rookie


Team LeMans

Engine: Toyota

Drivers:



#07 Kazuya Oshima

Japan, 24 years old
Races: 23
Points: 56
Wins: 1
Poles: 2
Titles: 0
Debut: Fuji 2009, for PETRONAS Team Tom's


Team KYGNUS SUNOCO

Engine: Toyota

Drivers:



#08 Loic Duval

France, 29 years old
Races: 45
Points: 219,5
Wins: 10
Poles: 6
Titles: 1
Debut: Fuji 2006, for PIAA Nakajima


HP Real Racing

Engine: Honda

Drivers:



#10 Toshihiro Kaneishi

Japan, 33 years old
Races: 58
Points: 56
Wins: 1
Poles: 1
Titles: 0
Debut: Suzuka 2002, for ARTA


Team Mugen

Engine: Honda

Drivers:



#15 Takuma Sato

Japan, 35 years old
Rookies



#16 Naoki Yamamoto

Japan, 23 years old
Races: 15
Points: 25,5
Wins: 0
Poles: 1
Titles: 0
Debut: Suzuka 2010, for Nakajima Racing


SGC by KCMG

Engine: Toyota

Drivers:



#18 Ryo Orime

Japan, 29 years old
Races: 8
Points: 0
Wins: 0
Poles: 0
Titles: 0
Debut: Fuji 2006, for M&O 5Zigen


Team Impul

Engine: Toyota

Drivers:



#19 João Paulo de Oliveira

Brazil, 30 years old
Races: 36
Points: 126,5
Wins: 4
Poles: 5
Titles: 1
Debut: Suzuka 2006, for M&O 5Zigen



#20 Tsugio Matsuda

Japan, 32 years old
Races: 101
Points: 271,5
Wins: 7
Poles: 12
Titles: 2
Debut: Suzuka 1998, for PIAA Nakajima


Nakajima Racing

Engine: Honda

Drivers:



#31 Daisuke Nakajima

Japan, 23 years old
Races: 7
Points: 2
Wins: 0
Poles: 0
Titles: 0
Debut: Suzuka 2011, for Nakajima Racing



#32 Takashi Kogure

Japan, 31 years old
Races: 80
Points: 219,5
Wins: 7
Poles: 15
Titles: 0
Debut: Suzuka 2003, for PIAA Nakajima


Project μ/Cerumo-Inging

Engine: Toyota

Drivers:



#38 Kohei Hirate

Japan, 26 years old
Races: 31
Points: 114,5
Wins: 2
Poles: 1
Titles: 0
Debut: Fuji 2008, for TP Checker Impul



#39 Yuji Kunimoto

Japan, 21 years old
Races: 7
Points: 6,5
Wins: 0
Poles: 0
Titles: 0
Debut: Suzuka 2011, for Project μ/Cerumo-Inging


DoCoMo Dandelion

Engine: Honda

Drivers:



#40 Takuya Izawa

Japan, 27 years old
Races: 33
Points: 51
Wins: 0
Poles: 0
Titles: 0
Debut: Fuji 2008, for ARTA



#41 Kodai Tsukakoshi

Japan, 25 years old
Races: 23
Points: 55,5
Wins: 0
Poles: 1
Titles: 0
Debut: Fuji 2009, for HFDP Racing


Tochigi Le Beausset

Engine: Toyota

Drivers:



#62 Koki Saga

Japan, 28 years old
Races: 7
Points: 0
Wins: 0
Poles: 0
Titles: 0
Debut: Suzuka 2011, for Le Beausset


The Formula Nippon calendar has arrived in many different places around the years, since 1996, they run in nine different tracks, eight in Japan and one in Malaysia, they were: Suzuka, Mine, Fuji, Tokachi, Sugo, Motegi, Sepang, Autopolis and Okayama

In 2012, the season will only driving around five of those circuits, which we will get to know right now...

