The iconic Suzuka Circuit in Japan plays host to the Japanese Grand Prix and round 15 of the Formula 1 World Championship.
Suzuka is billed as a real drivers circuit, a favorite among many of the drivers in the F1 paddock. You wont find a driver out there who has bad things to say about this circuit.
Designed as a test track for Honda back in 1962, it is one of the longest serving circuits in F1. The circuit has decided many drivers titles over the years. This year we will need to wait a bit longer. The gap between the two Mercedes drivers is now just three points with Lewis Hamilton narrowly ahead after winning the Singapore Grand Prix a fortnight ago. Mercedes will want to put their reliability issues behind them for the Japanese Grand Prix. Nico Rosberg on the other hand will look to win the race and put the pressure back on Hamilton.
After a rather anonymous race in Singapore, Williams will also be looking to bounce back to the front. Suzuka will suit the Williams much better and we should see a strong performance from them. McLaren were hoping to be closer to Red Bull at the previous race. The new parts which they brought to Singapore didn’t quite work for them and they seemed neither here nor there. Red Bull also seemed to come alive in Singapore. But with the Renault engine down on power, they might struggle to keep the pace of the Mercedes.
Ferrari on the other hand showed a turn of pace at Singapore. But their Technical Director, Pat Fry has said that Singapore is a low power rating track which is why they were quite strong. Suzuka on the other hand, is a high power rating circuit, so Ferrari will be threading water the entire weekend trying to get up there.
After the Singapore Grand Prix, Force India Team Principal, Vijay Mallya was very happy with the performance of the team. He has said that they will continue to develop their cars so they can finish ahead of McLaren in the Constructors Championship. Can Force India finish ahead of McLaren this season you ask? Of course they can. It’s all to play for.
With the race weekend happening in Japan, the times for our European and African viewers will be a touch on the early side.
Below are the broadcast times for the 2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at the legendary Suzuka. All times are GMT+2
Free Practice 1: Friday 03:00
Free Practice 2: Friday 07:00
Free Practice 3: Saturday 04:00
Qualifying: Saturday 07:00
Race: Sunday 08:00
