After racing under dark skies and bright lights of Singapore, the F1 paddock will reconvene in Japan this weekend for the 14th round of the 2015 season.
It will be the 31st Japanese Grand Prix to appear on the Formula 1 schedule and the 27th to take place at the iconic Suzuka circuit.
The 18-turn track is renowned for its tricky corners, figure-of-eight layout and enthusiastic fans. It is an old-school circuit, with fast sweeps and gravel traps to punish even the smallest of errors, and is one of the favourite venues on the schedule.
Some incredibly iconic moments from F1’s past have taken place at Suzuka, including Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost’s famous collisions in 1989 and 1990 and world titles have been wrapped up there – such as Michael Schumacher’s first championship for Ferrari in 2000 and Sebastian Vettel’s second triumph in 2011.
Schumacher and Vettel – Singapore Grand Prix winner - are the two most successful drivers in the event’s history, with six and four victories respectively. Meanwhile McLaren leads Ferrari with nine wins to seven in the constructors’ table.
Lewis Hamilton triumphed at the track last year in terrible weather conditions, but the thoughts of the entire F1 paddock will be with Jules Bianchi and his family over the weekend, one year on from his horrific accident and just over two months after the Frenchman sadly passed away.
A lap of the 3.608 mile track kicks off on the start/finish straight, with the pit exit feeding cars back out on the right-hand side. Turn 1 is a fast and sweeping right-hander that tightens for the slower right of Turn 2. This is a good overtaking place, particularly as the main straight is where the DRS zone will be positioned.
The third to sixth corners make up the challenging S Curves complex, arguably one of the trickiest sections of race track in the world. Precision and rhythm are crucial for a clean run through the turns. Following the medium-speed and flowing left-right-left-right section is the Dunlop Curve.
It is a long, uphill left-hander, with speeds increasing through the corner before the second sector begins. The Degner Curve is next up. The quick right-hander is easy to get wrong and running wide on the exit can cause drivers to take a trip through the gravel, or even hit the wall. Turn 9 is a tighter, slower right-hander before the track passes under the figure-of-eight bridge.
A short straight follows before the right-hand kink of Turn 10 and the low-speed, left-hand hairpin of Turn 11. This is a strong overtaking place, particularly if a driver gets a good run out of the previous section. Good traction is vital for the long run through the flat-out right-hander of Turn 12.
The Spoon Curve follows and is made up of two medium-speed rights, with the second one tightening on the apex. Again, a good exit is important for the following straight. The third sector kicks off with the high-speed 130R.
The flat-out left-hander can help to set up overtaking moves, although passes have been made at the corner itself – Fernando Alonso managed to pass Michael Schumacher around the outside here in 2005. Commitment is crucial for a good run to the Casio Triangle, which is a slow right-left chicane.
The heavy braking zone for Turn 16 makes it a good overtaking spot. The pit entry is to the right, with the final corner being a sweeping, flat-out right-hander. The first and second sectors require plenty of downforce, while good top speed is needed for the third and final part of the lap. This means we often see different approaches to set-up at Suzuka.
Due to the high average corner speeds, fast changes of direction and a few heavy braking zones, the track is very hard on tyres – hence why Pirelli will bring the hard and medium compounds to Suzuka. The circuit is very narrow, unlike most modern layouts, and there are plenty of elevation changes.
Japanese Grand Prix Fact File:
Location: Suzuka, Japan
Track Length: 3.608 miles
Direction: Clockwise and anti-clockwise
Turns: 18
Laps: 53
First race: 1976 (1987 Suzuka)
Lap record: Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren, 2005, 1:31.540
Tyre compounds: Hard and medium
2014 race winner: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2014 pole position: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:32.506
2014 fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:51.600
Live on: Sky Sports F1 and BBC
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
The 18-turn track is renowned for its tricky corners, figure-of-eight layout and enthusiastic fans. It is an old-school circuit, with fast sweeps and gravel traps to punish even the smallest of errors, and is one of the favourite venues on the schedule.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
Some incredibly iconic moments from F1’s past have taken place at Suzuka, including Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost’s famous collisions in 1989 and 1990 and world titles have been wrapped up there – such as Michael Schumacher’s first championship for Ferrari in 2000 and Sebastian Vettel’s second triumph in 2011.
Schumacher and Vettel – Singapore Grand Prix winner - are the two most successful drivers in the event’s history, with six and four victories respectively. Meanwhile McLaren leads Ferrari with nine wins to seven in the constructors’ table.
Lewis Hamilton triumphed at the track last year in terrible weather conditions, but the thoughts of the entire F1 paddock will be with Jules Bianchi and his family over the weekend, one year on from his horrific accident and just over two months after the Frenchman sadly passed away.
A lap of the 3.608 mile track kicks off on the start/finish straight, with the pit exit feeding cars back out on the right-hand side. Turn 1 is a fast and sweeping right-hander that tightens for the slower right of Turn 2. This is a good overtaking place, particularly as the main straight is where the DRS zone will be positioned.
The third to sixth corners make up the challenging S Curves complex, arguably one of the trickiest sections of race track in the world. Precision and rhythm are crucial for a clean run through the turns. Following the medium-speed and flowing left-right-left-right section is the Dunlop Curve.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
It is a long, uphill left-hander, with speeds increasing through the corner before the second sector begins. The Degner Curve is next up. The quick right-hander is easy to get wrong and running wide on the exit can cause drivers to take a trip through the gravel, or even hit the wall. Turn 9 is a tighter, slower right-hander before the track passes under the figure-of-eight bridge.
A short straight follows before the right-hand kink of Turn 10 and the low-speed, left-hand hairpin of Turn 11. This is a strong overtaking place, particularly if a driver gets a good run out of the previous section. Good traction is vital for the long run through the flat-out right-hander of Turn 12.
The Spoon Curve follows and is made up of two medium-speed rights, with the second one tightening on the apex. Again, a good exit is important for the following straight. The third sector kicks off with the high-speed 130R.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
The flat-out left-hander can help to set up overtaking moves, although passes have been made at the corner itself – Fernando Alonso managed to pass Michael Schumacher around the outside here in 2005. Commitment is crucial for a good run to the Casio Triangle, which is a slow right-left chicane.
The heavy braking zone for Turn 16 makes it a good overtaking spot. The pit entry is to the right, with the final corner being a sweeping, flat-out right-hander. The first and second sectors require plenty of downforce, while good top speed is needed for the third and final part of the lap. This means we often see different approaches to set-up at Suzuka.
Due to the high average corner speeds, fast changes of direction and a few heavy braking zones, the track is very hard on tyres – hence why Pirelli will bring the hard and medium compounds to Suzuka. The circuit is very narrow, unlike most modern layouts, and there are plenty of elevation changes.
 |
| © Formula 1 |
Japanese Grand Prix Fact File:
Location: Suzuka, Japan
Track Length: 3.608 miles
Direction: Clockwise and anti-clockwise
Turns: 18
Laps: 53
First race: 1976 (1987 Suzuka)
Lap record: Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren, 2005, 1:31.540
Tyre compounds: Hard and medium
2014 race winner: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
2014 pole position: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes, 1:32.506
2014 fastest lap: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:51.600
Live on: Sky Sports F1 and BBC
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