Technical challenges of Fuji
Car set-up at Fuji Speedway is a compromise between straightline speed and slow-corner grip. The need for a high top speed along the circuit’s 1.5km (0.9 mile) pit straight forces the engineers to be mindful of drag level at a track that is otherwise tight and twisty, with an abundance of first and second gear corners.
As a consequence, the cars slide around more at Fuji Speedway than at the higher downforce tracks on the Formula One calendar and the drivers rely on achieving a good car balance to improve performance. A car that behaves predictably through the numerous direction and camber changes around the lap is the fastest.
From a driver’s perspective, many of the corners are interlinked, so a mistake in one will often affect the next one as well. There are several key bends around the lap. Turn 5, a double-apex right-hander, is immediately followed by a hairpin and the drivers need to be wary of their track positioning at the exit or risk losing time, and it is similar at the end of the lap. The drivers need to find a good rhythm through the final two corners to ensure that they make clean exits onto the pit straight.
Full throttle: 57%
Brake wear: Low
Downforce level: Medium/High - 7/10
Tyre compounds: Soft / Medium
Tyre usage: Medium
Average speed: 202kph
