Suzuka

Suzuka International Racing Course
8992 Ino-Cho-Suzuka City
Mie-Ken S10-02
Japan

Tel: +81 59378 1111     Fax: +81 59370 1818


Track length: 3.644 miles (GP Circuit)
              1.394 miles (East Circuit)

Designed by John Hugenholz at the request of Soichiro Honda between 1960 and 1961 (see the progress of the design to the left), the circuit was constructed in 1962 as a test-circuit in an amusement park. The design aimed to move the least amount of earth possible, but a number of rice paddies had to be bulldozered away, and the farmers who owned them were compensated and given another site elsewhere. Suzuka is located 50 miles south-west of Nagoya and 93 miles west of Osaka.

The complex also features a 2.244km circuit known as the East circuit. It is between 9 and 12 metres wide, and is shown below.

For 2001, the circuit underwent minor alterations in the name of safety, with two sets of curves being reprofiled to allow for extra run-off. The above map shows where the original track went (the purplish track), and how it compares to the newly modified track.

During the 2002 Japanese Grand Prix weekend, Renault driver Allan McNish lost his car in the 130R corner, spearing off the track and crashing through the crash barrier in qualifying. As a result, 130R was reprofiled, the turn beginning a little earlier so that the run-off area could be increased. The Casio Triangle chicane was also reprofiled, becoming less fiddly, with the track length becoming 5.821 km.