The 2012 Japanese Formula 3 Championship was an open wheel motor racing series held for Formula 3 cars based in Japan. It was the 34th edition of the Japanese Formula 3 Championship. It commenced on 14 April at Suzuka and ended on 14 October at Fuji Speedway after 15 races held at seven race meetings.
Ryō Hirakawa of the RSS team has dominated the championship and won the title.
Teams and drivers
All teams were Japanese-registered.
Race calendar and results
All rounds were held in Japan.
Championship standings
Drivers' Championships
- Points are awarded as follows:
Overall
| Pos | Driver | SUZ | MOT | FUJ | MOT | OKA | SUG | FUJ | Pts |
|---|
| Pos Driver SUZ MOT FUJ MOT OKA SUG FUJ Pts 1 Japan Ryō Hirakawa 1 1 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 2 Ret 3 Ret 3 3 118 2 Japan Yuichi Nakayama Ret 5 4 1 2 2 4 4 3 4 1 1 1 1 1 103 3 Japan Hideki Yamauchi 2 4 1 4 6 4 3 3 5 6 3 4 2 4 4 62 4 Singapore Richard Bradley 5 2 3 5 7 5 2 5 6 Ret 2 2 Ret 2 5 52 5 Japan Tomoki Nojiri 3 3 5 3 8 Ret 5 2 2 1 9 5 6 8 Ret 49 6 Brazil Rafael Suzuki 6 8 7 6 3 3 6 6 4 3 4 9 3 6 2 38 7 Japan Daiki Sasaki 4 6 8 8 5 10 8 7 7 5 5 6 9 5 6 14 8 Japan Kazuki Hiramine 7 7 6 7 4 6 10 8 8 7 6 8 5 10 7 8 9 Japan Takamoto Katsuta Ret 9 9 9 10 12 9 10 10 8 8 7 4 7 13 3 10 Republic of Ireland Gary Thompson Ret 10 10 10 9 9 7 9 9 10 7 Ret 7 9 9 1 United Kingdom Matt Howson 11 11 Ret 7 11 14 11 9 10 10 8 0 Japan Hiroshi Koizumi Ret 11 12 12 11 8 12 11 12 11 11 11 10 12 10 0 Japan Naoya Gamou 11 8 0 Japan Ryohei Sakaguchi 8 12 0 Japan Motoyoshi Yoshida 9 13 13 13 13 13 Ret 13 14 12 13 Ret 11 15 12 0 Japan Ryugo Shimada 10 13 13 13 0 Japan Tatsuru Noro 12 11 13 12 12 12 Ret 13 11 0 Japan Taku Utagawa 14 14 0 Pos Driver SUZ MOT FUJ MOT OKA SUG FUJ Pts | Colour Result Gold Winner Silver Second place Bronze Third place Green Points classification Blue Non-points classification Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Retired, not classified (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 |
| 1 | Japan Ryō Hirakawa | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Ret | 3 | Ret | 3 | 3 | 118 |
| 2 | Japan Yuichi Nakayama | Ret | 5 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 103 |
| 3 | Japan Hideki Yamauchi | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 62 |
| 4 | Singapore Richard Bradley | 5 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 6 | Ret | 2 | 2 | Ret | 2 | 5 | 52 |
| 5 | Japan Tomoki Nojiri | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 8 | Ret | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 8 | Ret | 49 |
| 6 | Brazil Rafael Suzuki | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 38 |
| 7 | Japan Daiki Sasaki | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 14 |
| 8 | Japan Kazuki Hiramine | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | Japan Takamoto Katsuta | Ret | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 3 |
| 10 | Republic of Ireland Gary Thompson | Ret | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 7 | Ret | 7 | 9 | 9 | 1 |
| United Kingdom Matt Howson | | | 11 | 11 | Ret | 7 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | | | 0 |
| Japan Hiroshi Koizumi | Ret | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 0 |
| Japan Naoya Gamou | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | 8 | 0 |
| Japan Ryohei Sakaguchi | 8 | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 0 |
| Japan Motoyoshi Yoshida | 9 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | Ret | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | Ret | 11 | 15 | 12 | 0 |
| Japan Ryugo Shimada | 10 | 13 | | | | | | | 13 | 13 | | | | | | 0 |
| Japan Tatsuru Noro | | | | | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | | | 12 | 12 | Ret | 13 | 11 | 0 |
| Japan Taku Utagawa | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 14 | 14 | 0 |
| Pos | Driver | SUZ | MOT | FUJ | MOT | OKA | SUG | FUJ | Pts |
| Colour | Result |
| Gold | Winner |
| Silver | Second place |
| Bronze | Third place |
| Green | Points classification |
| Blue | Non-points classification |
| Non-classified finish (NC) |
| Purple | Retired, not classified (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) |
National Class
| Pos | Driver | SUZ | MOT | FUJ | MOT | OKA | SUG | FUJ | Pts |
|---|
| 1 | Japan Daiki Sasaki | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 9 | 6 | 146 |
| 2 | Japan Kazuki Hiramine | 7 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 6 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 7 | 110 |
| 3 | Japan Takamoto Katsuta | Ret | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 62 |
| 4 | Republic of Ireland Gary Thompson | Ret | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 7 | Ret | 7 | 9 | 9 | 56 |
| 5 | United Kingdom Matt Howson | | | 11 | 11 | Ret | 7 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | | | 28 |
| 6 | Japan Hiroshi Koizumi | Ret | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 23 |
| 7 | Japan Naoya Gamou | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 11 | 8 | 7 |
| 8 | Japan Ryohei Sakaguchi | 8 | 12 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 6 |
| 9 | Japan Tatsuru Noro | | | | | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | | | 12 | 12 | Ret | 13 | 11 | 5 |
| 10 | Japan Motoyoshi Yoshida | 9 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | Ret | 13 | 14 | 12 | 13 | Ret | 11 | 15 | 12 | 3 |
| Pos | Driver | SUZ | MOT | FUJ | MOT | OKA | SUG | FUJ | Pts |
Teams' Championships
- Points are awarded for races as follows:
| Pos | Team | SUZ | MOT | FUJ | MOT | OKA | SUG | FUJ | Pts |
|---|
| Overall |
| 1 | RSS | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | Ret | 3 | Ret | 3 | 3 | 106 |
| 2 | Petronas Team TOM'S | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 106 |
| 3 | B-Max Engineering | 2 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 61 |
| 4 | HFDP Racing | 3 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 8 | Ret | 52 |
| 5 | Toda Racing | 6 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 38 |
| 6 | NDDP Racing | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 14 |
| 7 | TOM'S Spirit | Ret | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 3 |
| SGC by KCMG | Ret | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 0 |
| Hanashima Racing | Ret | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 0 |
| CMS Motor Sports Project | 8 | 12 | | | 12 | 11 | 13 | 12 | | | 12 | 12 | Ret | 13 | 11 | 0 |
| CFR | 10 | 13 | | | | | | | 13 | 13 | | | | | | 0 |
| Pos | Team | SUZ | MOT | FUJ | MOT | OKA | SUG | FUJ | Pts |
Engine Tuners' Championship
- Points are awarded for races as follows:
External links