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Jum'at -
12/10
Latihan Bebas 1
Latihan Bebas 2 |
Sabtu - 13/10
Latihan Bebas 1
Latihan Bebas 2
Kualifikasi |
Minggu -
14/10
Pemanasan
Balapan |
Circuit information:
| Round Number: |
17 |
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| Race Date: |
14-10-2001 |
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| Country: |
Japan |
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| City: |
Suzuka
(click for location
map) |
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| Circuit Name: |
Suzuka |
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| Circuit Length: |
5864 m. |
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| Number of Laps: |
53 |
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| Race Length: |
310.596 m |
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| 2000 Pole Position: |
Michael Schumacher |
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| 2000 Winner: |
Michael Schumacher |
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| 2000 Fastest Lap: |
Mika Häkkinen |
|
 Circuit
Description, History, Facts and Figures |
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There have only been fifteen Japanese F1
Grands Prix, but right from the first edition,
the Land of the Rising Sun has often been the
Land of the Racing Sensation.
In 1976, the grand prix circus arrived at Mount
Fuji circuit for the final round of the
championship, with James Hunt in the McLaren
needing to finish four points ahead of Niki
Lauda in the Ferrari, to take his first title.
The race was held in appalling conditions which
saw the course car aquaplaning off the track
even before the start! As for Mount Fuji itself,
it was hidden in the clouds.
Lauda was almost literally back from the dead,
having survived terrible injuries in a fire at
the German GP. After one lap he retired, judging
the conditions too dangerous. Hunt led at first,
but eventually finished third, unaware he had
done enough to take the title. He won the race
the following year and that was the last anyone
saw of Japan until 1987, when the race came to
its present home.
Suzuka is probably the Japanese word for
"controversy" as rage and
recrimination are often on the menu. In 1989,
Ayrton Senna had to beat McLaren team-mate Alain
Prost to have any chance of retaining his
championship crown. He tried to pass the
Frenchman at the tight chicane and the two cars
ended up locked together. While Prost retired on
the spot, Senna pitted for repairs and was first
past the flag. However, he was disqualified and
vowed never to talk to Prost again.
The following year, it was Prost in a Ferrari
who needed to win to keep his title hopes alive.
Senna, on pole, was angry at not being allowed
to start from the "clean" side of the
track and to make sure of the title simply drove
Prost off the road at the very first corner; a
potentially lethal move, given the high speeds
involved. The Brazilian, also out of the race,
later admitted he did it deliberately. In the
post race conference, he launched a scathing
attack on the sport's governing body, liberally
peppered with swear words, much to the
bemusement of the crowd, who heard it all over
the Public Address system!
The 1990 race also marked the one and only F1
podium appearance of a Japanese driver, as Aguri
Suzuki finished third. In 1993, Senna was at it
again; punching F1 debutant Eddie Irvine for not
showing enough respect when being lapped!
Suzuka is the only track on the F1 calendar that
uses a figure-of-eight course. Will that be an
advantage for Ferrari? Their own private test
track at Fiorano shares that unusual
configuration.
Three Japanese drivers share the honour of being
the first to represent their country in a grand
prix. Masahiro Hasemi, Kazuyoshi Hoshino and
Noritake Takahara all took part in the 1976
edition of their home race. Takahara was ninth
in a Surtees, Hasemi was eleventh and last in a
Kojima and Hoshino retired in a Tyrrell.
On nine occasions the Japanese GP, traditionally
held towards the end of the season, has decided
the outcome of the Drivers' World Championship:
once at Mount Fuji and eight times at Suzuka.
Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher are the only
two drivers to have won the Japanese Grand Prix
by starting from pole position, leading from
start to finish and setting the fastest race
lap: the Brazilian in 1988 for McLaren and the
German in 1995 for Benetton.
There has been an all-McLaren front row at this
race on three occasions, in 1988, 1989 and 1991.
The 1988 and 1991 races also gave them a one-two
finish. Benetton finished first and second in
1990.
The 1994 Japanese GP was stopped and re-started
after 13 laps because of heavy rain. It was one
of only eleven grands prix to have been run in
two parts.
Located between Osaka and Nagoya, south-west of
Tokyo, Suzuka has been a regular date on the
Grand Prix calendar since 1987. Suzuka is now
firmly established as the scene of F1's grand
finale with championship battles providing
unusual incidents.
The track is fast and requires enormous powers
of concentration around corners such as the
Spoon and 130R. Local knowledge helps so watch
out for any driver who has raced for a season in
Japan - they often know the shortcuts.
The circuit is unique to the Championship in
that it follows a figure of eight pattern with
numerous turns and straights, thus providing
both clockwise and anticlockwise movement for
the cars. Cars normally opt for medium to soft
settings with stiff suspension to take in the
various bumps in what is otherwise a smooth
surface. |
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Sirkuit - 2001 |
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