Results of Formula Nippon Round 1  April 28,1996
Suzuka Circuit 
Weather Conditions: Sunny, Hot
 
PosNo Driver             Car              Laps  Time                      
 1 19 Kazuyoshi Hoshino  LolaT96/95 Mugen 34    1:01'47.773(193.58km/h) 
 2  8 Shinji Nakano      Dome F104i Mugen 34    -6.496
 3 25 Ralf Schumacher    Reynard96D Mugen 34   -11.145
 4 21 Michael Krumm      Reynard95D Mugen 34   -16.383
 5  9 Pedro de la Rosa   LolaT96/51 Mugen 34   -17.998
 6 55 Katsutomo Kaneishi Reynard95D Mugen 34   -30.712
 7 56 Satoshi Motoyama   Reynard95D Mugen 34   -32.205
 8 24 Naoki Hattori      Reynard96D Mugen 34   -36.610
 9  2 Katsumi Yamamoto   Dome F104i Mugen 34   -36.837
10  7 Masami Kageyama    LolaT95/50 Mugen 34   -55.006
11 31 Hideki Okada       LolaT95/50 Mugen 34   -59.692
12  5 Marco Apicella     Reynard95D Judd  34   -59.994
13 30 Eiichi Tajima      LolaT94    Mugen 33   -1 lap  
14 10 Norberto Fontana   LolaT96/51 Mugen 33   -1 lap
15 17 Taichiro Onishi    LolaT94/50 Mugen 33   -1 lap
16 12 Yukihiro Hane      LolaT94/50 Mugen 33   -1 lap
17 73 Tetsuji Tamanaka   LolaT93    Ford  31   -3 laps
18  1 Toshio Suzuki      LolaT96/94 Mugen 30   -4 laps
DNF
19 64 Toranosuke Takagi  Reynard96D Mugen 25   -9 laps 
20 72 Atsushi Kawamoto   LolaT93    Ford  25   -9 laps 
21 28 Masahiko Kondo     Reynard94D Mugen 24  -10 laps
22  6 Hidetoshi Mitsusada LolaT94/50 Judd 21  -13 laps
23 65 Takuya Kurosawa    Reynard96D Mugen 17  -17 laps
24 20 Andrew Gilbert-Scott Reynard96D Mugen 17  -17 laps
25 27 Masahiko Kageyama  Reynard95D Mugen  6   -28 laps

Fastest Lap: 21 Michael Krumm  1'46.278 on Lap 32


The race was shortened one lap with a slight confusion in the
starting procedure. Nakano made a tremendous start from the fourth
grid into the first corner followed by Hoshino, Krumm, Takagi, 
Suzuki and Yamamoto. Takagi was the man on the move who promptly 
took Krumm and Hoshino to close the gap on the leading Dome which 
was now four seconds away.

The big drama came on lap 26 when fast approaching PIAA Reynard 
bumped into the back of Nakano's avex Dome in the chicane, and 
that enabled third placed Hoshino to sling past the youngsters 
who both spun and leap into the lead. Nakano went on in the second 
place while furious Takagi walked out of the car which suffered 
from the bent right rear suspension. 

The race was decided right then. Hoshino, who slammed Takagi after
the race for the reckless driving, was the winner. Nakano was happy in
second. Ralf Schumacher played a conservative game to finish third, 
and his countryman Krumm proved himself his speed and placed a year 
old Reynard in fourth with de la Rosa credible fifth. 
Kaneishi brought home the final point.

His young teammate Motoyama clocked some fast times on his way to the seventh
finish in his debut race.

Fontana made a contact with another car somewhere in the opening laps and 
changed the nose in the pits whereupon he sped in the pitlane. He incured 
a ten second stop penalty a few laps later. The Argentine finished 
fourteenth. Gilbert-Scott's race ended prematurely in the pits. 

If there were a rookie of the year category in this series, Schumacher
would become a leader with de la Rosa second and Motoyama third.

The crowd was sizable, 51,000, the weather was beautiful, the race itself 
was okay so it could be described as the successful launch of the new
formula.

Next round will be in Mine, May11-12.