2010 Formula Nippon Championship

2010 champion, João Paulo de Oliveira

The 2010 Formula Nippon Championship was the thirty-eighth season of the premier Japanese open-wheel motor racing series. The series for Formula Nippon racing cars was contested over eight races at seven rounds, beginning on 18 April at Suzuka and ending at the same venue on 7 November. A non-championship meeting at Fuji Speedway completed the season's racing a week later.

Having missed the 2009 season to focus on his Super GT commitments, João Paulo de Oliveira returned to the series and claimed his first championship title since winning the 2005 All-Japan Formula Three Championship. Team Impul's de Oliveira had held the championship lead by a point over TOM'S driver André Lotterer before the final double-header round at Suzuka, but de Oliveira's victory – his second victory after a win at Twin Ring Motegi – and fourth against Lotterer's second and a third, de Oliveira won the championship by 4.5 points. As well as his win at Autopolis, Lotterer won both non-championship races at Fuji.

Third place was disputed by reigning champion Loïc Duval, who had moved from Nakajima Racing to Docomo Team Dandelion Racing over the off-season, and his former Nakajima team-mate Takashi Kogure, which was resolved in favour of Duval by 1.5 points; both drivers' championship chances had been stunted by no points at Autopolis, as Duval failed to start and Kogure retired from the race. Duval did tie with de Oliveira for most victories during the season with two – Motegi and Suzuka – while Kogure won the season-opening race at Suzuka. De Oliveira's team-mate Kohei Hirate finished the season fifth with a victory at Fuji, ahead of the season's other race-winner Kazuya Oshima of the TOM's team.

Teams and drivers

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Team # Driver Engine Rounds
Japan Docomo Team Dandelion Racing 1 France Loïc Duval[1] Honda HR10E All *
2 Japan Takuya Izawa[1] All *
Japan Kondo Racing 3 Japan Tsugio Matsuda[2] Toyota RV8K 4–7 *
Japan Team LeMans 7 Italy Kei Cozzolino[2] Toyota RV8K All *
8 Japan Hiroaki Ishiura[2] All *
Japan HFPD Racing 10 Japan Koudai Tsukakoshi[1] Honda HR10E All *
Japan Motul Team Mugen 16 Japan Yuji Ide[2] Honda HR10E All *
Hong Kong KCMG 18 Japan Katsuyuki Hiranaka[2] Toyota RV8K All *
Japan Mobil 1 Team Impul 19 Brazil João Paulo de Oliveira[2] Toyota RV8K All *
20 Japan Kohei Hirate[2] All *
Japan Deliziefollie/Cerumo-Inging 29 Japan Takuto Iguchi[2] Toyota RV8K All *
Japan Nakajima Racing 31 Japan Naoki Yamamoto[1] Honda HR10E All *
32 Japan Takashi Kogure[1] All *
Japan Petronas Team TOM'S 36 Germany André Lotterer[2] Toyota RV8K All *
37 Japan Kazuya Oshima[2] All *

* Drivers who participated in the non-championship round at Fuji Speedway.

Race calendar and results

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  • All races were held in Japan. A non-championship round, entitled Super GT and Formula Nippon Sprint Cup 2010, was held at the conclusion of the season.
Round Circuit Date Pole Position Fastest Lap Winning Driver Winning Team
1 Suzuka Circuit 18 April Japan Takashi Kogure Japan Kohei Hirate Japan Takashi Kogure Nakajima Racing
2 Twin Ring Motegi 23 May Brazil João Paulo de Oliveira Brazil João Paulo de Oliveira Brazil João Paulo de Oliveira Team Impul
3 Fuji Speedway 18 July France Loïc Duval Japan Kohei Hirate Japan Kohei Hirate Team Impul
4 Twin Ring Motegi 8 August Japan Takashi Kogure Brazil João Paulo de Oliveira France Loïc Duval Dandelion Racing
5 Sportsland SUGO 26 September France Loïc Duval Germany André Lotterer Japan Kazuya Oshima Petronas Team TOM'S
6 Autopolis 17 October Japan Kazuya Oshima Italy Kei Cozzolino Germany André Lotterer Petronas Team TOM'S
7 Suzuka Circuit 7 November France Loïc Duval France Loïc Duval France Loïc Duval Dandelion Racing
Brazil João Paulo de Oliveira Japan Takashi Kogure Brazil João Paulo de Oliveira Team Impul
NC Fuji Speedway
(Fuji Sprint Cup)
13 November Italy Kei Cozzolino Germany André Lotterer Germany André Lotterer Petronas Team TOM'S
14 November Germany André Lotterer Germany André Lotterer Germany André Lotterer Petronas Team TOM'S

Championship standings

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Drivers' Championship

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Scoring system
Round Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th Pole
1–6 Points 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1 1
7† 8 4 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 1

† Round with two races and points scoring system for each race.
‡ Non-championship round, with no points awarded.

