I Love Suzuka: McLaren Driver Alonso

The Suzuka circuit first appeared on the F1 calendar in 1987, and has been quite the staple since.  11 world drivers’ titles have been decided at Suzuka, including all three of Ayrton Senna’s world titles with McLaren.

McLaren has won the Japanese Grand Prix nine times, which is more than any other F1 constructor.

McLaren drivers and team boss, Fernando Alonso, Stoffel Vandoorne and Gil de Ferran share their excitement on returning to Suzuka Circuit.

“I love Suzuka – it’s one of the best tracks of the year. I’ve had some great memories there – 2006 is a personal highlight – and I love spending time in Japan. This year I’ll finally be able to get used to the time zone, as I’ll be there for two weeks, one week in Suzuka and one in Fuji. I’m looking forward to it and also to visiting Tokyo, where I’ll try to spend as many days as possible between racing.

“The fans are the most incredible thing about Suzuka. They are amazing, even from Thursday when we have our media day and we go to the grandstands for the autograph signing, we see so many fans. They’re at the hotel, the train station – everywhere we go there are a lot of passionate Japanese fans.

“Equally, it wouldn’t be fair to say it’s only the fans that make the circuit so special. It’s great because it’s very demanding, and perfect for Formula 1 cars. You can use all the potential of these cars and their aerodynamic performance as they match perfectly with the corners at Suzuka. The first sector is quite impressive, and when everything works well and you’re confident in the car you can really push through the Esses. The g-forces and the feelings you get when you race there are quite amazing. As drivers, we love the speed – even when it’s flat-out it’s still enjoyable.”

“In terms of the pure satisfaction of driving a Formula 1 car, I think Suzuka is up there as one of the greatest circuits in the world.

“Of course, as a Belgian driver, I’d always put Spa-Francorchamps up there too, but Suzuka is just as much fun – and it’s probably a more difficult place to master than Spa.

“It’s one of those places which doesn’t just have a single, unique corner, or characteristic: the first-sector Esses are hugely challenging; the Degners are extremely fast and unforgiving; and Spoon is a real, old-school corner that constantly invites over-commitment. Every lap requires you to raise your game.

“And the whole Japanese Grand Prix experience is always surreal and fantastic. I learnt from my season in Super Formula that the Japanese fans are super-passionate about motorsport, and the Suzuka weekend just overflows with positivity and fun. I’m really looking forward to it.”

“The Japanese Grand Prix is one of Formula 1’s iconic races, and Suzuka is one of motorsport’s greatest circuits. It’s also a place where some of McLaren’s greatest moments took place.

“We head to Japan after a tricky weekend in Russia, but the work undertaken there to gain a better understanding of the car was encouraging, and will all feed back into the design and preparation of next year’s programme.

“Suzuka is extremely demanding on the whole package, stressing both mechanical and aerodynamic grip, but we’re hoping for a more productive and competitive weekend overall.”