2002 Formula Nippon Championship

The 2002 Formula Nippon Championship was the thirtieth season of premier Japanese single-seater racing, and the seventh under the Formula Nippon moniker. The series was contested over 10 rounds at five venues. 11 different teams and 22 different drivers completed in the series.

Reynard became the sole supplier of chassis to all teams after the withdrawal of G-Force Technologies, but this would only last one season after the company declared bankruptcy in February 2002.

Nakajima Racing driver Ralph Firman won the series championship before moving to Formula One in 2003.

Teams and drivers

All teams used tyres supplied by Bridgestone and Mugen MF308 engines.

Team # Driver Chassis Rounds
Xbox Team Impul 1 Satoshi Motoyama Reynard 01L All
2 Michael Krumm Reynard 99L 1–2
Olympic Kondo Racing Team 3 Seiji Ara Reynard 99L All
4 Katsutomo Kaneishi Reynard 99L
Reynard 2KL 		All
Team 5ZIGEN 5 Naoki Hattori Reynard 01L All
6 Ryō Michigami 1–2, 5–10
Hidetoshi Mitsusada 3–4
Team LeMans 7 Masami Kageyama Reynard 99L
Reynard 01L 		1–2
Dominik Schwager 3–10
8 Takeshi Tsuchiya Reynard 01L All
Soft On Demand Team Nova
Forward Team Nova 		9 Kiyoto Yamamoto Reynard 99L All
10 Haruki Kurosawa All
Cosmo Oil Racing Team Cerumo 11 Benoît Tréluyer Reynard 99L
Reynard 01L 		1–5
Yuji Tachikawa 6–10
Mooncraft 14 Yudai Igarashi Reynard 01L All
Team 22 22 Daisuke Itō Reynard 99L All
PIAA Nakajima Racing 31 Ralph Firman Jr. Reynard 01L All
32 Tsugio Matsuda All
Autobacs Racing Team Aguri 55 Juichi Wakisaka Reynard 99L
Reynard 01L 		All
56 Toshihiro Kaneishi Reynard 01L All
DoCoMo Team Dandelion Racing 68 Jonathan Cochet Reynard 2KL 1–2
Richard Lyons 3–10

Race calendar and results

All races were held in Japan.

Race Track Date Pole position Fastest race lap Winning driver Winning team
1 Suzuka Circuit 24 March Ralph Firman Jr. Ralph Firman Jr. Ralph Firman Jr. PIAA Nakajima Racing
2 Fuji Speedway 7 April Satoshi Motoyama Naoki Hattori Satoshi Motoyama Xbox Team Impul
3 Mine Circuit 19 May Ralph Firman Jr. Satoshi Motoyama Satoshi Motoyama Xbox Team Impul
4 Suzuka-East Circuit 7 July Takeshi Tsuchiya Hidetoshi Mitsusada Ralph Firman Jr. PIAA Nakajima Racing
5 Twin Ring Motegi 21 July Juichi Wakisaka Satoshi Motoyama Satoshi Motoyama Xbox Team Impul
6 Sportsland SUGO 4 August Takeshi Tsuchiya Naoki Hattori Ralph Firman Jr. PIAA Nakajima Racing
7 Fuji Speedway 1 September Takeshi Tsuchiya Ryō Michigami Juichi Wakisaka Autobacs Racing Team Aguri
8 Mine Circuit 22 September Takeshi Tsuchiya Satoshi Motoyama Satoshi Motoyama Xbox Team Impul
9 Twin Ring Motegi 20 October Juichi Wakisaka Juichi Wakisaka Ralph Firman Jr. PIAA Nakajima Racing
10 Suzuka Circuit 3 November Juichi Wakisaka Ryō Michigami Satoshi Motoyama Xbox Team Impul

Championship standings

Drivers' Championship

Scoring system
Position 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
Points 10 6 4 3 2 1
Rank Name SUZ FUJ MIN SUZ MOT SGO FUJ MIN MOT SUZ Points
1 Ralph Firman Jr. 1 2 Ret 1 9 1 2 2 1 3 62
2 Satoshi Motoyama Ret 1 1 5 1 Ret 3 1 3 1 60
3 Juichi Wakisaka 5 3 Ret 3 3 Ret 1 8 2 4 33
4 Takeshi Tsuchiya 2 6 3 Ret 2 4 Ret 7 6 2 27
5 Tsugio Matsuda 3 10 2 Ret Ret 5 Ret 4 4 6 19
6 Ryō Michigami 4 DNS 4 3 4 3 12 11 17
7 Toshihiro Kaneishi Ret Ret 4 6 5 6 5 5 Ret 7 11
8 Naoki Hattori 6 Ret Ret 4 6 12 6 6 8 5 9
9 Hidetoshi Mitsusada 5 2 8
10 Richard Lyons 7 8 11 2 7 Ret 7 Ret 6
11 Seiji Ara 8 4 9 10 Ret Ret NC 9 11 10 3
12 Haruki Kurosawa 9 5 Ret Ret 12 10 12 Ret Ret 12 2
13 Dominik Schwager Ret 11 Ret 8 9 10 5 Ret 2
14 Benoît Tréluyer 11 Ret 6 7 7 1
15 Michael Krumm 7 7 0
16 Yudai Igarashi Ret Ret 11 13 10 7 Ret Ret 13 Ret 0
17 Daisuke Itō 10 9 10 9 8 9 8 11 10 8 0
18 Katsutomo Kaneishi 12 Ret 8 12 Ret 11 10 12 14 9 0
19 Jonathan Cochet 13 8 0
20 Yuji Tachikawa Ret 11 Ret 9 Ret 0
21 Kiyoto Yamamoto 15 11 12 Ret Ret Ret 13 DNS 15 13 0
22 Masami Kageyama Ret Ret 0

Teams' Championship

Rank Team Car SUZ FUJ MIN SUZ MOT SGO FUJ MIN MOT SUZ Points
1 PIAA Nakajima 31 1 2 Ret 1 9 1 2 2 1 3 81
32 3 10 2 Ret Ret 5 Ret 4 4 6
2 Xbox Impul 1 Ret 1 1 5 1 Ret 3 1 3 1 60
2 7 7
3 ARTA 55 5 3 Ret 3 3 Ret 1 8 2 4 44
56 Ret Ret 4 6 5 6 5 5 Ret 7
4 5ZIGEN 5 6 Ret Ret 4 6 12 6 6 8 5 34
6 4 DNS 5 2 4 3 4 3 12 11
5 LeMans 7 Ret Ret Ret 11 Ret 8 9 10 5 Ret 29
8 2 6 3 Ret 2 4 Ret 7 6 2
6 DoCoMo Dandelion 68 13 8 7 8 11 2 7 Ret 7 Ret 6
7 Olympic Kondo 3 8 4 9 10 Ret Ret NC 9 11 10 3
4 12 Ret 8 12 Ret 11 10 12 14 9
8 Nova 9 15 11 12 Ret Ret Ret 13 DNS 15 13 2
10 9 5 Ret Ret 12 10 12 Ret Ret 12
9 Cosmo Oil Cerumo 11 11 Ret 6 7 7 Ret 11 Ret 9 Ret 1
10 Mooncraft 14 Ret Ret 11 13 10 7 Ret Ret 13 Ret 0
11 Team 22 22 10 9 10 9 8 9 8 11 10 8 0
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