SUZUKA, JAPAN - Fuji Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka Circuit

Official Site: Fuji Japanese Grand Prix

Introduction and History

Built as a test track for Honda in 1962, Suzuka - located 30 miles to the south-west of Japan's third largest city, Nagoya - was designed by Dutchman John Hugenholz, the man who designed Zandvoort and Jarama. The 3.64 mile track was part of a motorcycle theme park and situated close to Honda's huge Suzuka factory. As Honda diversified into cars so the park grew to include automobile exhibits as well and today it boasts swimming pools, ice skating rink, monorails, big wheels, event halls, hotels, golf courses and restaurants.

The first Japanese Grand Prix took place at Suzuka in 1963 and was a sportscar race which was won a young British driver called Peter Warr, who would go on to become the motive force in the Lotus F1 team after the death of Colin Chapman. The Japanese GP remained a sportscar race until 1969 and was then held for Formula 2 cars between 1971 and 1975. Formula 1 arrived in 1976 but it went to Mount Fuji rather than Suzuka and it was not until 1987 that Honda influence finally swayed Formula 1 to return to Japan. The track was slower than Hugenholz's original for safety reasons but it was still a great challenge for the Grand Prix drivers.

The first corner is fast and testing, sweeping right in a long arc which rises around a pond and then dives through a series of sweeps before disappearing from the main grandstand area through a fast lefthander. Suzuka is also one of the very few 'figure-of-eight' circuits, for the road cuts under itself after a pair of right-handers and bursts up to left-hand hairpin, from whence it heads to Spoon Corner, before dropping down and onto the straight -- past the secondary pits and over the track below to a fine sweeping left-hander called 130R - which slingshots the cars up to the last corner, once long and fast, but since 1983 disrupted by an extremely tight chicane.

The circuit has hosted some dramatic World Championship showdowns, notably in 1987 when Nigel Mansell crashed in qualifying, leaving the title to Nelson Piquet. In 1989, McLaren team mates; Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost collided amid much controversy (Prost got the title) and the following year they did it again although by then Prost was driving for Ferrari, and it was Senna's turn to be World Champion. Suzuka continues to host the Japanese GP every year while also playing host to many of the major Japanese national events as well.

Starting from January 7, 2003, Suzuka Circuitland Co., Ltd. (Head Office in Suzuka-shi, Mie-ken) is renovating a few sections of the international racing course, the Suzuka Circuit, in order to stage more breathtaking race scenes and to enhance safety throughout. Suzuka Circuit, which already completed the major renovation projects between December of 2000 to March of 2002 under the slogan of, "For a safe and a pleasant Circuit ...", is refining some more specific sections of the racing track as one part of the many improvement endeavors made each year, and also in an effort to stay in pace with the continuous advancement of machine performances and technology. This time, the '130R' and Casio Triangle (chicane) are the two major parts to be modified.

Suzuka Circuit is one of the few racing tracks around the world that can host top-class championship events of both 2-wheels and 4-wheels, such as the Formula One and MotoGP. Therefore, modification and adjustments of the course always comply with the highest international standards and guidance provided by both the FIA (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) and the FIM (Federation of International Motorcyclisme). Suzuka Circuit is unchangingly dedicated to keeping up good safety and excitement throughout its facilities. Renovation work executed this time is expected to complete in late February 2003.

Circuit details
Circuit: Suzuka Circuit
Venue: Suzuka, Japan
Race day: 8th - 10th October 2004
Circuit length: 5.807 km
Laps: 53
Race distance: 307.573 km
Direction: Clockwise
2003 Race Winner: Rubens Barrichello, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro
2004 Race Winner: Michael Schumacher, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro
Lap Record: 1"32.730 Rubens Barrichello, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro

7992, Ino-cho,
Suzuka-shi, Mie-ken,
510-0295

Tel: (+0593) 78-1111
Fax: (+0593) 78-9181

2004 Program