Things can often get a little too tense and serious in Formula 1, but at Suzuka, the sport collectively grins from ear to ear.
The iconic host of the Japanese Grand Prix is back in an earlier slot this year as race three on the calendar, but in the drivers’ hearts, it’s race one.
Sure Monaco has the glamour and prestige, Monza has the Italian heritage and Silverstone is seen by many as the home of motorsport, but Suzuka just hits different.
It ticks every box when it comes to the circuit, atmosphere and history, so much so that four-time champion Sebsatian Vettel said he’d happily come out of retirement for one more race in southern Japan.
“It must have been designed by god, by the gods,” Vettel said before his final laps around the figure of eight.
Sergio Perez was in agreement saying: “It’s the best track in the world, definitely,” while Lewis Hamilton couldn’t not join in on the praise.
“You come up to the last chicane thinking about Ayrton [Senna] and [Alain] Prost crashing, and Turn 1, and that you are driving through a space – a point on the circuit – which has so much history.
“In that moment, you think how privileged you are to be in that position.”
This year the compliments are being paid back to the area and its locals, with their home hero, Yuki Tsunoda, promoted to Red Bull ahead of the Grand Prix in a driver swap with Liam Lawson.
It will be the first time a Japanese driver is in a potential race-winning car at their home circuit, and the reasons why it’s so deserved are plentiful…
Old school antidote to the modern F1 track
With Formula 1 hosting three races in the US, there’s understandably sighs all around from purists when the Miami Grand Prix offers little more than a tarmacked car park with walls around it.
That’s sadly been the trend with the majority of F1’s newest circuits, but Suzuka couldn’t be any more different, winding up and down hills with elevation changes, off-camber surfaces and even a fly-over.
“It’s an amazing circuit, all the drivers love this circuit, because it’s one of the most old-school designs,” Lewis Hamilton said.
“Since I’ve known the track and seen it on TV, it’s one that hasn’t changed,” Vettel added. “It’s a very fast track, a lot of fast corners. I think sector one is just the best part of track that I can imagine.”
Incredible support
Japan is a motoring giant worldwide, but their impact in F1 more recently has really been limited to Honda, whose sponsorship still remains on Red Bull’s chassis.
Red Bull have taken their powertrain design internal, but Honda will be back in 2026 with Aston Martin.
That doesn’t bother the locals at all, though, who still show their extraordinary support for the sport with or without Honda.
Attendees arrive with an array of different hats featuring car parts and even the circuit itself, and drivers often spend extra time signing autographs and taking pictures with such an incredible group of fans.
Steeped in title-deciding history
Having been on the calendar almost constantly since the ’80s, Suzuka understandably has a lot of history, but much of that is due to how good the circuit is.
The likes of Kimi Raikkonen in 2005 and Fernando Alonso in 2006 have staged some of the most jaw-dropping comeback drives the sport has ever seen, with their talent and bravery on full display at such a challenging track.
One of the sport’s greatest rivalries – if not the greatest – Ayrton Senna vs Alain Prost – peaked in 1989 when the two McLaren drivers collided while fighting for the lead and championship.
Prost was out but Senna managed to keep going and win the race, before being disqualified for a dangerous re-entry, handing the title to his French rival.
The following year the situation was reversed, with Senna taking Prost out at the first possible opportunity heading into turn one, claiming the title for himself.
130R
Turn 15 has been given one of the most iconic names in F1 simply due to its 103 degrees radius, but it’s not just the angle that makes it so brilliant.
Coming off of the Spoon Curve, drivers head up a slight hill before going flat out into the ferocious left hander, where they then slam on the brakes for the final chicane.
Modern cars are able to stomach the tricky turn far easier than their predecessors, but it’s still a huge challenge of a driver’s mettle, especially going two wide for one of the most spectacular overtakes of the season.
Legendary Japanese drivers
The 2025 Japanese Grand Prix will be one of the most anticipated ever, with home hero Tsuonda stepping up to Red Bull in a driver swap with Lawson.
It’s the first time a Japanese driver has been in a potentially race-winning car, a new high for a country that’s fielded 20 different racers in F1 before their newest hope.
Takuma Sato and Kamui Kobayashi were both well-respected drivers during solid careers in F1 where they both took a podium each, the latter doing so at Suzuka.
However, the most memorable driver of all was the frankly terrible Taki Inoue, whose two year run from 1994 to 1995 painted him into F1 folklore when he first crashed into a safety can in Monaco, and later was run into a medical car while attempting to help marshals in Hungary.
