Welcome to Round 3: The 2025 Japanese Grand Prix
Hello everybody and welcome to another exciting week of Formula 1, two races down and the pinnacle of motorsport departs from Shanghai to the small island of Japan (日本).
Travelling to Ino, Suzuka City, the hybrid engines fire up for third time this season to race around the Suzuka International Racing Course.
So, strap yourselves in, this will be fast, furious, adrenaline pumping action. Welcome to the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Japanese Crucible of Suzuka
Starting out in 1987, the Suzuka International Racing Course breathed a new challenge for the drivers. A 5.807-kilometre circuit located in the heart of Mie Prefecture, Japan.
And for later generations who would come to know the sport, the Japanese Grand Prix was the penultimate race of the season with Ferrari's Gehard Berger reigning supreme after a fierce 1 hour and 32 minutes of racing.
Today, the Japanese crucible of Suzuka still remains a brutal challenge to the drivers, featuring a raft of technical and high-speed corners.
The Esses (Turn 3 to 6), Dunlop Curve (Turn 7), Degner 1 and 2 (Turn 8 and 9), the Hairpin (Turn 11), Spoon Curve (Turn 13 and 14) all add the rich blend Japan's fast and furious figure eight circuit.
But let's not forget the infamous '130R', Turn 15, a true test of the driver's mettle to keep your foot planted on the throttle or lift for safety. What would you choose? High risk, high reward? or lift for safety for completing your hot lap?
Track Layout
Suzuka is the embodiment of racing perfection. One mistake, you lose valuable time on your lap or you are in the gravel trap.
From 56 laps in China, Japan takes 3 away. Being a 53-lap race consisting of 18 turns, nine to the left and nine to the right of this clockwise circuit.
However, overtaking becomes its own unique battle as the drivers will only have one use of the DRS Zone.
Located on the Start/Finish straight heading down to the swooping right hander of Turn 1, it will be all or nothing a to gain a crucial position during the race.
Most Memorable Moments Around Suzuka
From highs to lows, championship glory to driver tragedy, The Suzuka International Race Course has witnessed it all.
Let us start from the beginning, 1989, a fierce war between team-mates, Aryton Senna and Alain Prost which had transcended throughout the season. But it was the Japanese Grand Prix that became the flashpoint between the two McLaren drivers.
During the closing stages Senna made a bold move, sending his McLaren up the inside of what was called "The Casio Chicane". However, Senna's move was ambitious but careless. Unable to keep control, collided into the of his Prost, forcing Alain to retire with Senna being 'controversy' disqualified for not completing the full race distance.
If that wasn't the end of a fierce rivalry between the two drivers, skip ahead by a year and the two collide again before the first lap was even completed.
Racing to the first turn, Prost had his Ferrari infront of Senna but as the as they approached the corner the McLaren managed to get his front wing alongside the Ferrari but two cars diving into the first corner spells disaster and it did... The two collided sending both drivers into the gravel trap, another controversial moment with Aryton Senna becoming the victor of the 1990 Drivers World Championship.
Ferrari's misery in 1990 became their redemption in 2000, with the efforts of Michael Schumacher, taking the chequered ahead of respected rival, Mika Hakkinen. The Ferrari driver took his first drivers' championship with the team and his third in his career, winning by over a second ahead of the McLaren drivers.
Let's turn the page and look at a home hero who scored his one and only podium. By that I mean, Kamui Kobayashi. Starting fourth, the Japanese driver faced challenges with his race strategy. Fortunately, this did not hurt Kamui's performance during the race, as he managed to cross the line to take third in front of his adoring home fans.
However, as mentioned at the start, Japan has also hosted tragedy with the late Jules Bianchi in 2014. On Lap 43, in the torrential rain, the Marussia driver lost control around Dunlop Curve veering into a stationary tractor crane. Resulting in several head injuries. The Frenchman sadly passed on the 17th of July 2015 with the drivers paying tribute to the late Marussia driver nine days later at the Hungarian Grand Prix.
While the Suzuka International Race Course has become a crucible of immeasurable challenges it has created more highlights through the hybrid era as well. So I leave you with one question, what memory stands out the most for you about the Japanese Grand Prix?
Live Timings - BST (British Summer Time)
Friday 4th April
3:00 am - Japanese Grand Prix Practice One (Session begins at 3:30 am)
6:45 am - Japanese Grand Prix Practice Two (Session begins at 7:00 am)
Saturday 5th April
3:15 am - Japanese Grand Prix Practice Three (Session begins at 3:30 am)
6:00 am - Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying (Session begins at 7:00 am)
Sunday 6th April
4:30 am - Japanese Grand Prix (Session begins at 6:00 am)