Atlas F1 Magazine: The 2004 Japanese GP Preview

The unique figure of eight circuit at Suzuka hosts the Japanese Grand Prix. The circuit is popular with teams, drivers and spectators, rewarding excellent set-up, efficient aerodynamics and powerful engines in the car and technical acumen from the drivers as it contains almost every conceivable type of corner in a flowing layout. High wear rates will highlight shortcomings from tyres, potentially making a mockery of qualifying pace come race day. There is a chance of thunderstorms over the weekend, though more likely to impact Saturday's sessions than the race.

The Suzuka circuit is very technical, allowing the drivers to find time through the fast sweeping corners as they try to find the best way the flow through them: it is one of the few that can still separate the car from the driver. It is little surprise that the teams and drivers enjoy racing there.

Strategy is going to play an important part in this race. The fuel consumption is very high, so fewer stop means a fairly serious fuel penalty; furthermore, the higher fuel loads and longer stints place more wear on the tyres, which is unfortunate as this is one of the hardest wearing circuits on the calendar.

Tyre wear is controlled by working on balance, which is also vital here for changing direction between the corners, and raising downforce levels to keep the car glued to the ground; however, this also has a negative impact on speed down the straights, making the car vulnerable to being overtaken, so the teams keep an eye on each other's top speeds, reducing downforce levels to ensure they retain sufficient speed.

Last year saw a mix of two and three stop approaches; two stops is probably still going to be theoretically the fastest, but the penalty of the extra fuel in qualifying makes it likely that traffic will be a problem. Four stops is also an option, but most teams are expected to run three with a short first stint.

"Suzuka is a great combination of high speed and technical corners. We start the lap on the main straight doing about 320kmh, which is very fast, and go downhill into Turn 1 - it is very exciting.

"Basically you almost go flat until the apex and you have to start braking as the car is still cornering very fast and it is very difficult to find the right balance before Turn 2. This turn is also very important - it is all about cornering and braking and the lowest speed is about 150kmh through it. You have to get it right on this corner otherwise your lap is completely ruined! The exit of Turn 2 decides the total time for sector one and so it is important for the whole lap.

"We accelerate up to about 250kmh for the following Turns 3, 4, 5 and 6 which are the "Esses" and take them in 4th gear. Basically the speed dips up and down around 220kmh as we balance with the steering wheel and throttle through the corners and try to be as smooth as possible. You have to be really quick out of Turn 2 and find a good rhythm through the "Esses". When you get that series of corners right, it feels so good! But if you get it wrong, there is nowhere to recover the lap so it's a very important part of the track.

"After the "Esses" we go into the Dunlop curve, an uphill left-hander. This is a totally blind corner where you can still go flat but you have to be accurate on the line otherwise it is very easy to lose speed.

"Just before the Degner curve the car reaches 290kmh in 6th gear. Degner is two right-hand corners. The first one is blind again and you shift down a gear, then it's a fast turn in and in the second part you drop down 120kmh and into 2nd gear. After Degner there is the bridge where the circuit crosses over itself. This makes Suzuka a unique circuit in F1 because there is almost an equal number of left and right-handers, making it a very equal track which is very nice to drive.

"Then we get to the hairpin curve which is taken at only 60kmh - the slowest corner on the circuit in 1st gear. This is not a really tricky corner but is frustrating because it's so slow! At least after the hairpin you have massive acceleration towards the Spoon Curve. This is a slight right-hand curve but basically straight in an F1 car. It goes down and uphill but the driver can actually relax a little bit because there is not really much to do here.

"We get up to 300kmh here in 6th gear before the Spoon Curve. This is very tricky and designed as two corners. The first part we take in 4th gear at about 200kmh and again you have to balance the car very carefully because it's easy to get over- or understeer if you get it slightly wrong on the difficult road camber. The second part is naturally an understeer corner, taken at about 150kmh in 3rd gear. This is important again because it leads to the very long straight into 130R. Now that 130R has been modified, it is flat from the exit of Spoon Curve all the way to the Chicane. 130R used to be a corner where you needed to be very brave to go flat but now everyone should be flat with the changes. It is much safer now and although we have lost a bit of a challenge through 130R, you can now follow another car closely and it makes for a better overtaking opportunity into the Chicane.

"Suzuka was always well known for being a circuit where it was difficult to overtake, but now at least there is one good chance for overtaking. It is definitely much better for the spectators, but personally I was a bit disappointed because I used to like going flat through 130R! Cars are probably scrubbing off 15kmh through the corner and then over 300kmh again before the Chicane.

