From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

2010 Japanese Formula 3 Championship

The 2010 Japanese Formula 3 Championship was the 32nd edition of the Japanese Formula 3 Championship. It commenced on April 17 at Suzuka and ended on October 17 at Autopolis after 16 races held at eight race meetings.

All the Championship Class titles were secured at the Okayama meeting in September, with Yuji Kunimoto securing the drivers' title with five races to spare. The TOM'S driver had recorded a series record ten consecutive wins to start the season before finishing second to team-mate Rafael Suzuki in round 11 to secure the title. Despite not winning another race after clinching the title, Kunimoto still finished 58 points ahead of closest rival Yuhi Sekiguchi of ThreeBond Racing. Sekiguchi failed to win a race, but finished eleven races on the podium and overhauled Suzuki for the runner-up position. Suzuki had taken three wins in succession – two at Okayama and one at Sugo but failed to take part in either race at the final round at Autopolis in order to prioritise his commitments for the Macau Grand Prix the following month.

Koki Saga finished fourth, taking his first two victories in Formula Three at the final meeting at Autopolis, while Alexandre Imperatori finished fifth. The only other race-winner was Hideki Yamauchi, who took six podium finishes – including a win at Sugo – in his eight starts. Suzuki's first win at Okayama also gave TOM'S the teams title and the engine tuners championship, having amassed a maximum score up to round 14. ThreeBond Racing finished runners-up in the teams' championship, while Hanashima Racing's Toyota engines finished second in the tuners' championship.

In the National Class, the championship battle revolved around two drivers, HFDP Racing's Takashi Kobayashi and TOM'S Spirit driver Naoya Gamou, with the championship race going down to the final meeting at Autopolis. Kobayashi's sixth win of the season in the first race of the weekend, coupled with a Gamou retirement allowed Kobayashi to clinch the title with a race to spare. Gamou took eight wins on the season – including seven in succession at Fuji along with doubles at Motegi, Okayama and Sugo – but finished three points in arrears of Kobayashi. Third place went to Team Le Beausset's Katsumasa Chiyo, who won at the first Motegi meeting and fourth went to the other race-winner, Team Nova's Kimiya Sato, who won at the second Fuji meeting. As well as Kobayashi's drivers' championship, HFDP Racing clinched the teams' championship by five points ahead of TOM'S Spirit.

Teams and drivers

The provisional entry list for the series was released on March 10, 2010. All teams were Japanese-registered.

Team	No	Driver	Chassis	Engine	Rounds	Championship Class	National Class
Petronas Team TOM'S
TOM'S Spirit	1	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	F308	Toyota 1AZ-FE	All
36	BRA Rafael Suzuki	F308	1–7
Toda Racing	2	CHE Alexandre Imperatori	F308	Mugen-Honda MF204C	All
Hanashima Racing	5	JPN Hiroki Yoshida	F308	Toyota 1AZ-FE	1–2
JPN Katsuaki Kubota	3–4
JPN Hideki Yamauchi	5–8
ThreeBond Racing	12	JPN Yuhi Sekiguchi	F308	Nissan SR20VE	All
Denso Team Le Beausset	62	JPN Koki Saga	F308	Toyota 1AZ-FE	All
Hanashima Racing	6	JPN Katsuaki Kubota	F306	Toyota 3S-GE	7
JPN Hiroki Yoshida	8
HFDP Racing	7	JPN {{cite news	url=http://www.honda.co.jp/news/2010/c100219.html	title=2010年Hondaモータースポーツ活動の概要	language=Japanese	work=honda.co.jp	publisher=Honda
8	JPN Takashi Kobayashi	F307	All
Aim Sports	18	JPN Tsubasa Mekaru	F307/305	Toyota 3S-GE	1–3
Achievement by KCMG	19	JPN Yoshitaka Kuroda	F307	Toyota 3S-GE	All
20	IRL Gary Thompson	F306	All
21	JPN Hajime Oonami	F305	1–3
JPN Yousuke Morishita	4, 7
Team Nova	22	JPN Daiki Sasaki	F306	Toyota 3S-GE	All
23	JPN Kimiya Sato	F306	All
Petronas Team TOM'S
TOM'S Spirit	37	JPN Naoya Gamou	F306	Toyota 3S-GE	All
Denso Team Le Beausset	63	JPN Katsumasa Chiyo	F305	Toyota 3S-GE	All
CMS Motor Sports Project	77	JPN Hiroshi Koizumi	F306	Toyota 3S-GE	1, 4–5
JPN Tatsuru Noro	2–3, 7

;Notes:

Race calendar and results

All races were held in Japan, and were in support of Formula Nippon at all rounds except the first Fuji round and Okayama.

