Fernando Alonso“Our pace was more encouraging in Singapore, but I think it will be harder for us at Suzuka due to the characteristics of the track. Of course we’ll do everything we can to maximise our performance at what is a fantastic racetrack and Honda’s home grand prix.”Jenson Button“In many ways the Japanese Grand Prix is like another home race for me. I love the country and its people, and Suzuka is one of the most demanding tracks in F1. The corners are fast and flowing and a qualifying lap around here feels like nowhere else.”Circuit lowdown
Suzuka is owned by the Honda Motor Company. It was built in 1962 and its unique figure-of-eight layout came from the pen of renowned designer, Dutchman John Hugenholtz. The track is narrow and the layout is fast and flowing, making it one of the most revered challenges on the Formula 1 calendar.
The best drivers and cars usually excel at Suzuka because it’s a very unforgiving racetrack. It’s undulating and bumpy, and to be fast a driver needs to demonstrate commitment and great precision. Even the smallest of mistakes can be punished severely when the average lap speed is in excess of 230kph (143mph).
There’s a predominance of fast corners all around the lap, but no section is more challenging or exciting than the sequence of fast corners in Sector One known as the Esses. All five of these bends is inter-linked and all are taken at a minimum speed of 130mph/210kph. In fact, only one corner around the 5.807km/3.608-mile lap is taken at less than 100kph (62mph).
The high cornering forces place a lot of stress on the tyres, which is why Pirelli are taking their two hardest compounds to the race: the Medium (Option) and the Hard (Prime). This combination has already been used on three occasions this year, most recently at the British Grand Prix, and it should throw up some interesting strategic options during the race.
McLaren has enjoyed many successes at the Japanese Grand Prix. The team has won the race on nine occasions, with two of those wins being achieved with Honda power. The team’s most recent victory came in 2011, with Jenson Button.
Japan facts & stats
It's all about: the race
Start time 1400 (local) / 0600 (BST) Race distance 53 laps (full world championship points awarded after 75 per cent distance/40 laps) 2014 winner Lewis Hamilton 44 laps in 1h:51m43.021s 2014 pole position Nico Rosberg 1m32.506s 225.987km/h (140.422mph) 2014 fastest lap Lewis Hamilton lap 39 1m51.600 187.322km/h (116.396mph) Safety Car likelihood High. There’s a 60 per cent chance of a Safety Car because accidents are usually high speed at Suzuka and result in a lot of debris
Don't put the kettle on... on laps 14 and 37. Last year’s winner made three pitstops, but the race was wet and it was stopped early. A more accurate example of strategy came in 2013, when Sebastian Vettel took the spoils with a two-stop strategy.
Weather forecast Warm and humid, although the chances of rain are increasing as we get closer to the race. The latest forecasts predict a 40 per cent chance of rain on Sunday
It's all about: the track
First race 1987 Circuit length 5.807km/3.608 miles Run to Turn One 350 metres/0.217 miles Longest straight 900 metres/0.559 miles, on the approach to the Chicane, Turn 16 Top speed 324km/h/201mph on the approach to the Chicane DRS zones One – on the approach to Turn One Key corner Turn Nine, called Degner Two. A bump at the apex makes it difficult to get the power down and there’s very little run-off at the exit if the driver makes a mistake. There have been many red flags over the years as a result of drivers crashing here Pitlane length 413 metres (0.26 miles), which is average. A pitstop takes about 22s Major changes for 2015 None
It's all about: the car
Fuel consumption 1.8kg per lap, which is average Full throttle 65 per cent. There are several long straights and lots of fast corners, but very few sharp accelerations from low speed Brake wear Light. There are only nine braking zones and just 10 per cent of the lap is spent braking Gear changes 42 per lap/2,226 per race
Did you know?
Eleven drivers’ championships have been sealed at Suzuka, including all three of Ayrton Senna’s titles with McLaren-Honda. Technical words of wisdom Matt Morris, director of engineering“Suzuka is one of the circuits that the drivers and engineers really enjoy. The whole lap is a high-speed rollercoaster, which is both exhilarating and challenging.
“To be fast, a car needs to have high-speed stability, both in terms of mechanical stiffness and the aerodynamic balance, and a good power unit. You also need a strong front-end because understeer through the Esses in Sector One can really hurt your lap time.”
Our most memorable Japanese Grand Prix: 2005
This was the era of one-lap qualifying and rain midway through Saturday’s one-hour session created a topsy-turvy grid. Both McLarens were confined to the back of the grid after their qualifying laps were ruined by rain, but this set the scene for a thrilling race.
