The Suzuka circuit in detail

Situated on Honshu, the largest of the Japanese islands, the Honda-owned Suzuka circuit was designed by John Hugenholtz, a Dutchman who also produced Zandvoort and Jarama, and was completed in 1962. Originally used as a test circuit by Honda, the track is now just one component of a giant amusement park and other facilities.

The Suzuka track has an 18-turn figure-of-eight layout that is unique in F1. It begins with a fast fifth gear First Curve that tightens to lead into a series of fast S-bends. Spoon Curve and the legendary 130R are the other great challenges on this popular driver’s circuit. Overtaking is normally done into the slowest corner on the track, the 40mph Casio Triangle chicane at the end of the lap, into the First Curve and very occasionally at the Turn 11 Hairpin.

“Suzuka is one of the classic racing circuits in the world and a great driver’s track,” states Sporting Director Gil de Ferran. “The layout has a little bit of everything and some relatively short straights, which makes overtaking a challenge and places a premium on car handling. Fortunately, this is one of our fortes, particularly during the latter part of this season.”

Suzuka has recently been sympathetically modernised: in 2002, the circuit was reduced in length by realigning several key corners to provide greater run-off areas. Retaining walls were also moved back and the track slightly altered at the S-Curves and Dunlop Curves. For 2003, the 130R was tweaked to provide a faster and more fluent corner with an earlier turn-in. Further changes were made at the revised Casio Triangle chicane which is now more open than before, but the circuit remains a huge test for race drivers.

“It's a very tough circuit and a real challenge for the drivers mentally and physically,” confirms Jenson Button. “You have to be precise, very consistent and it is really important to get the set-up of the car right. Suzuka is definitely one of my favourite circuits and I hope that we can put in a strong performance there for all our Honda fans.”

Driving for Honda at Suzuka for the first time is team-mate Rubens Barrichello, a previous winner at the circuit: “Suzuka holds some special memories for me as I won there from pole position in 2003. The circuit itself is challenging because of the corners and combinations of the track layout and you need a good balance, especially for turns one and two. Our performance has been improving consistently over the last few races, and we had a good final test in Jerez, so I am expecting us to be competitive at Suzuka."