Six Reasons to Watch the Japanese GP

Whether you need to wake up early or stay up late for the Japanese Grand Prix action, there are plenty of reasons to do so.

It’s wonderful to be back at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan and we’re gearing up for another exciting weekend of racing. Following on from the thrilling Singapore GP, we’re hopeful it’ll be another race that you don’t want to miss. Here’s why!

1. The Epic Fans

The fans in Japan are incredible. Respectful, passionate and they always give F1 such a warm welcome whenever we are in the country. They always showing their support in impressively creative ways. So much so that you can always feel their excitement through the TV screen.

It’s always fun keeping an eye out for the colourful, creative ways they showcase their support – whether that’s wacky hats, home-made flags or cool t-shirt designs. They are always finding new ways to showcase who they are cheering for. Who knows what elaborate inventions we will see this year!

When you’re watching the post-session coverage at the end of the day, too, you’ll notice the main grandstand on the pit straight is always full right to the very end of the day.

2. The Track

There’s a reason why back in 2018, during free practice, Lewis Hamilton said on the radio he was having “the best day”. The drivers love this circuit. If they don’t pick it as their favourite of the season, it’s usually in the top three.

The track is a unique figure-of-eight layout and most of the lap is spent cornering. There are some stunning sections, such as the sweeping ‘S Curves’ which open the lap, to the fast ‘Degner Curves’ in the middle of it.

Suzuka has its own character and charm about it. An old-school vibe that the drivers are always excited to tackle each season.

3. 130R

Yes, we’re singling out one corner. But what a corner it is. Arguably the quickest turn on the F1 calendar, cars take 130R at around 295 km/h. Seeing them change direction at such high speeds is a real treat for all of us.

The left-hander is right at the end of the lap and follows on from a long, flat-out blast where the cars build up speed. It’s tough to follow through this high-speed turn but if you can, it sets you up well for a move into the chicane.

4. Qualifying

The Japanese GP is always an impressive spectacle no matter the session you are watching, but it really does come alive in Qualifying.

This fast and flowing track is a joy to watch on Saturday when the drivers are pushing their cars to the absolute limit. It’s no surprise we often see lock-ups and mistakes during qualifying. This track is a proper test of driver and machine. We can’t wait to see what Lewis, George Russell and the W14 can do this year.

5. A Close Fight?

Singapore treated us to an incredible weekend. In both qualifying and the race, the margins were small, and we had a fantastic battle for both pole position and the race win between multiple cars and teams.

It’s almost impossible to predict just how each team will perform before a race weekend begins. We’re optimistic that we’ll see some more close battles this weekend though. Hopefully we’ll be right in the mix for a good result once again.

6. Constructors’ Battle

Inevitably, Red Bull Racing will win the Constructors’ title at some point this year. They did have a chance to do so in Singapore. Our strong showing there though pushed the next opportunity for them to wrap it up to Japan.

Can we prolong it to a third weekend? We’d need to outscore our competitors from Milton Keynes by one point to do so. It will be a tough order but will be pushing hard to do so.

Of course, our real fight is with Ferrari for second place. It’s a battle we are relishing. Racing those scarlet red cars hard in Singapore brought back plenty of memories.

We have seven Grands Prix to go and a 34-point advantage. As Toto said in his Japanese GP preview though, “we’re looking forward, not back.” Let’s see how things stand at the end of the weekend.

2023 Japanese GP Schedule