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2016 FORMULA 1 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX - SUZUKA
After the eventful Malaysian Grand Prix, the F1 circus arrive once again, at one of the most amazing venues of the season, the magnificent Suzuka Circuit, in Japan! The battle for the title is boiling hot, with Rosberg oppening a 23 pts gap, after a very unluck moment for Hamilton in Sepang, where the british driver saw his hopes to take back the lead flying away, with a blew engine! Counting with Japan, there are only five races to the end of the season and Hamilton will need an almost perfect performance, to take his 3rd title in a row. Rosberg dream for his first title seems closer than ever! The Japanese Grand Prix will hold another head to head battle from the Mercedes drivers, who are completelly dominating, once again the season, but curiously, just like in 2015, the race at Suzuka, comes a week after a very bad race for the german team. In 2015, neither of the Mercedes drivers made it to the podim. This season, after a dramatic crash in the first corner, Rosberg could save an important 3rd place, just behind the RedBull duo, who scored an amazing 1-2! Who will win at Suzuka, how hot the battles are going to be, how the weather is going to affect that? All that questions will start to be answered next friday, when the cars heads to the track for the first practice!
Circuit Map
Track Information
Race Date: October 9th First GP: 1987 Laps: 53 Circuit Lenght: 5.807 Km Race Distance: 307.471 Km Pole Lap Record: 1:29.599 - Felipe Massa - Ferrari - 2006 Race Lap Record: 1:31.540 - Kimi Raikkonen - McLaren Mercedes - 2005
Race Schedule
Friday, October 7th, 2016
10:00 - 11:30 - Free Practice 1 14:00 - 15:30 - Free Practice 2
Saturday, October 8th, 2016
12:00 - 13:00 - Free Practice 3 15:00 - Qualifying
First held in 1976, the Japanese GP came to put in the F1 calendar, one of the most passionate countries, when it comes to motorsports. A country where racing is in the air, with several manufacturers and a culture of motorsports that grow on people since their very first years.
The first circuit to receive this GP was Fuji Speedway, a fantastic place, near the Mt. Fuji. Right in it's first year in the series, the Japanese GP was the stage for a exciting championship finale. Lauda and Hunt were fighting point by point, Lauda survived a terrible accident earlier that year and a title would mean a lot to him. Hunt had the chance of his life in that year. However, the heavy rain that fell down in the race day, spoiled a bit of the competition, as Lauda refused to race in such conditions and the race became a desperate chase from Hunt to get enough points to get the title. The british driver ended up winning the title in a fantastic first time race in Japan. One year later, the tragedy involving the crash of Gilles Villeneuve took the series away from Japan and it took 10 long years until F1 was back to the Land of the Rising Sun!
When F1 went back to Japan in 1987, the series were in a completelly different moment from the 70's, with much faster cars, much more safety and a brand new circuit to discover, Suzuka Circuit. That would be the place where the title would be decided in five seasons in a row.
In 1987, after a big crash at the "Snake" sector, Nigel Mansell was unable to race and Nelson Piquet won his 3rd title and his first and only for Williams. In the following years, McLaren would dominate F1, with three titles for Ayrton Senna and one for Alain Prost, everytime, with a dramatic end.
In the 1988 race, Ayrton Senna had a problem right in the start as his car stalled, Senna lost several positions and had to push really hard to recover during the race. It seemed impossible to reach Prost after such a huge trouble in the start, however, a light rain started to fall, not enough to use wet tyres, but enough for Ayrton Senna to reach Alain Prost, a driver that never had a very good relation with the wet track. After an awesome recovering, Ayrton Senna received the checkered flag in the first place and got his first title, a great and special moment for the brazilian driver.
One year later, the situation was the opposite, Senna was the one who had to win the last two races of the season in order to grab the title. Once again, Prost took the lead and Ayrton had to chase him. This time, the season wouldn't end in a good way, Senna tried an optimistic move in the chicane to overtake Prost, the frenchman blocked the way and they both crashed. While Prost just left his car, Senna desperatelly asked for help to the local stewards, who could place him back into the track. However, as Senna "cut" the chicane in his way back to the track, all his work was in vain. After a very dubious decision by Jean Marrie Balestre, Ayrton Senna was disqualified and Alessandro Nannini got the victory, that meant Alain Prost was winning his 3rd World Championship.
