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.
Round | Circuit | Date | Pole Position | Fastest Lap | Winning Driver | Winning Team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fuji Speedway | 6 April |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Team Impul |
2 | Suzuka Circuit | 11 May |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Team Impul |
3 | Twin Ring Motegi | 25 May |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Team Impul |
4 | Okayama International Circuit | 8 June |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Nakajima Racing |
5 | Suzuka Circuit | 13 July |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Team Impul |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Team Impul | |||
6 | Twin Ring Motegi | 10 August |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Nakajima Racing |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
TOM'S Racing | |||
7 | Fuji Speedway | 31 August |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Kondō Racing |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Dandelion Racing | |||
8 | Sportsland SUGO | 21 September |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Team Impul |
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 | 1 | |
Rds 5–7 R2 |
Points | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 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.
|
Bold - Pole |
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 | |
Rds 5–7 R2 |
Points | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Pos | Team | Car | FUJ | SUZ | MOT | OKA | SUZ | MOT | FUJ | SUG | Pts | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lawson Team Impul | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Ret | 1 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 114.5 |
2 | 4 | 7 | Ret | 8 | Ret | 13 | 15 | Ret | 7 | 2 | 4 | |||
2 | PIAA Nakajima Racing | 31 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | Ret | 2 | 7 | 3 | 103 |
32 | 6 | 5 | Ret | 9 | 3 | 7 | 5 | Ret | 3 | 6 | 2 | |||
3 | Petronas Team TOM'S | 36 | Ret | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 58 |
37 | Ret | 11 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 16 | |||
4 | Cerumo/ Inging | 47 | 5 | 8 | Ret | 7 | 10 | 9 | Ret | 13 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 52.5 |
48 | 2 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 17 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 15 | |||
5 | Kondo Racing | 3 | NC | 6 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 6 | Ret | 11 | 12 | 12 | Ret | 44 |
4 | Ret | Ret | 9 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 6 | |||
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 |
8 | 7 | 13 | 8 | Ret | 14 | Ret | 13 | 8 | 17 | 16 | 9 | |||
8 | Autobacs Racing Team Aguri | 55 | 9 | 18 | 15 | NC | 15 | Ret | 12 | Ret | NC | 19 | 17 | 21 |
56 | Ret | 9 | 4 | 5 | 12 | Ret | Ret | 12 | 18 | 17 | 8 | |||
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 |
6 | Ret | 12 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 15 | 15 | Ret | |||
11 | DoCoMo Team Dandelion Racing | 40 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 9 | Ret | 10 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 7.5 |
41 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 16 | Ret | 8 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 14 |
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.
Round | Circuit | Date | Pole Position | Fastest Lap | Winning Driver | Winning Team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fuji Speedway | 6 April |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Team Impul |
2 | Suzuka Circuit | 11 May |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Team Impul |
3 | Twin Ring Motegi | 25 May |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Team Impul |
4 | Okayama International Circuit | 8 June |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Nakajima Racing |
5 | Suzuka Circuit | 13 July |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Team Impul |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Team Impul | |||
6 | Twin Ring Motegi | 10 August |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Nakajima Racing |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
TOM'S Racing | |||
7 | Fuji Speedway | 31 August |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Kondō Racing |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Dandelion Racing | |||
8 | Sportsland SUGO | 21 September |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
Team Impul |
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 | 1 | |
Rds 5–7 R2 |
Points | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 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.
|
Bold - Pole |
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 | |
Rds 5–7 R2 |
Points | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Pos | Team | Car | FUJ | SUZ | MOT | OKA | SUZ | MOT | FUJ | SUG | Pts | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Lawson Team Impul | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | Ret | 1 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 114.5 |
2 | 4 | 7 | Ret | 8 | Ret | 13 | 15 | Ret | 7 | 2 | 4 | |||
2 | PIAA Nakajima Racing | 31 | 10 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 1 | Ret | 2 | 7 | 3 | 103 |
32 | 6 | 5 | Ret | 9 | 3 | 7 | 5 | Ret | 3 | 6 | 2 | |||
3 | Petronas Team TOM'S | 36 | Ret | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 12 | 58 |
37 | Ret | 11 | 10 | 10 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 10 | 16 | |||
4 | Cerumo/ Inging | 47 | 5 | 8 | Ret | 7 | 10 | 9 | Ret | 13 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 52.5 |
48 | 2 | 17 | 7 | 4 | 17 | 12 | 4 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 15 | |||
5 | Kondo Racing | 3 | NC | 6 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 6 | Ret | 11 | 12 | 12 | Ret | 44 |
4 | Ret | Ret | 9 | 11 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 6 | |||
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 |
8 | 7 | 13 | 8 | Ret | 14 | Ret | 13 | 8 | 17 | 16 | 9 | |||
8 | Autobacs Racing Team Aguri | 55 | 9 | 18 | 15 | NC | 15 | Ret | 12 | Ret | NC | 19 | 17 | 21 |
56 | Ret | 9 | 4 | 5 | 12 | Ret | Ret | 12 | 18 | 17 | 8 | |||
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 |
6 | Ret | 12 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 15 | 14 | 10 | 15 | 15 | Ret | |||
11 | DoCoMo Team Dandelion Racing | 40 | 12 | 16 | 12 | 13 | 9 | Ret | 10 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 13 | 7.5 |
41 | 8 | 14 | 14 | 12 | 16 | Ret | 8 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 14 |