Round	Circuit	Date	Pole position	Fastest lap	Winning driver	Winning team	National Class winner	1	R1
Suzuka Circuit	17 April	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	Petronas Team TOM'S	JPN Takashi Kobayashi
18 April	JPN Koki Saga	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	Petronas Team TOM'S	JPN Takashi Kobayashi
Twin Ring Motegi	22 May	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	Petronas Team TOM'S	JPN Katsumasa Chiyo
23 May	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	Petronas Team TOM'S	JPN Takashi Kobayashi
Fuji Speedway	12 June	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	Petronas Team TOM'S	nowrap	JPN Takashi Kobayashi
13 June	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	Petronas Team TOM'S	JPN Takashi Kobayashi
Fuji Speedway	17 July	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	Petronas Team TOM'S	JPN Kimiya Sato
18 July	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	Petronas Team TOM'S	JPN Naoya Gamou
Twin Ring Motegi	7 August	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	nowrap	JPN Yuhi Sekiguchi	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	Petronas Team TOM'S	JPN Naoya Gamou
8 August	nowrap	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	nowrap	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	nowrap	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	Petronas Team TOM'S	JPN Naoya Gamou
Okayama International Circuit	nowrap	4 September	nowrap	JPN Hideki Yamauchi	JPN Yuhi Sekiguchi	BRA Rafael Suzuki	nowrap	Petronas Team TOM'S	JPN Naoya Gamou
5 September	BRA Rafael Suzuki	BRA Rafael Suzuki	BRA Rafael Suzuki	Petronas Team TOM'S	JPN Naoya Gamou
Sportsland SUGO	nowrap	25 September	JPN Hideki Yamauchi	JPN Yuhi Sekiguchi	BRA Rafael Suzuki	Petronas Team TOM'S	JPN Naoya Gamou
26 September	JPN Hideki Yamauchi	JPN Yuji Kunimoto	nowrap	JPN Hideki Yamauchi	Hanashima Racing	JPN Naoya Gamou
Autopolis	16 October	JPN Hideki Yamauchi	JPN Koki Saga	JPN Koki Saga	nowrap	Denso Team Le Beausset	JPN Takashi Kobayashi
17 October	JPN Hideki Yamauchi	JPN Koki Saga	JPN Koki Saga	Denso Team Le Beausset	JPN Naoya Gamou

Championship standings

Drivers' Championships

Points were awarded as follows:

1	2	3	4	5	6	PP	FL
10	7	5	3	2	1	1	1

Pos	Driver	SUZ	MOT	FUJ	FUJ	MOT	OKA	SUG	AUT	Pts	Championship Class	1	139	2	81	3
JPN Yuji Kunimoto	*1*	1	*1*	*1*	*1*	*1*	*1*	*1*	1	*1*	2	4	3	4	5	Ret
JPN Yuhi Sekiguchi	5	4	2	3	2	3	2	4	2	2	3	2	Ret	11	3	2
BRA Rafael Suzuki	4	3	5	4	3	2	3	2	6	4	1	*1*	1	3
JPN Koki Saga	2	2	4	7	5	5	5	5	4	6	4	5	15	2	1	1
CHE Alexandre Imperatori	3	17	3	2	4	4	4	3	5	5	5	6	4	5	4	3
JPN Hideki Yamauchi									3	3	8	3	2	1	2	Ret
JPN Hiroki Yoshida	6	5	6	14
JPN Katsuaki Kubota					8	9	16	11
JPN Takashi Kobayashi	*7*	*6*	8	*5*	*6*	6	8	7	8	*11*	7	8	*7*	10	6	Ret
JPN Naoya Gamou	12	8	Ret	6	7	7	10	*6*	*7*	7	6	*7*	5	6	Ret	*4*
JPN Katsumasa Chiyo	8	7	7	10	14	Ret	7	9	12	9	11	9	9	9	9	5
JPN Kimiya Sato	10	11	Ret	8	9	DSQ	6	8	10	13	12	11	Ret	7	Ret	Ret
IRL Gary Thompson	13	12	10	9	10	10	9	13	13	8	10	14	11	8	Ret	7
JPN	9	13	9	Ret	12	Ret	12	12	11	14	9	10	8	12	Ret	6
JPN Daiki Sasaki	11	10	11	Ret	11	Ret	13	10	9	10	13	12	6	Ret	10	Ret
JPN Yoshitaka Kuroda	16	9	12	11	13	11	11	16	14	12	Ret	13	10	13	7	9
JPN Hiroki Yoshida															8	8
JPN Tsubasa Mekaru	15	14	14	12	16	8
JPN Hajime Oonami	17	16	13	13	15	12
JPN Yousuke Morishita							14	14					12	14
JPN Tatsuru Noro			Ret	Ret	17	13							13	16
JPN Hiroshi Koizumi	14	15					15	15	15	Ret
JPN Katsuaki Kubota													14	15

