Suzuka

Suzuka International Racing Course 

The Suzuka Circuit, or Suzuka International Racing Course to give it its full name, is the home of the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix. The circuit was first opened in 1962, but didn’t host an F1 race until 1987 when the track was modified to be brought up to the FIA standards for racing.  

Suzuka has been an annual event on the F1 calendar since its first race in 1987 for all but four occasions since the track was first introduced – the 2007 and 2008 Japanese Grands Prix were held at Fuji Speedway, while the Japanese Grand Prix was cancelled for two consecutive years in 2020 and 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic.  

The decision to move the Japanese Grand Prix to Fuji came as the circuit had undergone a redesign from circuit designer Hermann Tilke – a familiar name among F1 fans. 

Suzuka was set to alternate hosting the Japanese Grand Prix with Fuji from 2009, but the latter’s owners Toyota announced that due to the global recession, the event would not return to the Fuji Speedway in 2010. Suzuka has since held exclusive hosting duties since. 

Suzuka International Racing Course information  

The Suzuka International Racing Course is based in Suzuka City, in the Mie Prefecture and just over an hours’ drive from Kyoto. The track is 5.807 km (3.608 miles) long, and consists of 18 corners. Suzuka is one of just three tracks that has just one DRS zone, the others are the Circuit de Monaco and the Imola circuit and is also the only figure eight shaped track on the Formula 1 calendar. 

Suzuka’s 18 corners start with the appropriately named ‘First Turn’ of turn one. This leads to the ‘S Curves’ of Turn 4, 5 and 6, before reaching the Dunlop Curve (Turn 7), Degner 1 (Turn 8), Degner 2 (Turn 9), Spoon Curve (Turn 13 & 14), 103R (Turn 15) and The Casio Chicane (Turn 16, 17 and 18).  

It’s 130R which is arguably Suzuka’s most well-known corner, and saw two major accidents in 2002 and 2003, as well as two crashes in 2023. The first, in 2002, saw Allan McNish suffer a high-speed crash on the corner in his Toyota during the 2002 Japanese Grand Prix. The British driver oversteered into the corner and spun before the car was sent through a metal fence but was not seriously injured.  

Nissan driver Tsugio Matsuda suffered a crash on the corner during the 2023 Super GT, where he suffered injuries that left him in hospital for six weeks. The two-time GT500 winner collided with another GT300 car in the exit of the 130R which saw him crash into the barrier. He was airlifted to hospital and spent three days in intensive care and was initially unable to walk after suffering a crack in his right ankle and sustaining damage to his thigh muscles. 

There was also a crash on the 130R during the 2023 Super Formula Suzuka between Hiroki Otsu and Ukyo Sasahara, with the cars spinning into the barriers. Sasahara’s vehicle flew over the barrier and caught the fencing. Otsu was seen walking away from his car, but Sasahara was taken to the medical centre and was forced to miss the final race due to a concussion. 

The corner was then redesigned into a double-apex section, however the following year during the 2003 MotoGP Grand Prix of Japan, which was the track’s first major event since the revisions, rider Daijiro Kato was killed after crashing in the new section. MotoGP has not returned to the circuit since the accident.  

Suzuka has multiple track configurations, including the grand prix circuit, west circuit and east circuit, however it’s the grand prix circuit that is used by Formula 1. 

Suzuka International Racing Course history 

The Suzuka International Racing Course is known for its weather conditions which can make racing difficult. In 2014, Jules Bianchi was seriously injured on the circuit after colliding with a recovery vehicle that was on track to remove Adrian Sutil’s Sauber. The circuit was experiencing intermittent heavy rainfall from the approaching Typhoon Phanfone, which made race conditions difficult.  

Bianchi lost control of his car before veering towards the run-off area and into the back of the wheel loader, which was jolted off the ground. He then died in hospital nine months later. The Dunlop corner where the accident took place was then slightly changed and a large crane was installed in place of the tractor.  

The death of Jules Bianchi saw safety regulations in Formula 1 revised and a Virtual Safety Car (VSC) was introduced which slows drivers down to a regulated speed. The VSC makes it safer for marshals and is less disruptive than a regular safety car.  

In 1989, McLaren team-mates Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost collided at the Casio Chicane, a year after an intense battle between the pair that decided the world championship title. The collision caused both cars to come to a stop, however Senna was able to restart his car in the escape road and win the race. Following the race, the Brazilian was immediately disqualified for cutting the chicane and not completing the full race. He then alleged that the decision was made by FISA (now the FIA) President Jean-Marie in order to give the championship to Prost.   

The track has been the decider for many title championships, including the 1996 battle between Williams team-mates Damon Hill and Jacques Villeneuve. The Canadian needed to win the race without the British driver scoring a single point to take the drivers' championship title. However, Damon Hill took the win and secured the championship title. 

What events has the Suzuka International Racing Course hosted?

The Suzuka International Racing Course currently hosts the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, as well as the Super Formula Championship, Super GT and the TCR Japan Touring Car Series. The circuit also hosts:  

• FIM Endurance World Championship Suzuka 8 Hours 
• F4 Japanese Championship 
• GT World Challenge Asia 
• Formula Regional Japanese Championship 
• Ferrari Challenge Japan 
• MFJ Superbike 
• Super Taikyu 
• GT4 Asia Series 
• Porsche Carrera Cup Asia  
• Super Formula Lights  

The Suzuka Circuit has also previously hosted MotoGP, NASCAR Thunder Special Suzuka and the International Touring Car Championship. Other previously hosted races include:  

• F3 Asian Championship 
• FIA GT Championship 
• Asia Road Racing Championship 
• BPR Global GT Series: 1000km of Suzuka 
• Intercontinental GT Challenge: Suzuka 10 Hours 

• World Sportscar Championship 
• World Touring Car Championship: FIA WTCC Race of Japan 
• Would Touring Car Cup: FIA WTCR Race of Japan 

Japanese Grand Prix past F1 winners  

Michael Schumacher has the most F1 wins at the Suzuka International Racing Course taking 6 wins in 1995, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002 and 2004. Lewis Hamilton has had five wins on the circuit, with Sebastian Vettel taking four wins at Suzuka. 

The last 10 Japanese Grand Prix winners at the Suzuka International Racing Course are:  

• 2023 - Max Verstappen, Red Bull 
• 2022 - Max Verstappen, Red Bull 
• 2019 - Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes 
• 2018 - Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 
• 2017 - Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 
• 2016 - Nico Rosberg, Mercedes 
• 2015 - Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 
• 2014 - Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes 
• 2013 - Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull 
• 2012 - Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull 

Suzuka International Racing Course fastest lap 

Lewis Hamilton has the fastest lap record for the Suzuka Circuit with a time of 1m30.983 during the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix. The British driver broke the record that was previously set by Kimi Räikkönen in 2005 with a time of 1m31.540. 

Sebastian Vettel holds the unofficial track record 1m27.064 which was set during qualifying for the 2019 race. 

The second- fastest lap on the current Suzuka circuit was set by Naoki Yamamoto in a Dallara SF19 during the 2020 Super Formula championship with a time of 1m37.850. The third fastest time of 1m42.781 was set by João Paulo de Oliveira in Formula Nippon.