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Six races to go in this phenomenal season of Formula One, we arrive at the historic Suzuka circuit in Japan. Designed in 1962 as a test track for Honda, Suzuka is one of the very few tracks that boasts of a ‘Figure of 8′ layout that overlaps upon itself. It combines an eclectic mix of flowing, sharp corners, sweeping bends and one of the most challenging corners on the F1 calendar: 130R! The run from 130R to the Casio chicane has witnessed many an unforgettable moment, and many a championship getting decided. Let’s go for a spin around this legendary track.
Sector 1: ‘Mickey Mouse’ cornersThe first sector is the most twisty of the lot. It is a stern test of the mechanical grip & handling of the car package and demands inch-perfect precision from the drivers. The cars shoot off the starting line, building speeds up to 260 kph in sixth gear before yanking right and braking for the tightening double-apex right handed turns 1-2. The drivers’ test starts here, as they need to drop down into third gear, maintaining the racing line, turning right to hit both apexes. The trick here is to turn in as late as possible, and balancing brake, throttle and steer, as the first apex is deceptively deep, and the second deceptively tight. It becomes even more important, as the exit from turn two leads straight into the zig-zag sequence of the ‘S-Curves’ at turns 3-4-5-6-7, famously referred to as “The Mickey Mouse Corners” by the 1997 champion, Jacques Villeneuve. The cars fly into turn three in fifth gear, feathering the throttle at the apex leading into turn 4, 4th gear right hander, which opens up into the second ‘S’, climbing the hill all the time. The exit of turn four links right into turn five, a left hander taken at 185 kph in fourth gear, leading to the wider right hander at turn six, which throws the cars directly into the braking zone for the ‘Dunlop curve’ at turn seven. Carrying maximum speed through turn seven is crucial, as it’s a flat out left hander going up through the gears, subjecting the tyres to forces upto 3.5G. Floor the pedal, but keeping the car on track is vital to a good sector time.
Sector 2: Tip-Toe on the break pedalThe second sector is much faster than the first, and offers the most exciting overtaking opportunities on the track. The cars fly in form the Dunlop curve, reaching up to sixth gear, before hitting the brakes for the double 90-degree right handers at Degner-1 and Degner-2. Degner-1 is taken in fourth gear, 185 kph, use all the track, slide out on to the curb, drop down to second gear, and snap back right for Degner-2. It’s very easy to get the brake or turn-in point wrong, and can result in anything from a loss of momentum on the short sprint to the hairpin at turn 11, or in the worst case, one could end up in the wall on the exit of Degner-2. The exit of Degner-2 passes under a bridge, which is actually the circuit doubling up on itself. Exit through Degner-2, take the slight left kink through turn 10, braking hard for the right handed hairpin at turn 11. This has always been a site for some daring out-braking manoeuvres, and is sure to throw up some interesting altercations this time around as well. Rear tyre grip and low rev torque matter here, as the cars accelerate out of the hairpin, and unleash the full V8 power for the first time on the lap, going flat out in seventh gear, 240 kph around the downward sloping sweeping right handed turn 12, then climbing up to the braking zone for turns 13-14 that make up the famous ‘Spoon Curve’. Its important not to lose too much momentum through the apex of turn 13, the entry into Spoon. Aerodynamic efficiency matters here, to generate front end bite to get the line right through Spoon. It is equally important to hit the deceptively deep apex at turn 14, the exit of Spoon, getting on the power actually before hitting the apex, so that you get a good slingshot on to the back straight, going flat out over 300kph in top gear, and into sector three.
Sector 3: Fly!!!The cars come in flat out, doing well over 300 kph in top gear, approaching the daunting left hander at 130R. This, after Eau Rouge, is probably the most demanding corner in Formula One. Taken flat out in seventh gear, this corner is tough on the tyres, as they go through high loading, acceleration and cornering at the same time. As the road straightens out, going downhill, the cars brake hard, on the downhill slope towards the extremely tight right-left chicane at turn 17, the ‘Casio Triangle’. This is the slowest point on the track, where the cars drop to second gear, 90 kph to make the exit apex. This corner is often the site of a lot of trip-ups, and brake problems, making for a potential overtaking opportunity, famously used by greats like Ayrton Senna, Alain Prost, and Michael Schumacher en route to famous victories. The braking zone for Casio is also the site of the DRS detection zone. Get a good exit out of the chicane, and accelerate downhill through the right handed final corner, onto the start finish straight. The DRS zone begins as the cars cross the finish line.
Suzuka was the site of 3 major instalments in the Senna-Prost rivalry, the last one being Ayrton Senna’s McLaren colliding into Alain Prost’s Ferrari in 1990, taking both drivers out, handing Senna the drivers’ championship. Michael Schumacher’s first drivers’ title for Ferrari was sealed at Suzuka, so was Mika Hakkinen’s for McLaren.
This season, Suzuka is a stop on the way, as the championship is still wide open, with another five races to go after Japan. Can Fernando Alonso‘s consistency score him another good haul? Can his good fortune strike again to get one of the rivals down? Can Lewis Hamilton get back in the fray [this might be his last shot this year]? Can Sebastien Vettel close the gap further? Can Kimi Raikkonen finally get that first elusive win for Lotus, and in the process mount a late charge a la 2007?
We’ll know the answers to these questions after 53 laps around this legendary circuit. And speaking of legends, we will be seeing Michael Schumacher go around Suzuka in a Formula One car for the last time, as he is set to retire at the end of the season. With his 10 place penalty, a victory might be far off, but we certainly hope the old master can show some vintage class in his final Suzuka outing.
All set for another super weekend. Rev it up, petrolheads!!!