In 1990, Senna was again the one with the advantage in the championship and Prost needed to win at Suzuka, but this time, the rivals were in different teams, Senna still in McLaren and Prost taking a Ferrari to a title fight after a long, long time. Prost had a better start, but Senna, with the 1989 decision still in his mind, found in the first corner, the chance to put an end to the fight. The brazilian crashed into the back of Prost's Ferrari and both ended up in the gravel trap, out of the race and Senna got his 2nd title. Two years in a row where the championship was decided in a very sad way.
In 1991, with Ferrari decreasing and Williams improving, the fight for the championship was between Ayrton Senna and Nigel Mansell, two spetacular drivers, with a very agressive approach in their driving style. This time, the fight would take more than a lap, but yet it wouldn't end the way the fans wanted to, Mansell and Senna hadn't the chance to fight wheel by wheel for the victory. As Gerhard Berger took the lead, Ayrton Senna tried to hold Mansell back, the british driver couldn't have much patience and trying to get closer to Ayrton Senna, Nigel lost the apex in turn one, spun off and got stucked in the gravel trap. That was the end of the line for "The Lion", meaning he was vice champion for the 3rd time in his career and Ayrton Senna was champion for the 3rd time.
It would take a long time for the championship to be decided at Japan again. Only in 1996, the japanese track was the stage for the title decider, with Damon Hill's first and only triumph. Suzuka was also the place for Mika Hakkinen's first title in 1998 and the first title for McLaren since the Senna era. Mika won it in Japan in 1999 either, but lost the chance to win a 3rd consecutive title in 2000 when Michael Schumacher won his 3rd championship and the first one for Ferrari, since the 1979 title with Jody Scheckter.
In the following years, the Japanese GP wouldn't see too much championship deciders, that would only happen again in 2003, with Michael Schumacher winning his 6th title and beating the old 5 title mark of Juan Manuel Fangio and in 2011, where Sebastian Vettel won his 2nd World Championship for Red Bull.
In this meanwhile, the Japanese GP returned to Fuji in two times, 2007 and 2008. Just like the first run in 1976 and 1977, a wet and a dry race, however, the F1 circus returned quickly to Suzuka, a much better track than Fuji and a place where almost every single driver likes to be.
In 2014, the Japanese GP was marked by the terrible accident, that took away the life of Jules Bianchi, a young and talented driver, who had a great future ahead. The situation was one of the most strange ever seen in Formula 1, after Sutil's crash, the SC wasn't deployed, a rescue tractor was being used to remove his Sauber, and Bianchi lost it at the exact same place, hitting the tractor head on. After nine months of long fight in the hospital, unfortunatelly, Bianchi lost the battle for his life and became the first driver to lost his life in F1, since the death of Ayrton Senna in the 1994 San Marino GP. The terrible accident, has set up a red light into the F1 direction, that now takes much more safety concerns when a car is being rescued, unfortunatelly, such improvement, was done in the cost of a great driver's life.
By Lucas Jeha
SUZUKA CIRCUIT HISTORY
Spoiler:
Designed by John Hugenholtz, the same man who designed Zandvoort, Suzuka born to become the most spetacular circuit in Japan and one of the best in the world. At first, thought to be a Honda test track, Suzuka become popular for several series including NASCAR, who organized two races there, back in 1996 and 1997.
Suzuka is a track that unites the most different kinds of turns and styles in the calendar. Long straights, fast turns, an amazing "S" sector, a hairpin, an spoon shaped corner and the controversial chicane, where the 1989 championship was decided. The track is one of the old school tracks that remains in F1 calendar, with only a few changes happening there during the history of the circuit. Even almost 30 years after it's first appearance in F1, back in 1987, Suzuka is still the only circuit where the track crosses itself, in an "8" format. A challenging place that demands a lot from drivers and cars.
