motor sports

Designed and built in 1962 by Dutchman John Hugenholz, the Hermann Tilke of his day, Suzuka is a drivers' circuit par excellence. Its unique figure-of-eight layout, its string of fast corners and the passionate yet polite Japanese fans make this one of the season's classic races. Importantly, Suzuka remains virtually unaltered since it was first included on the F1 calendar in 1987. Suzuka is widely regarded as one of the most technically challenging tracks of the season where success lies in the balance of the car. Each of the 3.6-mile laps includes an unforgiving combination of 16 turns, ranging from the slow speed, twisty Esses and Spoon corner at the start of the lap to the high speed 130R and Casio Triangle towards the end. With such a variation of turns, aero efficiency and car stability are crucial to allow the driver to achieve fluidity through the corners and record a quick lap time. The circuit's unique figure of 8 layout also presents a challenging series of directional changes which place heavy demands on both the left and right sides of the tyres. Combined with an abrasive track surface, the drivers and their engineers invariably select a mid- to hard compound to preserve their efficiency during the 53 lap race. Unlike the majority of Grand Prix destinations, Suzuka's notoriously unpredictable weather conditions can cause havoc and create lottery results in qualifying and the race. A track where mistakes are quickly punished, Suzuka equally rewards precision and balance and never fails to deliver a race to remember to one of Formula 1's most enthusiastic audiences.