Renault at the Japanese GP
Fuji last appeared on the F1 calendar in 1977 and although it was the debut season for Renault in F1, the French team did not make the trip east. That means the company's F1 history in Japan centres around one place: Suzuka.
The French manufacturer first raced at Suzuka in 1989, the circuit having joined the F1 calendar in 1987 – one year after the Renault turbo engine departed the sport. And it was a successful debut, with the Williams-Renaults of Riccardo Patrese and Thierry Boutsen finishing second and third respectively. There no podiums in 1990, but Patrese claimed third place in 1991 (while Mansell retired) before winning the event in 1992, after his already-crowned team-mate Mansell had claimed pole. World Champion Alain Prost finished second from pole in 1993, while in 1994 Damon Hill's Williams-Renault clinched one of the Briton's best ever wins in the rain – and took the title race to its infamous Adelaide showdown. The following year saw Schumacher win from pole, while in 1996 it was Damon Hill's turn on the top step once again – and the Briton memorably clinched the world title with that drive. The following season, Renault power took Heinz-Harald Frentzen to second place in the penultimate race of the year.
The era of the Renault F1 Team has seen considerable success in Japan, and particularly in recent years. The team scored points on every visit to Suzuka from 2002 to 2004, and in the last two season has taken two double podium finishes. In 2005, Giancarlo Fisichella headed home team-mate Fernando Alonso, with the Renault boys finishing second and third; last year, the Japanese round of the championship proved a decisive turning point in the title race, when Ferrari's reliability faltered to allow Fernando Alonso to claim a crucial win – while team-mate Fisichella finished third.
In total, Renault power has taken 5 poles, 14 podium finishes and 5 race wins in Japan, including one world championship victory for Damon Hill in 1996.
Friday 28 September also marks the ten year anniversary of Renault's 1-2-3-4 finish in the 1997 Luxembourg Grand Prix, when the French manufacturer saw Villeneuve/Alesi/Frentzen/Berger dominate the penultimate race of the V10 engine supply era.