Located near Nagoya, Suzuka is also a place where the weather can play an important role, during all those years, the rain came to mix things up many times, although, only a few proper wet races happened there, where drivers actually had two put on wet tyres, 1993, 1994, 1995 and 2014. However, many qualifying sessions and practice sessions happened under wet conditions.
The rain wasn't the only nature phenomenom to hit Suzuka. In 2004 a typhoon cancelled a whole day of action and in 2000 an earthquake scared everyone at the circuit. Thankfully none of these caused any further damage neither any victims.
The only damage Suzuka usually causes is for the cars, a very challenging track, with an incredible mix of different turns makes this circuit very accident prone and during those almost three decades, the most different and incredible crashes happened at Suzuka, including some controversial ones, like the crashes between Senna and Prost, sad ones like the serious accident for Mansell in 1987 and Aguri Suzuki's career ending crash in 1995 and even incredible accidents, like McNish's scary crash at 130R in 2002. Nowadays, the most challenging turn, where drivers have the biggest problems is Degner, a place that year by year see cars crashing and getting stucked into the gravel trap.
By Lucas Jeha
JAPANESE GP WINNERS
Spoiler:
1976 - Mario Andretti - Lotus Ford 1977 - James Hunt - McLaren Ford 1987 - Gerhard Berger - Ferrari 1988 - Ayrton Senna - McLaren Honda 1989 - Alessandro Nannini - Benetton Ford 1990 - Nelson Piquet - Benetton Ford 1991 - Gerhard Berger - McLaren Honda 1992 - Riccardo Patrese - Williams Renault 1993 - Ayrton Senna - McLaren Ford 1994 - Damon Hill - Williams Renault 1995 - Michael Schumacher - Benetton Renault 1996 - Damon Hill - Williams Renault 1997 - Michael Schumacher - Ferrari 1998 - Mika Hakkinen - McLaren Mercedes 1999 - Mika Hakkinen - McLaren Mercedes 2000 - Michael Schumacher - Ferrari 2001 - Michael Schumacher - Ferrari 2002 - Michael Schumacher - Ferrari 2003 - Rubens Barrichello - Ferrari 2004 - Michael Schumacher - Ferrari 2005 - Kimi Raikkonen - McLaren Mercedes 2006 - Fernando Alonso - Renault 2007 - Lewis Hamilton - McLaren Mercedes 2008 - Fernando Alonso - Renault 2009 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull Renault 2010 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull Renault 2011 - Jenson Button - McLaren Mercedes 2012 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull Renault 2013 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull Renault 2014 - Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes 2015 - Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes
JAPANESE GP POLE SITTERS
Spoiler:
1976 - Mario Andretti - Lotus Ford 1977 - Mario Andretti - Lotus Ford 1987 - Gerhard Berger - Ferrari 1988 - Ayrton Senna - McLaren Honda 1989 - Ayrton Senna - McLaren Honda 1990 - Ayrton Senna - McLaren Honda 1991 - Gerhard Berger - McLaren Honda 1992 - Nigel Mansell - Williams Renault 1993 - Alain Prost - Williams Renault 1994 - Michael Schumacher - Benetton Ford 1995 - Michael Schumacher - Benetton Renault 1996 - Jacques Villeneuve - Williams Renault 1997 - Jacques Villeneuve - Williams Renault 1998 - Michael Schumacher - Ferrari 1999 - Michael Schumacher - Ferrari 2000 - Michael Schumacher - Ferrari 2001 - Michael Schumacher - Ferrari 2002 - Michael Schumacher - Ferrari 2003 - Rubens Barrichello - Ferrari 2004 - Michael Schumacher - Ferrari 2005 - Ralf Schumacher - Toyota 2006 - Felipe Massa - Ferrari 2007 - Lewis Hamilton - McLaren Mercedes 2008 - Lewis Hamilton - McLaren Mercedes 2009 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull Renault 2010 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull Renault 2011 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull Renault 2012 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull Renault 2013 - Mark Webber - Red Bull Renault 2014 - Nico Rosberg - Mercedes 2015 - Nico Rosberg - Mercedes
