Japanese Grand Prix Preview

The Suzuka Circuit

Suzuka is a varied circuit with a wide range of corners making it one of the toughest tests for the tyres and quite a complex one for the drivers. The numerous high-speed turns subject the tyres to continuous wear, particularly the “S-Curves”, a flowing combination of left and right handers where a having a good entry is crucial, and the “Spoon Curve”, a double left-hander taken as one leading to the long back straight. “130R” is one of the most famous and fastest corners on the calendar. It is often compared to Spa-Francochamps’s “Blanchimont” as drivers arrive at it at 310kph and take a long flat-out left-hander putting the left front tyre under significant pressure. There are also a couple of slow corners like the Turn 11 hairpin and the Cassio triangle which means that finding a good compromise with the set-up of the car is key. The nature of the ashpalt is less abrasive than on most other tracks but amounts for lower levels of grip. The layout of the track is particularly unique as it’s the only figure-eight track on the calendar, with the 1.2 km back straight passing over the straight leading to turn 10 by means of an overpass.

 

Announcements Galore

The end of September is usually the time of the year when decisions regarding the future of the teams and the drivers are made. This weekend, potentially before or after the race, we’re set for some truly interesting announcements that could define the sport for the years to come. According to The Times, The Daily Mail and The Daily Telegraph, McLaren’s Jenson Button is set to hang up his helmet and retire from F1 at the end of the year,  citing “a lack of joy” of competing at the back of the grid as one the main reasons. Among other much-awaited announcements set to be made around the time of the Japanese Grand Prix are Romain Grosjean’s alleged move to the Haas-Ferrari team in 2016, Red Bull’s Ferrari engine deal or the possibility of their exit from the sport and Renault’s takeover of the Lotus team. The level of speculation currently going on in the media is quite high and hopefully we will read official statements rather than mere rumors as soon as this weekend.