"It is very difficult to find the correct braking point for the Chicane, the final corner, because at the braking point you cannot actually see it! There is a slight incline and at the braking point the car is turning slightly to the right, so it's easy to get it wrong and lock up a wheel. At the Chicane it's possible to overtake but also easy to defend. It is also then possible to have a good battle down the main straight. This means that the Chicane is a trigger point for overtaking, either it happens in the corner, or you can go for it on the main straight down to Turn one. From the driver's point of view again, it is frustrating because it is so slow and the car comes down to 1st gear and 70kmh with not much traction, but it is still an important part of the track.

"There is a big following for F1 in Japan and for me the feeling is unbelievable. For every driver their home Grand Prix is always special and the fans at Suzuka always support me very well, they are so enthusiastic. When I am driving there I can see the fans around the whole circuit waving and cheering me on, it is an incredible feeling."

Despite Michael Schumacher's off form weekend, Ruben Barrichello gave Ferrari a comfortable win in China, emphasising that Ferrari are still the team to beat. Not only that, but Japan is the scene of Barrichello's win last season, whilst Schumacher has an excellent record at the circuit, so both drivers can be expected to run well.

Although the team struggled to get the car dialled in to China, the F2004 continues to be a proven leader of the field. The high speed corners might allow McLaren to close the performance gap, whilst BAR's 'Honda Special' engine should make for an interesting race, but when the Ferrari is dialled in, the overall package remains favourite.

It would come as no surprise to see another Ferrari one-two, but in the event they drop the ball at all, both BAR and McLaren should be ready and waiting to run with it.

Williams have really not got their act together this season: when the car has been fast, it has been retired; when it has been reliable, it has been too slow to challenge at the front. It doesn't help that Ralf Schumacher spent so long out of the cockpit, but his return in China looked good in qualifying, outpacing Juan Pablo Montoya by about half a second.

Whilst perhaps the motivation of their drivers has been questioned, the bottom line remains that the BMW engine, whilst powerful, is not the most drivable. The aerodynamics are efficient, but not the class of the field. However, this circuit is one where the technical nature means that drivers can make up for some of the shortcomings of the car; both are experienced here and normally go well, so Williams are looking for an upturn in performance.

That said, Ferrari are clearly still the class of the field, even with BAR and McLaren close on their heels. Scoring a podium finish would be a big task: just getting both cars well into the points is a bit of a result at this stage.

Kimi Raikkonen's pace in China was a boost to McLaren: whilst their gamble on a short middle stint cost them a place rather than getting him past Barrichello, it was clear that they were running at the pace of the Ferrari. Clearly, this was a promising result, and they are looking for more of the same in Japan.

Although David Coulthard has not been on the pace of his teammate for most of the season, the Scot normally goes very well in Japan, so he can be expected to run closer to Raikkonen this weekend - provided he makes a good fist of qualifying, anyway.

McLaren's turn around in form is left them competing with BAR for 'best of the rest' status in the closing races; they are consistently putting together solid races, particularly at the faster circuits which emphasise the excellent aerodynamic characteristics and relatively neutral handling of the car. A podium must be their target for the weekend: there is even the possibility of a race win if the Spa performance can be repeated.

After losing their second place in the Championship to BAR, Renault's objective for the remaining races is clearly to snatch the position back. However, doing so is not going to be easy: apart from their advantage off the starting line, BAR appear to have an edge on Renault in every department; unless the outfit have some reliability problems, out-scoring them by nine points in two races is going to prove very difficult.

Renault have been very good at getting their car set-up at most of the circuits they travelled to this year, so they can be expected to do the same in Japan; however, their engine is not the most powerful on the grid, so they will probably have to decrease downforce in order to improve straight line speed - whilst their torque is excellent, boosting acceleration out of low speed corners, it offers less advantage on a predominantly the high speed track. They might hope is for rain, which would suit the drivability of the engine.

Although Jacques Villeneuve's return to Formula One was subdued in China, there is little doubt that he benefited from a full weekend of running, and by the end of the race was starting to get to grips with the car. Japan should offer a better insight into what he is capable of delivering: if the Canadian is back in form, then he will be able to make a difference at the technical Suzuka circuit. Fernando Alonso has been showing useful form in the second half of the season and he can be expected to lead the charge again this weekend.

With some incremental improvements to aerodynamics and the engine, performance should be closer to BAR at this circuit, however, a podium finish seems unlikely.

China showed that whilst BAR are still not on a par with Ferrari, they are a solid candidate for best of the rest � McLaren's performance notwithstanding. Heading to Japan, they must be looking for a podium finish; and with this race being Honda's home event, expectations from their 'Honda Special' engine for the event are high.