JAPANESE GP FASTEST LAPS
Spoiler:
1976 - Masahiro Hasemi - Kojima Ford 1977 - Jody Scheckter - Wolf Ford 1987 - Alain Prost - McLaren TAG Porsche 1988 - Ayrton Senna - McLaren Honda 1989 - Alain Prost - McLaren Honda 1990 - Riccardo Patrese - Williams Renault 1991 - Ayrton Senna - McLaren Honda 1992 - Nigel Mansell - Williams Renault 1993 - Alain Prost - Williams Renault 1994 - Damon Hill - Williams Renault 1995 - Michael Schumacher - Benetton Renault 1996 - Jacques Villeneuve - Williams Renault 1997 - Heinz-Harald Frentzen - Williams Renault 1998 - Michael Schumacher - Ferrari 1999 - Michael Schumacher - Ferrari 2000 - Mika Hakkinen - McLaren Mercedes 2001 - Ralf Schumacher - Williams BMW 2002 - Michael Schumacher - Ferrari 2003 - Ralf Schumacher - Williams BMW 2004 - Rubens Barrichello - Ferrari 2005 - Kimi Raikkonen - McLaren Mercedes 2006 - Fernando Alonso - Renault 2007 - Lewis Hamilton - McLaren Mercedes 2008 - Felipe Massa - Ferrari 2009 - Mark Webber - Red Bull Renault 2010 - Mark Webber - Red Bull Renault 2011 - Jenson Button - McLaren Mercedes 2012 - Sebastian Vettel - Red Bull Renault 2013 - Mark Webber - Red Bull Renault 2014 - Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes 2015 - Lewis Hamilton - Mercedes
JAPANESE GP HISTORY IN PHOTOS
Spoiler:
James Hunt, who won the championship at Fuji in 1976
An epic rain has fallen in the 1976 race
Satoru Nakajima in his home race in 1987, first race held at Suzuka
Mansell's car, after the shunt that took away his chance to win the 1987 title
The podium of the first ever F1 race held at Suzuka
Ayrton Senna, winning his first ever F1 World Championship at Suzuka
De Cesaris Rial after a crash at 130R
Ayrton Senna driving his McLaren Honda, in one of his best ever performances, at the epic 1988 edition of the Japanese GP
Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna collide at the chicane, in one of the most controversial moments of F1 history
Alessandro Nannini in his first and only F1 win
Alain Prost wins his 3rd F1 World Championship in 1989
The controversial and dangerous start, where Senna crashed into Alain Prost back in the first corner
With both out of the race, Senna secured his 2nd F1 World Championship in 1990
The 1990 Japanese Grand Prix, was Aguri Suzuki's most impressive F1 performance ever
The 1990 podium, the first and only podium finish for both Roberto Moreno and Aguri Suzuki
Nigel Mansell, spinning out of the 1991 race, in the 3rd time he was the F1 Vice Champion
Ayrton Senna, winning his 3rd F1 World Championship at Suzuka
1992 Japanese GP, the last Japanese GP of the McLaren Honda partnership so far
Jan Lammers, in his return to F1, after several years out, for the last two races of the 1992 season with March, in Japan and Australia, also the last races of March in F1
The brazilian Christian Fittipaldi scored his very first point in F1, in the 1992 Japanese GP at Suzuka
Ayrton Senna wins his 40th F1 race in the 1993 Japanese GP at Suzuka
The famous Gitanes special livery for Ligier in 1993 Japanese GP
The 1993 Japanese GP, was marked by the debut of a young and talented driver, who scored right in his very first race, Eddie Irvine!