SUZUKA CIRCUIT



Rounds in 2012: Round 1, April 15th and Round 7, November 4th
Official Lap Record: 1:38.917, Takashi Kogure - Nakajima Racing-Honda - 2010

TWIN RING MOTEGI



Rounds in 2012: Round 2, May 13th and Round 5, August 5th
Official Lap Record: 1:32.989, Andre Lotterer - Petronas Team Tom's-Toyota - 2011

AUTOPOLIS



Rounds in 2012: Round 3, May 27th
Official Lap Record: 1:30.582, Loic Duval - DoCoMo Dandelion-Honda - 2010

FUJI SPEEDWAY



Rounds in 2012: Round 4, July 15th
Official Lap Record: 1:24.290, Tsugio Matsuda - Lawson Impul-Toyota - 2008

SPORTSLAND SUGO



Rounds in 2012: Round 6, September 23rd
Official Lap Record: 1:05.843, Loic Duval - DoCoMo Dandelion-Honda - 2010


The races in 2012 will have a total of 250Km, only in the last round at Suzuka the distance will be split in two, as the final round will have two races instead of one.


2012 Formula Nippon Official Calendar

Round 01: Suzuka Circuit - April 15th
Round 02: Twin Ring Motegi - May 13th
Round 03: Autopolis - May 27th
Round 04: Fuji Speedway - July 15th
Round 05: Twin Ring Motegi - August 5th
Round 06: Sportsland Sugo - September 23rd
Round 07: Suzuka Circuit - November 4th


As happened in the last two years, a special round will take place at Fuji, after both Formula Nippon and SuperGT seasons are over, the 2012 race will be held in November 18th


2012 Formula Nippon Season Points System:

The Formula Nippon Points System follow the old Formula 1 points system: 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1
There is also one point awarded for the driver who scores the pole position for each race


2011 Formula Nippon Season Drivers Championship

01 - Andre Lotterer - GER - 56 pts
02 - Kazuki Nakajima - JAP - 42 pts
03 - João Paulo de Oliveira - BRA - 28 pts
04 - Kodai Tsukakoshi - JAP - 26,5 pts
05 - Kazuya Oshima - JAP - 19 pts
06 - Hiroaki Ishiura - JAP - 17 pts
07 - Takashi Kogure - JAP - 16,5 pts
08 - Kohei Hirate - JAP - 15 pts
09 - Takuya Izawa - JAP - 11 pts
10 - Yuji Kunimoto - JAP - 6,5 pts
11 - Naoki Yamamoto - JAP - 5 pts
12 - Alexandre Imperatori - SWI - 2,5 pts
13 - Daisuke Nakajima - JAP - 2 pts
14 - Hideki Mutoh - JAP - 0 pts
15 - Takashi Kobayashi - JAP - 0 pts
16 - Koki Saga - JAP - 0 pts
17 - Andrea Caldarelli - ITA - 0 pts
18 - Takuto Iguchi - JAP - 0 pts


2011 Formula Nippon Season Teams Championship

01 - Petronas Team Tom's - 96 pts
02 - Team Impul - 41 pts
03 - DoCoMo Dandelion - 36,5 pts
04 - Team LeMans - 32 pts
05 - Nakajima Racing - 18,5 pts
06 - Project μ/Cerumo-Inging - 6,5 pts
07 - Team Mugen - 4 pts
08 - Team Kygnus Sunoco - 3 pts
09 - SGC by KCMG - 2,5 pts
10 - HP Real Racing - 0 pts
11 - Le Beausset - 0 pts
12 - Kondo Racing - 0 pts

*Team Kygnus Sunoco only counted indivual points in the last round, the two races round at Motegi, before that the team points counted for eam LeMans
**Pole position points does not count for the Teams Championship

Here's the first official results of 2012 Formula Nippon season...

First, the Friday, Free Practice results...

01 - Kodai Tsukakoshi - DoCoMo Dandelion-Honda - 1:38.944
02 - Andre Lotterer - Petronas Team Tom's-Toyota - 1:39.296
03 - João Paulo de Oliveira - Team Impul-Toyota - 1:39.486
04 - Loic Duval - Team Kygnus Sunoco-Toyota - 1:39.671
05 - Kazuki Nakajima - Petronas Team Tom's-Toyota - 1:39.698
06 - Takuya Izawa - DoCoMo Dandelion-Honda - 1:39.705
07 - Naoki Yamamoto - Team Mugen-Honda - 1:40.114
08 - Yuji Kunimoto - Project μ/Cerumo-Inging-Toyota - 1:40.167
09 - Takashi Kogure - Nakajima Racing-Honda - 1:40.185
10 - Kazuya Oshima - Team LeMans-Toyota - 1:40.426
11 - Kohei Hirate - Project μ/Cerumo-Inging-Toyota - 1:40.531
12 - Tsugio Matsuda - Team Impul-Toyota - 1:40.941
13 - Daisuke Nakajima - Nakajima Racing-Honda - 1:41.179
14 - Hironobu Yasuda - Kondo Racing-Toyota - 1:41.479
15 - Toshihiro Kaneishi - HP Real Racing-Honda - 1:41.932
16 - Koki Saga - Tochigi Le Beausset-Toyota - 1:41.933
17 - Ryo Orime - SGC by KCMG - 1:44.012


Then, the Saturday Free Practice, which was run in a wet track...

