1998 Formula Nippon Championship
| 1998 Formula Nippon season | |
| Previous: 1997 | Next: 1999 |
The 1998 Formula Nippon season was scheduled over 10 rounds and contested over 9 rounds. 14 different teams, 29 different drivers, 3 different chassis and only 1 engine competed. Each round saw a Special Stage after the original qualifying. The best six qualifiers had to compete in a separate session for the pole.
Calendar
Note:
Race 8 no special stage held due to bad weather conditions
(ss) indicate the winner of the special stage, who started from pole - (fq) indicate the original fastest qualifier. In all other races, the fastest qualifier was also the winner of the special stage.
Final point standings
Driver
For every race points were awarded: 10 points to the winner, 6 for runner up, 4 for third place, 3 for fourth place, 2 for fifth place and 1 for sixth place. No additional points were awarded. All results count.
Complete Overview
| first column of every race | 10 | = grid position |
| second column of every race | 10 | = race result |
R8=retired, but classified R=retired NQ=did not qualify
3(5)=started from grid position 3, after setting the third best time in the special stage - (5) originally set the fifth best time in qualifying.
| Place | Name | Country | Team | Chassis | Engine |  |
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| 1 | Satoshi Motoyama | Japan |
Team LeMans | Reynard | Mugen Honda | 3(5) | R | 3(4) | 1 | 1(3) | 1 | 7 | 2 | 3(4) | R | 3(2) | R | 8 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1(1) | R |
| 2 | Masami Kageyama | Japan |
Team Nova | Lola | Mugen Honda | 6(2) | 2 | 4(3) | 10 | 17 | R | 12 | 3 | 10 | 3 | 1(3) | 1 | 3(4) | 6 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
| 3 | Juichi Wakisaka | Japan |
ARTA | Lola | Mugen Honda | 5(1) | R | 1(1) | 2 | 13 | R | 4(6) | 1 | 5(3) | 4 | 7 | R | 7 | R | 10 | R | 4(2) | 2 |
| 4 | Norberto Fontana |  Argentina |
Team LeMans | Reynard | Mugen Honda | 2(4) | 3 | 2(2) | R | 4(1) | 6 | 1(2) | R | 8 | R8 | 5(4) | R | 9 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 5(6) | 8 |
| 5 | Masahiko Kageyama | Japan |
Team Impul | Lola | Mugen Honda | 4(3) | 1 | 11 | R | 5(4) | R | 16 | 8 | (1)1 | 1 | 2(1) | R | 22 | R | 11 | R | 7 | 6 |
| 6 | Marc Goossens |  Belgium |
Team 5Zigen | Reynard | Mugen Honda | 8 | 6 | 9 | 4 | 12 | R | 3(4) | R | 4(6) | 2 | 6(5) | R | 18 | 3 | 13 | R | 6(5) | 4 |
| 7 | Katsumoto Kaneishi | Japan |
ARTA | Lola | Mugen Honda | 7 | 4 | 8 | 5 | 2(2) | 2 | 10 | R | 9 | R | 12 | 7 | 4(2) | 5 | 7 | 10 | 10 | R |
| Ralph Firman, Jr. |  United Kingdom |
Team Nova | Lola | Mugen Honda | 1(6) | 12 | 5(5) | R | 11 | 2 | 2(5) | 4 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 7 | |||||||
| Team Nova | G-Force | Mugen Honda | 16 | R | 19 | R14 | 21 | R | |||||||||||||||
| 9 | Ryo Michigami | Japan |
Mooncraft | Reynard | Mugen Honda | 9 | 7 | 6(6) | 3 | 9 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 12 | R | 10 | R | 10 | R | 12 | R | 3(4) | 3 |
| 10 | Hideki Noda | Japan |