The start of the chaotic 1994 Japanese GP at Suzuka, under torrential rain
The exciting 1994 Japanese GP, one of the most amazing performances of Damon Hill's F1 career
The start of the 1995 Japanese GP, the last proper wet race at Suzuka, before the 2014 edition
Hakkinen chasing Alesi, at the difficult Dunlop corner, very hard to handle in wet conditions
Damon Hill wins his first and only F1 World Championship at Suzuka in 1996
The 1996 Japanese GP was also the last one for Damon Hill with Williams
Michael Schumacher wins the 1997 Japanese GP to keep alive his chances in that season
Michael Schumacher retires from the 1998 Japanese GP, losing the title to Mika Hakkinen
Mika Hakkinen wins the 1998 Japanese GP and the first World Championship for McLaren since the Ayrton Senna's era
Eddie Irvine crashes his car at the Qualifying Session of the 1999 season decider, where he lost the title to Mika Hakkinen
The 1999 Japanese GP podium
Mika Hakkinen wins his 2nd F1 World Championship
Michael Schumacher wins the 2000 Japanese GP, his 3rd F1 World Championship and the first one for Ferrari since 1979
Michael Schumacher celebrating his first title for Ferrari
The 2001 edition of the Japanese GP, was the last race of Prost Grand Prix, former Ligier, here with Heinz-Harald Frentzen at the wheel
Allan McNish after his scary Qualifying shunt at 130R, this crash caused the corner to be changed for the next season
The famous 2004 edition of the Japanese GP, where a typhoon hit the circuit in the Saturday, cancelling all track action
Jacques Villeneuve driving for Renault, in a very wet practice for the 2004 Japanese GP
Jacques Villeneuve, Kimi Raikkonen, Juan Pablo Montoya and Rubens Barrichello, battles at the 2004 Japanese GP
Jarno Trulli's special helmet design, for the 2005 Japanese GP
Lewis Hamilton wins at Fuji, under torrential rain, the 2007 edition of the Japanese GP
Robert Kubica in a very wet Suzuka practice in 2010
Bruno Senna, in a very wet practice session, in the 2010 Japanese GP weekend
The 2010 Saturday Qualifying Session was cancelled due to the heavy rain, but the teams found a way to race anyway
The start crash of the 2010 edition of the Japanese GP
Jenson Button's special helmet design for the 2011 Japanese GP
Sebastian Vettel, the last man to win a championship at the Japanese GP
The start of the 2013 Japanese GP at Suzuka
Max Verstappen in his F1 debut, at the FP1 of the 2014 edition of the Japanese GP at Suzuka
Lewis Hamilton, in the sad podium of the 2014 Japanese GP
Bonus: Dale Earnhardt driving at a very wet Suzuka, in one of the NASCAR visits to Japan
Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2008 6:38 pm Posts: 13750
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My absolute favorite track (or layout), despite how boring the racing itself is. Even Spa is a parking lot compared to ever-challenging Suzuka, which has avoided the sanitization fad of FIA. How? I have no answer.
Anyway, the early forecast shows above 50% chance of rain for the weekend. Maybe it won't be a dull race after all?
Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:08 pm Posts: 16091
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this is the one that must stay forever in the championship, more for world championship battles than races itself
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Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2008 7:14 pm Posts: 1477
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coldtyre wrote:
Amazing post, some of the crashes I didn't know about (or thought were not on film) :-)
One thing though, some pictures of the history do not seem to display
I just checked here, it's working well for me, try reloading the page, maybe the ammount of pictures to display has caused some to not appear for you! Anyway, if the problem keeps happening, please, send me a PM, with your email adress and I'll send you the pictures that are not working for you!
_________________ "The best decision is my decision!" - Balestre "Halo is for little babies, not for men" - Jeha
Joined: Thu Aug 28, 2008 7:00 am Posts: 8766
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I miss the 2012 season, heads and shoulders above anything that has happened in F1 this century (yes, better than 2008, suck it you young winglet lovers ).
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The likes of 2012 we will rarely see more than once in a lifetime, if at all. 4 years on and I still find it hard to comprehend that Pastor Maldonado is a Grand Prix winner.
Joined: Wed Aug 27, 2008 9:08 pm Posts: 16091
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and Kobayashi bringing a Sauber to the podium at his home race
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