Japanese GP preview
The Japanese Grand Prix is one of the oldest races in the F1 calendar – do you know when it was held for the first time?
F1 action moves to Japan this weekend after an enthralling Singapore GP. The Japanese GP was first held in 1963 and this will be the 49th edition of the Grand Prix. It has historically been the venue for many title-deciding races, with 12 World Drivers’ Champions being crowned over the 35 World Championship Japanese Grand Prix that have been hosted. This edition of the Japanese GP is scheduled to take place from 7th October to 9th October at the Suzuka Circuit.
On paper, the first ever Japanese GP took place in 1963 but it was not until 1976 that it officially became a part of the F1 calendar. The first two Formula One Japanese Grand Prix in 1976 and 1977 were held at the Fuji Speedway, before Japan was taken off the calendar. It returned in 1987 at Suzuka, which continues to be the current home of this Grand Prix.
The current home of the Japanese GP is the Suzuka Circuit, which is one of the oldest remaining tracks of the Formula One World Championship and has been a venue of the Japanese Grand Prix since 1987. It is a 5.807 km long track in Ino, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture. The circuit has hosted the Japanese Grand Prix every year since 2009, except in 2020 and 2021 when the Grand Prix were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is an FIA Grade I licensed circuit with a crowd capacity of 1,55,000.
Michael Schumacher is the most successful driver in the history of the Japanese Grand Prix with a record six wins to his name. McLaren are the most successful constructors, having registered nine wins in this GP. Lewis Hamilton’s lap timing of 1:30.983, while driving a Mercedes W-10 in the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix is the official race lap record at this GP.
When it comes to the current grid, Lewis Hamilton with five wins and Sebastian Vettel with four, are the most successful active drivers. Fernando Alonso has also won the Japanese GP twice – 2006 and 2008. The last time it was held in 2019, Valtteri Bottas stood on top of the podium followed by Vettel and Hamilton.
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