2013 Formula One Grand Prix preview: Japan beckons

The famed Suzuka circuit plays host for 15th leg of the 2103 Formula 1 Grand Prix. Much loved by the teams and drivers, Suzuka is located in the Mie prefecture, around 84 kilometers from Nagoya. It was built as a test track for Honda back in 1962, and has remained basically unchanged since then.

Suzuka is a narrow and undulating figure-8 track with a series of fast flowing corners. The tires will subjected to huge amounts of lateral forces, thus necessitating Pirelli to bring in their medium and hard tires. These compounds made their last appearance in Silverstone and at Spa. Silverstone by the way, still holds the record for the most numbers of tire blowouts for this season (six in total: five blowouts during the race and one in qualifying.).

The 5.807-km circuit has recently been re-surfaced and is classified as a smooth track, thus enabling the engineers to specify a low ride height for the front of the car. All teams have to find the perfect balance between cornering grip and outright straight-line speed, especially on sectors 1 and 2, the high-speed section of the track. Also, riding the kerbs is not paramount in Suzuka. Brake wear is not a top priority in this race, as first gear is rarely used by the drivers once the race is underway.

Since hosting its inaugural GP back in 1987, Suzuka has crowned the World Drivers Champion 11 times, including all of Ayrton Senna’s titles for McLaren.

With Sebastian Vettel winning in Japan two of the last three races, can we see the 12th champion crowned in Japan? Or will Fernando Alonso have something left and give him a fight for his title? The race weekend starts on October 11.