01 - João Paulo de Oliveira - Team Impul-Toyota - 1:49.456
02 - Tsugio Matsuda - Team Impul-Toyota - 1:49.761
03 - Kazuki Nakajima - Petronas Team Tom's-Toyota - 1:49.969
04 - Loic Duval - Team Kygnus Sunoco-Toyota - 1:50.019
05 - Kodai Tsukakoshi - DoCoMo Dandelion-Honda - 1:50.292
06 - Andre Lotterer - Petronas Team Tom's-Toyota - 1:50.337
07 - Kazuya Oshima - Team LeMans-Toyota - 1:50.598
08 - Takuya Izawa - DoCoMo Dandelion-Honda - 1:50.609
09 - Takashi Kogure - Nakajima Racing-Honda - 1:50.614
10 - Kohei Hirate - Project μ/Cerumo-Inging-Toyota - 1:50.632
11 - Naoki Yamamoto - Team Mugen-Honda - 1:51.259
12 - Yuji Kunimoto - Project μ/Cerumo-Inging-Toyota - 1:51.336
13 - Daisuke Nakajima - Nakajima Racing-Honda - 1:51.425
14 - Hironobu Yasuda - Kondo Racing-Toyota - 1:51.756
15 - Koki Saga - Tochigi Le Beausset-Toyota - 1:52.335
16 - Toshihiro Kaneishi - HP Real Racing-Honda - 1:52.397
17 - Ryo Orime - SGC by KCMG - 1:56.215


Soon, I'll post some photos, some liveries changed from the pre season to now.

New Cerumo/Inging improved livery, and a brand new helmet design for Yuji Kunimoto...

#38 Kohei Hirate



#39 Yuji Kunimoto



Also an improved livery for Kondo Racing...

#03 Hironobu Yasuda

Wait, what?! Takuma Sato races in IndyCars AND Formula Nippon?!!


Anime chick on a Formula?





Formula Nippon 2012 -> Instant HoF!

_________________
"Indy doesn't give you a second chance. You have to earn it."

There is also a SuperGT car that features this anime girl in their livery, I'll try to find a photo of it to post here. About Sato, he already took part at the off season race at Suzuka, and it was amazing, a lot of people in the circuit, its not decided yet how much races he will take part, the only one that's sure to take part is the last one at Suzuka. Honda has done a great move there, taking Sato closer to his fans in Japan.

Just a quick note, as well as in Formula 1 where Nico Rosberg got his first pole position, in Formula Nippon, Takuya Izawa got his first pole position, in a Dandelion 1-2, the qualifying was held in dry track, after a wet free practice. The Top 3, Izawa, Tsukakoshi and K. Nakajima.

Later today, the full news, with the whole grid, photos and much more.

thanks for the updates!

Thanks for the infos. Will try to follow it this season.

Wow, Kazuki is racing there now?
I think he would be going to WEC... but he's doing both series in the same time, isn't it?
I'm gonna follow the whole season, thanks Lucas for the nice opener

The first qualifying of the year was great. After a wet free practice, the rain has stopped, but when the qualifying began the track was not totally dry, anyway, the only three drivers who went in wet tyres were Daisuke Nakajima and Takashi Kogure from Nakajima Racing and Koki Saga from Tochigi Le Beausset, they had to change the tires right after they came to track. The track conditions kept improving, lap by lap.

In the Q2, Duval was knocked out from the eight who goes ahead for the Q3. When the Q3 started, the track showed that even if it was dry, it had some dangerous points, Yamamoto, who was fastest in Q2, crashed his Team Mugen and said goodbye to the pole position fight. The session was red flagged until his car was removed. When the session resumed, all cars went quickly to the track, Izawa did a fantastic lap, beating his teammate and getting his first ever pole position in Formula Nippon, meanwhile, Oliveira lost the chance to fight for a better position when he had a big off at Spoon corner, the brazilian will start 7th.

