Circuit stats
2015 winner Lewis Hamilton, 53 laps, 1:28:06.508s2015 pole position Nico Rosberg, 1m32.584s2015 fastest lap Lewis Hamilton, 1m36.145s (lap 33)Name Suzuka International Racing Course First race 1987Circuit length 5.807km/3.608 miles (5th longest of the season)Distance to Turn One 350m/0.217 miles (longest of season: Barcelona 730m/0.454 miles)Longest straight 900m/0.559 miles, on the approach to the ChicaneTop speed 330km/h/205mph, on the approach to the ChicanePitlane length 413m/0.257 miles, estimated time loss 23s (longest of season: Silverstone, 489m/0.304 miles)Full throttle 65 per cent, with the longest period of full throttle being 16sDRS zones One, on the approach to Turn One
Key corner Turn Nine, a third-gear right-hander that passes underneath 130R at the exit to create the unique figure-of-eight shape of Suzuka. Also known as ‘Degner Two’, this corner is relatively slow, but a bump on entry makes it difficult to get the car into the apex. There’s very little run-off due to the bridge, so the smallest of mistakes can prove very costly
Fastest corner 300km/h (186mph), Turn 15
Slowest corner 72km/h (45mph), Turn 11
Major changes for 2016 None, except for maintenance work on kerbs and Astroturf
Fuel consumption 1.89kg per lap, which is average
ERS demands Medium. An interesting mix of slow, medium and fast corners tests every aspect of car performance, including the ERS
Brake wear Low. Only 10 per cent of the lap is spent braking, with only one significant braking event, into the Chicane
Gear changes 42 per lap/2,226 per raceThe drivers on: the circuit
Fernando Alonso #14
“Like me, many drivers love going back to Suzuka every year and it’s easy to see why. It’s a classic ‘drivers’ circuit’ and its configuration is unusual, demanding and very unforgiving, so putting together a good lap is really satisfying, and all these characteristics make it really popular with both drivers and fans. It’s a difficult circuit to set up the car perfectly for because the track temperatures change so much with the unpredictable weather, but we know this circuit well and will use the Friday sessions to dial the car in to the conditions and get the most out of it.”Jenson Button
“The Suzuka circuit is incredible – almost in a class of its own on the calendar. It’s as close to a ‘perfect’ track as you can get in terms of having all of the different elements you would want as a driver. It’s fast, technical, difficult, rewarding, and really fun to drive, so it’s up there among the best. My win there in 2011 is definitely one of my favourites because to do well there you have to put so much into it, and when you get a good result it’s the best feeling.”
Event statsStart time 14:00hrs local/06:00hrs BSTRace distance 53 laps (full world championship points will be awarded after 75 per cent distance/40 laps)Safety Car likelihood High. There’s a 60 per cent chance of a Safety Car because accidents are usually high-speed and result in a lot of debris
When to press record Qualifying. It’s always exciting to watch the cars on-track at Suzuka, but never more than in qualifying. With light fuel, new tyres and maximum revs, the cars look spectacular – particularly through the Esses, Degner and Spoon corners – and average 226km/h (140mph)
Don’t put the kettle on…All of the front-running cars completed last year’s race with two pitstops. Race winner Lewis Hamilton pitted on laps 16 and 31, but the appearance of the Soft tyre this year could force three pitstops
Weather conditions NOW 27 degrees RACE FORECAST 29 degreesTyre choices Soft/Medium/Hard, the same combination that was used in Malaysia last weekend
The drivers on: the event
Fernando Alonso“Japan is an incredible place and a country I always love visiting. The support we receive is phenomenal and makes the whole experience even more special. I love the people, the food and the culture, and our few days there for the Japanese Grand Prix are something I look forward to each year. I hope we can start the weekend on a positive note and keep pushing forward – we’ve maximised our package well over the past few races and it would be fantastic to finish in the points again at the team’s second home race.”
Jenson Button“The Japanese Grand Prix is always one of my highlights of the year. I love going back to Japan and the fans there make it incredibly special. They give us 110% support throughout the whole week, right from the minute we arrive in Tokyo, and as drivers we really feed off that enthusiasm. As it’s another home race for us, we’ll be very busy in the lead up to the weekend itself, and it’s an important grand prix for the whole team, so I hope we can fight hard and get the best result we can to give something back to the enthusiastic fans.”
Eric Boullier,McLaren-Honda Racing Director
“I know I can speak for the whole team when I talk about the Japanese Grand Prix being one of the most important milestones in the Formula 1 calendar for everyone at McLaren-Honda. It marks the end of the sequence of races in east Asia and, with Silverstone, a venue that very much feels like a second home.
“Suzuka circuit is steeped in a huge amount of racing history, and one that McLaren-Honda has played a significant part in, both as one team and as individual entities. Its fast, flowing corners and technical demands mean it fully deserves its legendary status and, combined with the unrivalled support we receive from the ever-enthusiastic Japanese fans, the warm hospitality and fascinating culture, it’s easy to see why we look forward to returning to Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix each year.
“Our double points finish in Sepang was great encouragement and reward for the relentless hard work happening behind the scenes in Woking and Sakura, and we’ll take this motivation to Suzuka, where we hope to achieve similar results. The race itself is sure to be dramatic – it often is at this prestigious circuit – so we hope to maximise the potential our package has shown recently and put on a good show for the incredible fans.”
Yusuke Hasegawa, Honda R&D Co Ltd Head of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer
“Suzuka is a very special place and an important race weekend, of course for Honda but also for me personally – I have great memories of racing there with Formula 1 in years gone by. I am thankful for all the very knowledgeable and enthusiastic F1 fans, who expect a lot from us, but are very understanding at the same time. I hope that our team's progress encourages more spectators to join us at Suzuka and help increase McLaren-Honda's fan base.
“Suzuka is a track highly rated by the drivers for its technical and complex nature. In order to succeed there, there must be a good balance between the power unit and chassis. We will do our utmost to set up the car to hopefully score more points and be within reach of the top three teams. I hope that we can have a race that we can be proud of, and that our fans can be proud of, too.”