Whilst unlikely to close the gap to Ferrari, where Barrichello is on a high, and Schumacher cannot be expected to have another off weekend, the team are hoping to run them close: they will be ready to pick up the pieces if the prancing horse has a bad weekend. However, they are also keeping a weather eye on McLaren, in particular Kimi Raikkonen: with the order of the day being to stay ahead of Renault at all costs, unless a race win is in the offing, they will not be taking too many risks to finish ahead of them.

Takuma Sato, at his home Grand Prix, can be expected to benefit from the support of the crowd: he had a solid race there last year, stepping in for Jacques Villeneuve, and he will only go faster this time around. Jenson Button should be no slouch either; both have the speed and ability here to go well.

Making the most of their Bridgestone's characteristics, Sauber put together a solid weekend in China to finish with both cars in the points, on merit. In Japan, they are hoping that Bridgestone will have an even better tyre for their home race: if they do, then more points are on the card. This privateer outfit have been pushing the manufacturer-backed teams, and are showing that it is possible to score against them.

The latter part of the season has seen Sauber looking fairly competitive. They have a current Ferrari engine, good improvements to the aerodynamics coming through their new wind tunnel, and they have really got to grips with their Bridgestones. In its current incarnation, the Japanese rubber is particularly good for a hot lap before dropping off, them maintaining a steady performance for the race. Whilst prone to graining, leading to a drop off at the end of stints, when the car is properly dialled in, it is fast.

Giancarlo Fisichella's experience should stand him in good stead at this circuit, though Felipe Massa has been there before, so he is expected to know his way around too. Provided Bridgestone's tyres maintain their characteristics, a solid qualifying is in the offing, followed by a defensive race to try and maintain those positions.

Jaguar is going to supply both drivers with their revised, lighter weight chassis in Japan. After Christian Klien debuted it in China, the benefits have been considered sufficient to outweigh reliability concerns. It is supposed to improve turn in and balance, but as always when lightning a chassis, it introduces questions concerning the torsional rigidity. Quicker turn in is a good bonus in Suzuka, but it is vital to set the car up well: any problems dialling it in will be expensive on race day.

Mark Webber has been to Japan before, so his experience will be important in getting Klien and third driver Bjorn Wirdheim up to speed. This could impact the team's progress through Friday's testing, so any rain in the sessions could prove expensive.

Prospects for the race are not exceptional: the team are hoping their progress will let them push Sauber and perhaps score points, but in all likelihood, whilst they may qualify in the midfield race pace will probably be lacking, so points are unlikely.

After another lackluster performance in China, Toyota have opted for another line-up change and will bring Jarno Trulli on board for the Japanese race. Whilst they are hoping for a boost to their performance, the bottom line is that the more running they can have with next year's driver, the more input they'll have for the car. Olivier Panis will be making his final appearance: Ricardo Zonta will be taking the seat for the final race of the season, which will be his home country, Brazil.

In Japan, the powerful Toyota engine should allow the team to run high downforce levels � which will be important for attaining the best possible balance. For the team's official home race, they are expected to run an upgraded engine (though how much of an upgrade remains to be seen) but there is little evidence that they will challenge for points on merit; rather, they must be hoping that rain can shake up the grid on Saturday, or enough of the leading drivers drop the ball on Sunday, to let them pick up scraps.

Timo Glock put in a perfectly respectable performance in China, justifying his replacement of Giorgio Pantano for the remainder of the season. However, whilst everyone was working on a level playing field from encountering that circuit for the first time, Suzuka is another story, so the novice will have to work hard getting to grips with the very technical Japanese circuit. Having the experienced Nick Heidfeld as a teammate is going to be important.

The car is not going to help much, though. Even when it is fully dialled in, the Jordan has worse balance than any car on the grid barring Minardi. Increasing the aerodynamics to counter the sensitivity is not an easy option either, as the Cosworth engine is insufficiently driveable or powerful to maintain straight line speed, making them vulnerable for being overtaken in the race.

With the underpowered Cosworth engine and almost no developments to the car through the year, Minardi's prospects continue to be dim this weekend. They will again look to get both cars to the finish, potentially capitalising in the event of rain confusing proceedings: prospects of scoring points remain negligible.

The drivers' limited experience will bring little benefit to the team: the technical nature of the circuit will mean that they will have trouble deciding whether improved laptimes come from better lines, or a better set-up, without spending a significant amount of time just working on learning the circuit properly.

Heading to the final race of the year, the Championship was looking set to go to Michael Schumacher unless Kimi Raikkonen could win without the reigning Champion scoring points. Juan Montoya's challenge had faltered in the States after a disastrous weekend. However, Williams were close to Ferrari and looking to steal the Constructors' Championship, whilst Sauber, BAR and Jaguar were scrapping for fifth place.

