Fuji Speedway

Circuit Length: 2.835 miles/ 4.563 kilometres
Turns: 12
Laps: 60
Time Zone: +9 GMT
F1 lap record: N/A

The Fuji Speedway was first built in 1965, and was originally intended to be a super-speedway similar to the banked circuits in USA. However, due to a lack of funds, the oval circuit was only half built, meaning that it was built as a half road circuit and half oval.

Fuji hosted the first-ever Japanese GP back in 1976. It was the first ever grand prix to be held in the Far East. The race will be remembered for James Hunt taking his only world title when main title rival Nikki Lauda pulled out due to the wet conditions. Hunt took the title by a point, and the first race winner was Mario Andretti.

The following year Hunt went on to win for McLaren, but the race was marred by a massive accident when the Ferrari of Gilles Villeneuve somersaulted a barrier, killing a marshal and a spectator.

F1 didn’t return to Japan for 10 years, but this time it returned to the Suzuka circuit which was owned by Honda. It was unique in being a figure of 8 circuit, and it was to see the title settled during it’s first 5 years in F1 between 1987 and 1991.

In it’s first year in 1987, Nigel Mansell crashed heavily as the Esses keeping him from racing and giving the title to his team-mate Nelson Piquet. In 1988, having nearly stalled on the grid, Ayrton Senna drove a great race to clinch his first title in the McLaren. In 1989, Prost turned in on Senna at the chicane to take his third title, but Senna got his revenge a year later when he deliberately took Prost out at the start of the 1990 race. And in 1991, Nigel Mansell spun off pushing too hard at Turn 1 handing Senna his third and last title.

Damon Hill took what many consider his greatest ever victory at Suzuka in the wet in 1994. Despite being behind Michael Schumacher when the race was stopped early on, he won on aggregate having been able to build up enough of a gap in the second part of the race to take the victory.

Hill then took his only world championship at the circuit two years later in 1996, when his only title rival, team-mate Jacques Villeneuve, lost his right rear wheel. Villeneuve was involved in more controversy the following year when he was thrown out of the weekend for now slowing for a yellow flag – his fourth offence of the season. He was allowed to race under appeal, but eventually lost his appeal and the two points he scored for finishing in fifth.

Mika Haikkinen took both his titles at Suzuka in 1998 and 1999. In the former, he took victory after Schumacher stalled his engine at the start then had a tyre blow-out on the main straight. In 1999 he took the title after a magnificent victory over Schumacher, while his title rival Eddie Irvine could do not better than third. The following year he couldn’t make it three in a row when Schumacher took victory for Ferrari – their first title win in 21 years.

Although Schumacher took easy wins after he had clinched the title in 2001 and 2002, he struggled to eighth place after a scrappy race. However this was enough to take a record sixth title after his main rival, Kimi Raikkonen, finished second to Schumacher's team-mate Rubens Barrichello.

The 2005 race seen what is possibly one of F1's greatest ever races. After rain in qualifying mixed the grid up, the top drivers had to come through the field pulling off some sensational moves. Kimi Raikkonen emerged the winner from 17th on the grid after pulling a brave move round the outside of Giancarlo Fisichella going into Turn 1 on the final lap.

It was announced shortly before the 2006 race that the GP would switch back to Fuji from 2007 onwards. The final race at Suzuka was to prove to be a major factor in the outcome of the championship when Schumacher's engine failed halfway through. This left Fernando Alonso to race on to victory and on the verge of a second successive crown.

F1 returns to a much-changed Fuji for 2007. After being bought-over by Toyota, the track was closed down in 1999 and re-designed by F1 architech Hermann Tilke. It was re-opened in 2003

Although they announced an exclusive 5-year deal for the Japanese GP in 2006, the race will alternate between Fuji and Suzuka starting in 2009 after they agreed a deal in September this year

Previous Winners:

2006 - Fernando Alonso (ESP) Renault
2005 - Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) McLaren Mercedes
2004 - Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari
2003 - Rubens Barrichello (BRA) Ferrari
2002 - Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari
2001 - Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari
2000 - Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari
1999 - Mika Haikkinen (FIN) McLaren Mercedes
1998 - Mika Haikkinen (FIN) McLaren Mercedes
1997 - Michael Schumacher (GER) Ferrari
1996 - Damon Hill (GBR) Williams
1995 - Michael Schumacher (GER) Benetton Renault
1994 - Damon Hill (GBR) Williams Renault
1993 - Ayrton Senna (BRA) McLaren Ford
1992 - Ricardo Patrese (ITA) Williams Renault
1991 - Gerhard Berger (AUT) McLaren Honda
1990 - Nelson Piquet (BRA) Benetton Ford
1989 - Alessandro Nannini (ITA) Benetton Ford
1988 - Ayrton Senna (BRA) McLaren Honda
1987 - Gerhard Berger (AUT) Ferrari
1978 - 1986 - NOT HELD
1977 - James Hunt (GBR) McLaren Ford
1976 - Mario Andretti (USA) Lotus Ford