Kimi Raikkonen’s charge through the field from 17th on the grid was as impressive as it was tenacious. By one-third distance he was battling Michael Schumacher for fifth place and he passed the German with a stunning pass around the outside of Turn One.
When the cars ahead of Kimi pitted for fuel and tyres, he could set his sights on race leader Giancarlo Fisichella. Initially the gap was 20s, but with only nine laps remaining Kimi had reduced the gap to just 9s. He took more than one second per lap out of Fisichella and coming into the chicane on the penultimate lap, Fisichella was briefly baulked by a backmarker. Kimi needed no second invitation: he swept past Fisichella into Turn One to secure his most impressive victory to date.McLaren at the Japanese Grand Prix Wins 9 (1977, 1988, 1991, 1993, 1998, 1999, 2005, 2007, 2011) Poles 6 (1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2007, 2008) Fastest laps 8 (1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 2000, 2005, 2007, 2011)Fernando Alonso
Age 34 (July 29 1981) GPs 246 Wins 32 Poles 22 Fastest laps 21 Best result in Japan 1st (2006, 2008) Fernando Alonso “I’m full of anticipation about going to Suzuka. It’s a really tough circuit, and a huge test for the drivers, as a lot of it is really narrow and bumpy so you need absolute commitment into every corner. It has almost the opposite characteristics to Singapore in terms of set-up, so it’s a very different challenge that we’ll face next weekend.
“Like Jenson, I have a strong affinity with Japan, I love the country and I’ve always been fascinated by its culture. I’ve also loved racing there and I’ve won both at Suzuka and Fuji, so it holds a lot of special memories for me. The fans are one-of-a-kind and the circuit absolutely deserves its legendary status - it’s one of the most exciting on the calendar.
“Singapore is now behind us, but Suzuka will surely be a challenge. Our car is well balanced and feels good to drive, but on a circuit with such a high average speed it will be difficult to beat our competitors. We’ll take the samurai spirit with us to Suzuka, and as usual we won’t give up.”
Jenson Button Age 35 (January 19 1980) GPs 278 Wins 15 Poles 8 Fastest laps 8 Best result in Japan 1st (2011) Jenson Button “Suzuka is my favourite track on the calendar without a doubt. The thrill of the Esses, the Degners, Spoon, 130R – they are a combination of corners like no other in Formula 1 and for a driver it’s a mega challenge.
“Japan is like a second home for me. My wife is half-Japanese, I spend a lot of time there, the country is beautiful and the people are so warm and enthusiastic, you can’t fail to love it. I still regard my win at Suzuka in 2011 as one of my best - it’s such a challenge to get right as the circuit is narrow, twisty, and technical, so it’s one of the victories of which I’m most proud.
“Suzuka is the home grand prix for Honda too, so it will be an important weekend for the whole team. It’s not going to be an easy race, as the track is so quick and reliant on top speed, but we’ll be giving it our absolute all for the fans.”
Eric Boullier - Racing director, McLaren-Honda “Suzuka is a place that every Formula 1 fan regards as special – it’s a circuit that has hosted those classic races that have gone down in history, and produced some incredible racing and on-track battles that are talked about for years after.
“For McLaren, it’s extra-special, since it’s also the home of Honda, so returning there this year will be even more emotional than normal. First and foremost, to give ourselves any kind of fighting chance next weekend we must focus on our reliability after the disappointment in Singapore. From Marina Bay, one of the lowest-speed tracks on the calendar, we go to Suzuka, one of the fastest, so preparation will be key.
“It’ll be interesting to see how the drivers and cars cope with the challenge of the downhill grid, and the famous figure-of-eight Suzuka circuit is always a fantastic spectacle in front of the most enthusiastic fans we see anywhere in the world. All of us at McLaren-Honda are working hard to continue to show our improving pace, and we hope we can put on a good show for our fans, partners and guests next weekend.”
Yasuhisa Arai - Honda R&D senior managing officer - chief officer of motorsport"It is a wonderful feeling to be back home and to be racing in front of our fans. The fans are incredibly passionate and loyal to F1 and to Honda, so as the McLaren-Honda team, we will do our best this weekend.
“That said, Suzuka is a notoriously technical and difficult circuit for all cars and drivers. We have to be realistic that the race will be a big challenge for the team this weekend. Our engineers have started their preparations for the task ahead for what will hopefully be a good race."