When rain hit the later part of the qualifying session, it ensured there were some changes to the usual lineup at the front. Barrichello made the most of it, having only posting seventh fastest time on Friday, to set pole with seven tenths advantage over Montoya who had run the lap before.

The biggest winners, though, were Toyota who saw da Matta and Panis land third and fourth: their lackluster Friday performance was much improved upon during the Saturday practices, so the end of session rain offered a huge boost.

Fernando Alonso's fifth place was solid, though impacted by the first of the falling rain; Mark Webber had a trouble free lap for sixth, with David Coulthard outqualified Kimi Raikkonen despite the Scot handing over his race-car to Raikkonen after the Finn wrecked his in Friday's practice. Jenson Button put in a solid lap for ninth place.

Other notables include Takuma Sato in thirteenth, standing in for Jacques Villeneuve who did not appear that weekend, Michael Schumacher in fourteenth due to rain impacting his lap, whilst Jarno Trulli and Ralf Schumacher filled the back row after the circuit was fully soaked by the time they ran: neither driver completed their flying laps.

Despite heavy rain overnight, a dry line had developed on the track by the start of the race, so all the drivers started on dry tyres. The start itself saw Barrichello and Montoya maintain their positions, with Alonso threatening to move ahead of the Columbian before slotting in to third after his normal lightening start. Da Matta had a respectable start whilst Panis got away slowly, letting Coulthard through to fifth. Raikkonen and Schumacher started cleanly, with the latter moving to twelfth at the outset.

An early Michelin advantage saw Montoya start the race clearly faster than Barrichello, who he passed at Spoon before pulling out an easy lead; Alonso also threatened the Ferrari, but Barrichello defended well to keep him behind. By the end of the lap, Raikkonen had passed Panis, who was off the pace and losing places. Michael Schumacher was fighting Wilson for eleventh, whilst Trulli had moved through the field to run right behind the Champion: Ralf Schumacher had spun at the final chicane to drop from fourteenth to nineteenth.

Michael Schumacher's progress through the field was hampered by an ill-judged overtaking manoeuvre on Sato for ninth at the final chicane: the BAR driver closed the door, taking off the Ferrari's front wing. Fortunately, the pit entry was right there, so Schumacher stopped immediately but still returned dead last. At the front, meanwhile, Williams chances of taking the constructor's title vanished as Montoya's car lost speed and retired with a hydraulic problem.

The Toyota's pitted first, with da Matta stopping on the tenth lap, promoting Coulthard to third. The Scott pitted on lap 12 along with Barrichello and Alonso, briefly promoting Raikkonen to the lead before the Finn stopped, returning behind Coulthard but ahead of da Matta. Button stopped from the lead on lap 16.

Alonso's strong second place was lost when his engine gave out on lap 18; meanwhile, Barrichello started to ease out a lead over the McLarens, securing Schumacher's hold on the title. Both Schumachers stopped on lap 24, returning in eleventh and twelfth places with Ralf still leading his brother. Barrichello and Coulthard stopped for the second time on lap 16, with the Brazilian keeping his lead by returning in front of Raikkonen; the Finn stayed out a further seven laps.

Michael Schumacher stopped again on lap 37, dropping to tenth; da Matta and Ralf Schumacher stopped on the following lap, with Ralf dropping behind his brother, whilst Barrichello stopped on lap 40. Coulthard stopped a lap later, returning behind Raikkonen.

A lap later, as Schumacher battled da Matta and his brother for eighth place, the reigning Champion attempted to pass da Matta at the last chicane, only to see the Toyota driver firmly close the door; Schumacher locked his tyres to avoid the obstacle, catching out his brother, who spun out and caught a rear wheel of the Ferrari with his wing. Ralf stopped for repairs, but his race was over. Schumacher, meanwhile, stopped pressuring da Matta, settled for eighth � and guaranteed his Championship.

It was a solid win from Barrichello, with McLaren again picking up the pieces their opponents dropped to fill the remaining podium places. Srong runs by Button, Trulli and Sato demonstrated the benefits of their two stop strategies, whilst da Matta's points gave Toyota hope for the future.

Points paying positions - pitstops & total stoppage

1. Barrichello Ferrari 3 - 85.567
2. Raikkonen McLaren-Mercedes 2 - 60.646
3. Coulthard McLaren-Mercedes 3 - 83.798
4. Button    BAR Honda 2 - 61.998
5. Trulli    Renault 2 - 59.700
6. Sato BAR Honda 2 - 61.760
7. da Matta Toyota 3 - 84.159
8. M.Schumacher    Ferrari 3 - 98.472

Classified: 16 from 20 starters

Fastest lap: R.Schumacher, 1:33.408

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