Team Cerumo | Lola | Mugen Honda | 10 | 5 | 7 | R | 8 | 5 | 6(1) | 6 | 2(2) | R | 4(6) | 3 | 1(1) | R | 8 | 9 | 11 | R |
| 11 | Tom Coronel |  Netherlands |
Nakajima Racing | Reynard | Mugen Honda | 15 | 8 | 16 | 6 | 6(6) | R | 2(5) | 4 | 6(5) | 5 | 14 | 5 | 6(6) | R | 3 | R | 15 | 14 |
| 12 | Takuya Kurosawa | Japan |
Team Impul | Lola | Mugen Honda | 11 | R | 19 | R | 3(5) | 3 | 8 | R | 16 | R | 8 | R | 11 | R | 2 | R | 2(3) | 5 |
| 13 | Yuji Tachikawa | Japan |
Team TMS | Reynard | Mugen Honda | - | - | - | - | 23 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 14 | R | 13 | R | 5(3) | R | 14 | R | 17 | 9 |
| Akira Iida | Japan |
Team Cerumo | Lola | Mugen Honda | - | - | - | - | 7 | 8 | 17 | R | 11 | R | 9 | 9 | 21 | R | 18 | 5 | 14 | 12 | |
| 15 | Tsugio Matsuda | Japan |
Nakajima Racing | Reynard | Mugen Honda | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 7 | 6 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Koji Yamanishi | Japan |
Nakajima Racing | Reynard | Mugen Honda | 18 | R | 13 | 7 | 14 | R | 5(3) | R | - | - | 16 | 6 | 12 | R | 6 | R | 12 | 11 | |
| Tetsuya Tanaka | Japan |
Be Brides Racing | Lola | Mugen Honda | 12 | R | 10 | R | 10 | 7 | 13 | R | 13 | R | 17 | 11 | 15 | R | 22 | 6 | 13 | 16 | |
| - | Masahiko Kondo | Japan |
TMS Racing | Reynard | Mugen Honda | 17 | 9 | 20 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 7 | 15 | 8 | 16 | 7 | 20 | 7 | 19 | R |
| - | Shigekazu Wakisaka | Japan |
Team 5Zigen | Reynard | Mugen Honda | 14 | 10 | 15 | R | 15 | 10 | 14 | 7 | 15 | R | 18 | R12 | 20 | R | 15 | R | 18 | 10 |
| - | Akira Ishikawa | Japan |
Be Brides Racing | Reynard | Mugen Honda | 22 | R | 21 | R | 24 | R | 21 | 11 | 20 | 9 | 20 | 10 | 17 | R | 23 | 8 | 22 | 15 |
| - | Tetsuji Tamanaka | Japan |
Takagi B-1 Racing | Lola | Mugen Honda | 20 | R | 18 | 11 | 20 | 14 | 22 | 13 | 22 | R | 22 | R | 23 | 8 | 16 | R | 21 | 17 |
| - | "Osamu" | Japan |
Team LeyJun | Reynard | Mugen Honda | 23 | 13 | - | - | - | - | 23 | R | 23 | R | 23 | 13 | 19 | 9 | 21 | R | 23 | 18 |
| - | Atsushi Kawamoto | Japan |
Asahi Kiko Sports | Reynard | Mugen Honda | 13 | R | 14 | 9 | 18 | R | 18 | R | 19 | R | 19 | R | 13 | R | 17 | R | 20 | 13 |
| - | Shinsuke Shibahara | Japan |
Team LeyJun | Reynard | Mugen Honda | 16 | 11 | 17 | R | 19 | 12 | 20 | 12 | 18 | R | 21 | R | 14 | 10 | 19 | R11 | 16 | R |
| - | Dilantha Malagamuwa |  Sri Lanka |
Stellar International | Reynard | Mugen Honda | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 24 | R | 24 | 12 | - | - |
| - | Taichiro Oonishi | Japan |
Team LeyJun | Reynard | Mugen Honda | - | - | 22 | R | 21 | 13 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| - | Tsuyoshi Takahashi | Japan |
TMS Racing | Reynard | Mugen Honda | 19 | 14 | 12 | R | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| - | Masao Yamada | Japan |
Takagi B-1 Racing | Lola | Mugen Honda | - | - | 23 | R | 22 | 15 | 24 | R | 24 | NQ | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| - | Tokiyasu Souda | Japan |
Stellar International | Reynard | Mugen Honda | 21 | R | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |