The Suzuka track is one of the classics of the Formula One Championship and exactly 30 years ago, it hosted its first Japanese Grand Prix. On that occasion, the race was won by Gerhard Berger in a Ferrari F1/87, the Austrian having started from pole position. From then on, apart from a couple of years when the race returned to Fuji, Formula One has always raced at this track in the Mie prefecture.
The track is pretty much universally liked by the drivers, even if no one can forget the 2014 tragedy that befell Jules Bianchi, a rising star for motor racing and for the Prancing Horse. Technically, it’s an “old style” circuit, narrow, with minimal run-off areas, corners with only one clear line and an interesting range of turns. The best known of these is undoubtedly the double uphill “esses” after the first corner, a place where Michael Schumacher was particularly adept at making a difference and there was almost a sense of destiny in the fact that, twice, he clinched the Drivers’ title here with Ferrari, in 2000 and 2003.
2017 Japanese Grand Prix weather forecast:
Torrential rain greeted the Scuderia Ferrari team members as they landed in Japan. However, the current forecast is for better weather over the weekend, with the possible exception of Friday, when heavy rain is expected in Ino (Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture), where the Suzuka International Racing Course is located, the track which has hosted the Japanese Grand Prix every year since 2009.
The qualifying session on Saturday and the main event on Sunday should take place in dry conditions, giving Ferrari a good chance to fight back and keep the hopes of a world title alive ahead of the last four races.
2017 Japanese Grand Prix Timetable (Japan are eight hours ahead of the UK so when the race gets underway on Sunday October 8, it will do so at 2pm in Suzuka – or 6am Uk time)
Friday
Formula 1 – Practice 1 – 10:00 – 11:30
Porsche Carrera Cup Japan – Practice Session – 12:00 – 12:45
Promoter Activity – 1 Parade Lap – 13:00 – 13:15
Formula 1 – Practice 2 – 14:00 – 15:30
Promoter Activity – F1 Historic Dem. Lap FW04, FW08 – 15:40 – 15:50
Super FJ – Practice Session – 16:00 – 16:30
Porsche Carrera Cup Japan – Qualifying Session – 16:50 – 17:20
Promoter Activity – Practice / FW11-D.Hill – 17:40 – 18:00
Saturday
Super FJ – Qualifying Session – 10:30 – 11:00
Formula 1 – Practice 3 12:00 – 13:00
Formula 1 – Qualifying – 15:00 – 16:00
Porsche Carrera Cup Japan – First Race (10 Laps or 30 Mins) – 16:30 – 17:05
Sunday
Promoter Activity – 1 Parade Lap – 08:45 – 08:55
Super FJ – Race (8 Laps or 25 Mins) – 10:00 – 10:30
Porsche Carrera Cup Japan Second Race (10 Laps or 30 Mins) – 11:15 – 11:50
Promoter Activity – F1 Historic Dem.n Lap Honda RA300 – 12:00 – 12:10
Formula 1 – Drivers’ Track Parade – 12:30
Formula 1 – Starting Grid & Opening Ceremony – 12:45 – 13:15
Promoter Activity – F1 Historic Cars Parade (2 Laps) – 12:50 – 13:00
Promoter Activity – Main Grandstand Interviews T. Sato, D. Hill, K.Kobayashi TBC – 13:00 – 13:10
Promoter Activity – Exhibition Flight (F-15J) TBC – 13:20 – 13:30
Formula 1 – National Anthem – 13:46
Promoter Activity – Fly Past (F-15J) TBC – 13:47
Formula 1 – Grand Prix (53 Laps or 120 Mins) – 14:00 – 16:00
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