Bold – Pole Italics – Fastest Lap |}

Teams' Championships

Points were awarded for both races as follows:

1	2	3	4	5	6
10	7	5	3	2	1

Pos	Team	SUZ	MOT	FUJ	FUJ	MOT	OKA	SUG	AUT	Pts	Championship Class	1	137	2	78	3
Petronas Team TOM'S	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	3	5	Ret
ThreeBond Racing	5	4	2	3	2	3	2	4	2	2	3	2	Ret	11	3	2
Denso Team Le Beausset	2	2	4	7	5	5	5	5	4	6	4	5	15	2	1	1
Toda Racing	3	17	3	2	4	4	4	3	5	5	5	6	4	5	4	3
Hanashima Racing	6	5	6	14	8	9	16	11	3	3	8	3	2	1	2	Ret
HFDP Racing	7	6	8	5	6	6	8	7	8	11	7	8	7	10	6	6
TOM'S Spirit	12	8	Ret	6	7	7	10	6	7	7	6	7	5	6	Ret	4
Denso Team Le Beausset	8	7	7	10	14	Ret	7	9	12	9	11	9	9	9	9	5
Team Nova	10	10	11	8	9	Ret	6	8	9	10	12	11	6	7	10	Ret
Achievement by KCMG	13	9	10	9	10	10	9	13	13	8	10	13	10	8	7	7
Hanashima Racing													14	15	8	8
Aim Sports	15	14	14	12	16	8
CMS Motor Sports Project	14	15	Ret	Ret	17	13	15	15	15	Ret			13	16

Engine Tuners' Championship

Points were awarded for both races as follows:

1	2	3	4	5	6
10	7	5	3	2	1

Pos	Engine	SUZ	MOT	FUJ	FUJ	MOT	OKA	SUG	AUT	Pts	1	137	2	82	3	78
Toyota-TOM'S	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	3	5	Ret
Toyota-Hanashima	2	2	4	7	5	5	5	5	3	3	4	3	2	1	1	1
Nissan-Tomei	5	4	2	3	2	3	2	4	2	2	3	2	Ret	11	3	2
Mugen-Toda	3	17	3	2	4	4	4	3	5	5	5	6	4	5	4	3

References

(8 September 2010). "Can Kunimoto join Japan's best F3 champions?". [[Castrol]]; [[Autosport]].
Durante, Rafael. (14 October 2010). "Rafael Suzuki confirma presença nos GPs de Macau e da Coréia do Sul". Esporte Site.
(2010-03-10). "2010 Achievement Japanese Formula 3 Entry List (tentative)". Japanese Formula 3 Association.
Martins, Victor. (2010-03-01). "Suzuki assina contrato com Tom's e vai disputar F3 Japonesa em 2010". Internet Group.
Anderson, Ben. (2010-02-17). "Ireland's Thompson joins Japan F3". [[Haymarket Group.
(2010-07-17). "Implacabile Kunimoto". Inpagina.

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

2010-in-japanese-motorsport japanese-formula-3-championship-seasons 2010-in-formula-three 2010-in-formula-racing

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about 2010 Japanese Formula 3 Championship — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report