Pos Driver SUZ MOT FUJ MOT SUG AUT SUZ FUJ Points
1 Brazil João Paulo de Oliveira 2 1 3 6 11 2 4 1 10 DSQ 47.5
2 Germany André Lotterer 3 3 2 Ret 3 1 3 2 1 1 43
3 France Loïc Duval 6 4 14 1 2 DNS 1 4 Ret 5 39.5
4 Japan Takashi Kogure 1 6 5 2 5 Ret 2 3 6 DSQ 38
5 Japan Kohei Hirate 4 7 1 3 12 8 9 6 5 6 25.5
6 Japan Kazuya Oshima 12 8 4 5 1 DNS 5 7 2 8 24
7 Japan Naoki Yamamoto 7 5 7 4 Ret 5 6 5 8 2 20.5
8 Japan Hiroaki Ishiura 10 Ret 6 8 4 3 7 10 13 12 16
9 Japan Koudai Tsukakoshi 8 2 11 10 Ret DSQ 10 12 3 7 9
10 Italy Kei Cozzolino Ret 10 8 13 7 4 13 14 9 Ret 8
11 Japan Takuya Izawa 5 11 9 11 6 DNS 11 11 7 4 7
12 Japan Katsuyuki Hiranaka Ret DNS 13 7 Ret 7 12 13 12 11 4
13 Japan Takuto Iguchi 11 Ret 12 12 10 6 15 Ret 14 9 3
14 Japan Yuji Ide 9 9 10 9 9 DNS 8 8 4 3 1
15 Japan Tsugio Matsuda Ret 8 Ret 14 9 11 10 1
Pos Driver SUZ MOT FUJ MOT SUG AUT SUZ FUJ Points
Colour Result
Gold Winner
Silver Second place
Bronze Third place
Green Points finish
Blue Non-points finish
Non-classified finish (NC)
Purple Retired (Ret)
Red Did not qualify (DNQ)
Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ)
Black Disqualified (DSQ)
White Did not start (DNS)
Withdrew (WD)
Race cancelled (C)
Blank Did not practice (DNP)
Did not arrive (DNA)
Excluded (EX)

Bold – Pole
Italics – Fastest Lap

Teams' Championship

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Scoring system
Round Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th
1–6 Points 10 8 6 5 4 3 2 1
7 8 4 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5
Pos Team Car SUZ MOT FUJ MOT SUG AUT SUZ Pts
1 Mobil 1 Team Impul 19 2 1 3 6 11 2 4 1 68
20 4 7 1 3 12 8 9 6
2 Petronas Team TOM'S 36 3 3 2 Ret 3 1 3 2 67
37 12 8 4 5 1 DNS 5 7
3 Nakajima Racing 31 7 5 7 4 Ret 5 6 5 56.5
32 1 6 5 2 5 Ret 2 3
4 Docomo Team Dandelion Racing 1 6 4 14 1 2 DNS 1 4 40.5
2 5 11 9 11 6 DNS 11 11
5 Team LeMans 7 Ret 10 8 13 7 4 13 14 24
8 10 Ret 6 8 4 3 7 10
6 HFDP Racing 10 8 2 11 10 Ret DSQ 10 12 9
7 KCMG 18 Ret DNS 13 7 Ret 7 12 13 4
8 Deliziefollie/Cerumo-Inging 29 11 Ret 12 12 10 6 15 Ret 3
9 Kondo Racing 3 Ret 8 Ret 14 9 1
10 Motul Team Mugen 16 9 9 10 9 9 DNS 8 8 1

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "2010年Hondaモータースポーツ活動の概要". honda.co.jp (in Japanese). Honda. 2010-02-19. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "ja:2010年エントリーリスト". Formula Nippon (in Japanese). Japan Race Promotion Co. Ltd. 2010-03-07. Archived from the original on 2011-07-25. Retrieved 2010-03-07.
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