2005 Formula Nippon Championship

The 2005 Formula Nippon Championship was the thirty-third season of premier Japanese single-seater racing, and the tenth under the Formula Nippon moniker. It was contested over nine rounds at five venues. The newly renovated Fuji Speedway returned to the calendar, replacing Sepang International Circuit. Miné Circuit, which had been a staple venue of the series since 1977, closed for spectator events after 2005. Eight teams and 17 drivers competed in the series.

This would be the final season for Mugen as the sole engine supplier to Formula Nippon, with Toyota and Honda introducing new engines for the 2006 season.

Satoshi Motoyama of Team Impul won his fourth series championship, becoming the most successful driver of the "modern era" of Japanese top formula racing.[1]

Teams and drivers

All teams used tyres supplied by Bridgestone, Lola B03/51 chassis, and Mugen MF308 engines.

Team # Driver Rounds
DoCoMo Team Dandelion Racing 1 United Kingdom Richard Lyons All
2 Japan Naoki Hattori All
Kondo Racing Team 3 Japan Sakon Yamamoto All
4 Czech Republic Jaroslav Janiš 1–3
Italy Ronnie Quintarelli 4–9
Team 5ZIGEN 5 Japan Tsugio Matsuda All
Forum Engineering Team LeMans 7 Japan Tatsuya Kataoka All
8 Japan Takeshi Tsuchiya All
Team Cerumo
Takagi Planning with Cerumo
11 Japan Katsuyuki Hiranaka All
12 Japan Toranosuke Takagi All
mobilecast Team Impul 19 France Benoît Tréluyer All
20 Japan Yuji Ide All
arting Racing Team with Impul 23 Japan Satoshi Motoyama All
Carrozzeria Team MOHN 27 Japan Masanobu Kato 1
28 Japan Hideki Noda All
PIAA Nakajima Racing 31 Germany André Lotterer All
32 Japan Takashi Kogure All

Race calendar and results

All races were held in Japan.

Round Track Date Pole position Fastest lap Winner Team
1 Twin Ring Motegi 3 April Japan Yuji Ide Japan Katsuyuki Hiranaka United Kingdom Richard Lyons DoCoMoTeam Dandelion Racing
2 Suzuka Circuit 17 April France Benoît Tréluyer Japan Takashi Kogure Japan Yuji Ide mobilecast Team Impul
3 Sportsland SUGO 15 May Japan Takashi Kogure Japan Hideki Noda Japan Satoshi Motoyama arting Team Impul
4 Fuji Speedway 5 June United Kingdom Richard Lyons Japan Tsugio Matsuda France Benoît Tréluyer mobilecast Team Impul
5 Suzuka Circuit 3 July Japan Satoshi Motoyama Japan Yuji Ide Japan Satoshi Motoyama arting Team Impul
6 Mine Circuit 31 July France Benoît Tréluyer Japan Yuji Ide Japan Yuji Ide mobilecast Team Impul
7 Fuji Speedway 28 August United Kingdom Richard Lyons Japan Satoshi Motoyama Germany André Lotterer Nakajima Racing
8 Twin Ring Motegi 23 October Japan Satoshi Motoyama Japan Sakon Yamamoto Japan Satoshi Motoyama arting Team Impul
9 Suzuka Circuit 27 November Japan Tsugio Matsuda France Benoît Tréluyer Germany André Lotterer PIAA Nakajima Racing

Calendar changes

Championship standings

Drivers' Championship

Scoring system
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Points 10 6 4 3 2 1
Rank Name MOT SUZ SGO FUJ SUZ MIN FUJ MOT SUZ Points
1 Japan Satoshi Motoyama 4 4 1 2 1 3 13 1 2 52
2 Japan Yuji Ide 2 1 5 7 8 1 3 4 3 39
3 United Kingdom Richard Lyons 1 5 2 4 3 Ret 4 13 5 30
4 Germany André Lotterer 11 Ret 9 Ret Ret 10 1 Ret 1 20
5 Japan Takashi Kogure Ret 3 3 8 2 Ret 11 9 6 15
6 France Benoît Tréluyer 6 9 Ret 1 Ret Ret 12 11 4 14
7 Japan Tsugio Matsuda 10 2 Ret 3 6 4 9 10 8 14
8 Japan Takeshi Tsuchiya 5 Ret 4 Ret Ret 5 5 3 Ret 13
9 Italy Ronnie Quintarelli 5 5 2 Ret 5 10 12
10 Japan Sakon Yamamoto 14 Ret Ret Ret 4 8 Ret 2 11 9
11 Japan Tatsuya Kataoka 7 8 8 Ret Ret 7 2 6 7 7
12 Japan Naoki Hattori 3 6 6 10 7 6 7 7 14 7
13 Japan Katsuyuki Hiranaka 8 Ret Ret 6 Ret Ret 6 12 9 2
14 Czech Republic Jaroslav Janiš 12 7 7 0
15 Japan Toranosuke Takagi 9 Ret 11 9 10 9 8 Ret 12 0
16 Japan Hideki Noda Ret Ret 10 Ret 9 Ret 10 8 13 0
17 Japan Masanobu Kato 13 0

Teams' Championship

Rank Team Car MOT SUZ SGO FUJ SUZ MIN FUJ MOT SUZ Points
1 mobilecast Impul
arting Impul
19 6 9 Ret 1 Ret Ret 12 11 4 101
20 2 1 5 7 8 1 3 4 3
23 4 4 1 2 1 3 13 1 2
2 DoCoMo Dandelion 1 1 5 2 4 3 Ret 4 13 5 37
2 3 6 6 10 7 6 7 7 14
3 PIAA Nakajima 31 11 Ret 9 Ret Ret 10 1 Ret 1 35
32 Ret 3 3 8 2 Ret 11 9 6
4 Kondo Racing Team 3 14 Ret Ret Ret 4 8 Ret 2 11 21
4 12 7 7 5 5 2 Ret 5 10
5 Team LeMans 7 7 8 8 Ret Ret 7 2 6 7 20
8 5 Ret 4 Ret Ret 5 5 3 Ret
6 5ZIGEN 5 10 2 Ret 3 6 4 9 10 8 14
7 Cerumo 11 8 Ret Ret 6 Ret Ret 6 12 9 2
12 9 Ret 11 9 10 9 8 Ret 12
8 Team MOHN 27 13 0
28 Ret Ret 10 Ret 9 Ret 10 8 13

References

  1. ^ "Satoshi Motoyama: The 'Emperor' who missed his F1 vocation". Archived from the original on 2024-07-13. Retrieved 2026-02-03.