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Xevi Pujolar, Chief Race
Engineer: Suzuka is a unique old-style circuit featuring a trademark
figure-of-eight layout, with the back straight passing over the front
section via an overpass. It’s a challenging circuit for the cars and
drivers with an above average level of overtaking, predominantly due to
drivers making mistakes. Sector 1 is dominated by the level of downforce
and fuel loads, whilst Sector 3 is dominated by drag. The layout leads
to high average corner speeds, second only to Silverstone, as well as
high average overall speed and power sensitivity. This also leads to
high energy input into the tyres, which along with the circuit roughness
can lead to tyre wear problems. Last year new storm water drainage
systems were installed around the newly surfaced part of the track, and this may
come in handy this year as, although the chance of rain is low, Tropical
Storm DANAS is currently heading towards Japan and is expected to skirt
the coastline over the next few days. It should pass through the area
prior to qualifying and the race, but there is a chance that its
direction and speed may not be as forecast.
Pastor Maldonado: Japan is one of my favourite races of the
season, not only because of the track layout but because of the huge
community of fans that are incredibly passionate about the sport and
create one of the best atmospheres of the season. The Suzuka Circuit is
a proper Formula One track, especially the first part which is uphill
and has lots of changes of direction and high speed corners. This is a
very challenging track layout for car setup and you need to find a good
overall car balance; the tyres need to be operating within the right
temperatures and pressures; aero efficiency must be good; and
mechanically you need to have the right set up. Without these elements
coming together you feel a noticeable drop in performance and you can
pay a high penalty in terms of lap time.
Valtteri Bottas: I drove in FP1 last year and Suzuka immediately
became my favourite track because of the high speed and the special
corner combinations. Sector one is especially fun to drive because it is
a bit like a rollercoaster with its quick changes in elevation. The fans
also make this a special race; they are very supportive and there are a
lot of fans who support Finnish drivers. It can be difficult to overtake
on this track so doing well in qualifying will be important, but the
weather can be quite variable so that can open up opportunities to play
with the strategy. Car setup is difficult because of the mix of corners
where you have long high speed corners combined with slower technical
sections where you need good mechanical grip, so you have to compromise
somewhat with car setup.
Rémi Taffin, Renault Sport F1 Head of Track Operations: Suzuka is
one of the favourite tracks for drivers, and it’s easy to see why. We
see every type of corner there: high speed sections and radial turns,
esses, hairpins and gradient changes. Engines therefore need to deliver
across the entire power spectrum without sacrificing driveability and
responsiveness. The high speed corners such as the Esses also subject
the internals of the engine and lubricant systems to high lateral
G-forces – it’s a very thorough workout for the RS27 so we will use
fresh engines here.
Paul Hembery, Pirelli Motorsport Director: We’ll be taking the P
Zero Orange hard and P Zero White medium tyres to Japan, which are well
suited to the unique track layout: it contains a wide variety of
corners, most of which are fast, but there are also some heavy braking
areas and tighter corners. So it’s a high-demand circuit when it comes
to lateral energy but relatively low-demand in terms of traction,
because the track is very flowing with one corner sequencing into another. Strategy is set
to play an important role – this was a three-stop race last year, when
we nominated the hard and soft compounds – and Suzuka is a circuit that
all the drivers enjoy because of the high speeds. Like Korea, Japan is
often prone to bad weather at this time of year, so this is another
factor that the teams will have to consider when planning their tyre
strategy.
Race Data
Friday:
Practice 1: 10:00 - 11:30
Practice 2: 14:00 - 13:30
Saturday:
Practice 3: 11:00 - 12:00
Qualifying: 14:00 – 15:00
Sunday: Race: 15:00
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