Here's the full grid for the race:

2012 Formula Nippon Season - Round 01 - Suzuka - Qualifying Session

Q1

01 - Takuya Izawa - DoCoMo Dandelion-Honda - 1:39.583
02 - Kodai Tsukakoshi - DoCoMo Dandelion-Honda - 1:39.681
03 - Kazuki Nakajima - Petronas Team Tom's-Toyota - 1:39.705
04 - Kazuya Oshima - Team LeMans-Toyota - 1:40.362
05 - Tsugio Matsuda - Team Impul-Toyota - 1:40.363
06 - Andre Lotterer - Petronas Team Tom's-Toyota - 1:40.520
07 - João Paulo de Oliveira - Team Impul-Toyota - 1:46.777
08 - Naoki Yamamoto - Team Mugen-Honda - 1:47.882

Q2

09 - Loic Duval - Team Kygnus Sunoco-Toyota - 1:40.346
10 - Yuji Kunimoto - Project μ/Cerumo-Inging-Toyota - 1:40.397
11 - Takashi Kogure - Nakajima Racing-Honda - 1:40.835
12 - Kohei Hirate - Project μ/Cerumo-Inging-Toyota - 1:40.903
13 - Hironobu Yasuda - Kondo Racing-Toyota - 1:40.963

Q3

14 - Toshihiro Kaneishi - HP Real Racing-Honda - 1:42.294
15 - Daisuke Nakajima - Nakajima Racing-Honda - 1:42.436
16 - Koki Saga - Tochigi Le Beausset-Toyota - 1:43.110
17 - Ryo Orime - SGC by KCMG-Toyota - 1:44.176


A very happy Top 3, Takuya Izawa, Kodai Tsukakoshi and Kazuki Nakajima...



Naoki Yamamoto wrecked car...




PS: Guys, if you want a better information, with more details, from all the drivers that I put in the oppening post, you can check my blog, there I talk about every team history, drivers history and much, much more... http://www.formulanippon.blogspot.com.br/
The teams information are all in the march and april archive.

Here's the Official Formula Nippon Website Qualifying Highlights...

http://depositfiles.com/files/1s57cllye

Hope you like it guys!

Warmup Results:

01 - Andre Lotterer - Petronas Team Tom's-Toyota - 1:41.029
02 - Takashi Kogure - Nakajima Racing-Honda - 1:42.315
03 - Kazuki Nakajima - Petronas Team Tom's-Toyota - 1:42.726
04 - Daisuke Nakajima - Nakajima Racing-Honda - 1:42.867
05 - João Paulo de Oliveira - Team Impul-Toyota - 1:42.921
06 - Loic Duval - Team Kygnus Sunoco-Toyota - 1:43.054
07 - Takuya Izawa - DoCoMo Dandelion-Honda - 1:43.095
08 - Tsugio Matsuda - Team Impul-Toyota - 1:43.130
09 - Kazuya Oshima - Team LeMans-Toyota - 1:43.226
10 - Naoki Yamamoto - Team Mugen-Honda - 1:43.390
11 - Toshihiro Kaneishi - HP Real Racing-Honda - 1:43.417
12 - Yuji Kunimoto - Project μ/Cerumo-Inging-Toyota - 1:43.440
13 - Kohei Hirate - Project μ/Cerumo-Inging-Toyota - 1:43.445
14 - Kodai Tsukakoshi - DoCoMo Dandelion-Honda - 1:43.586
15 - Hironobu Yasuda - Kondo Racing-Toyota - 1:43.844
16 - Koki Saga - Tochigi Le Beausset-Toyota - 1:44.121
17 - Ryo Orime - SGC by KCMG-Toyota - 1:44.176

Is there any stream for the race ?

Sorry for the late reply, there is one at http://www.vipbox.tv/sports/motorsports.html

_________________
"The best decision is my decision!" - Balestre
"Halo is for little babies, not for men" - Jeha

I feel like I'm playing Winning Eleven on ps2 every time I watch FNippon. Lotterer and de Oliviera in particular

_________________

_________________

I d hit it. (that announcer girl)

Well, go to Autopolis, she invited you there!

_________________
"Indy doesn't give you a second chance. You have to earn it."

No money left, though I ve always planned on visiting a F-Nippon race....

Those cars look great.