Located between Osaka and Nagoya, South West of Tokyo, the Suzuka circuit was built by Honda as a test track. A novelty on the F1 calendar, it is the only figure of eight on the calendar. The key to a fast lap is the sequence of corners between the start line and crossover point but this also requires a reasonable amount of downforce, leading to high tyre degradation. The race has seen some drama over the years, including 1989 when Ayerton Senna lost out to Alain Prost when they had a coming together at the chicane, and in 1990 when Senna took Prost out at the start by driving into the back of him, thereby winning the 1990 championship. In recent years Suzuka has occupied the final slot in the season, previously occupied by the Australian Grand Prix prior to its move to Melbourne in 1997. Teams and drivers take the opportunity to celebrate or commiserate as appropriate and the atmosphere is usually relaxed on a Sunday evening given that all the important things, titles and such, have been wrapped up. Alexander Wurz describes a lap of Suzuka: The lap starts as you accelerate downhill along the pit straight towards First Curve. Reaching 195mph in seventh gear, you dab the brakes to negotiate the fast, first section of the right-hander, which is taken in fifth gear at 160mph. As the corner tightens, and swings you round 180-degrees, your speed drops to 90mph in third gear. A short burst on the throttle sees you reach 150mph in fourth gear, before entering the uphill 'S-Curves'. As the track flows left-right-left-right through the fourth gear complex, your speed drops from 130mph to 86mph for the final right-hander. This is immediately followed by the tricky long left-handed Dunlop Curve, which can be affected by understeer. Taken at 135mph in third gear, you push hard on the throttle as you exit the curve, reaching 180mph in sixth gear as you approach the double right-hander of Degner. The first section is negotiated at 120mph in fourth gear, followed by a short burst of acceleration before braking for the tighter, second right-hand curve, which is taken at 80mph in second gear. Jumping the kerbs as you exit the Degner Curve, you accelerate along the straight under the crossover, reaching 160mph in fifth gear, through a slight right flick, which leads to the first gear hairpin, braking hard for the left-hander, which is taken at 40mph. Exiting the hairpin, a short burst on the throttle, and the track begins to sweep to the right. You reach 175mph in sixth gear as you flow round the long right-hander. You continue to accelerate as you approach the long two-sectioned Spoon curve, which is entered at 110mph in fourth gear. As you continue round the corner, your speed increases slightly, before dabbing the brakes to negotiate the tighter, final section, at 85mph in third gear. On the exit of the Spoon Curve, you power up through the gears along the straight that takes you over the crossover and lead to 130R, reaching 195mph in seventh gear. The left-hander of 130R, which is taken flat-out during qualifying is among the most challenging corners of the season and sees your speed decrease only slightly to 170mph, in fifth gear. This leads to the Casino Triangle chicane; the right-left flick is taken at 40mph in first gear and is immediately followed by the long, sweeping right-hander which takes you back onto the start-finish straight. Lap information courtesy of West McLaren Mercedes.
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