Formula Nippon, Japan’s premier race series will start 2006 with new cars from the ground up.
After
no changes for a decade, the B06/51 cars will get a new chassis from
Lola. The FN06 chassis will provide a 10% increase in downforce thanks
to a wider underbody diffuser and larger front nose cone.
Since
1998 Mugen has supplied Formula Nippon with its MF308 engine, and with
huge success, racking up 161 wins from 172 races up to the end of 2005.
The new engines – modified 3.0-litre V8s from the Indy Racing League –
pack a real punch. They produce over 550bhp at 10,000rpm, more than
50bhp more than the outgoing powerplants, as well as a wider spread of
torque across the revs.
At the moment the Toyota engines will
be run by Impul, Arting, Le Mans Company, Cerumo and Kondo with
Nakajima Racing, DoCoMo Dandelion and 5Zigen using Honda engines.
Early
engine tests took place in the middle of January at Fuji Speedway. The
results were sensational, with the cars touching 300km/h on the
straights and coming very close to the record lap times despite the
clod conditions. Which means they should be able to shave up to two
seconds when properly set up for the Speedway circuit.
Both
Toyota and Honda have entered talks to ensure consistent reliability
and power outputs, with both teams agreeing that this makes sense for
all teams involved. This is the first time that Toyota as supplied
engines to Formula Nippon, and the company is adopting a cautious
step-by-step approach to its engine development programme focusing on
usability rather than outright power.
Toyota is also
developing the FN06 car’s new computerised traction and clutch systems
at its East Fuji motor sport development centre.
Honda’s
engines are being modified by both Ilmore and Mugen, and are tapping
into their Formula 1 experience to help with the engine development.
They carried out their first tests in the UK in December 2005.
During
testing at Fuji, the Hoshino Impul team undertook engine testing for
Toyota, with Satoshi Motoyama at the wheel, while Honda’s testing was
carried out by Nakajima Racing’s Takashi Kogure and Hideki Muto.
“My
first impression was positive, ” said Satoshi Motoyama, the 2005
champion. “It was too early to really judge the new hard wear but I
felt more downforce from the new chassis and there’s much power from
the new Toyota engine.”
“Of course,” he added, “we need more
time to develop and set up but considering the test conditions were so
cold, the times were reasonably good and overall the feeling was
positive.”
“The engine sounding very good,” said Kazuyoshi
Hoshino, team leader of Hoshino Impul. “Toyota’s engineers have pursued
a very aggressive development programme on the engine and I think it’s
going to be a great season for us. I can’t wait for the first race at
Fuji in April!”