F1’s first visit to Suzuka came in 1987. It was then, and remains now, the only circuit on our sport’s rota to be run on a figure-of-eight layout.
Some of Formula One’s most recognisable corners make up the 5.8km lap, including the Degner Curves, Spoon Curve, and 130R – a high-speed left-hander towards the end of the lap.
The sweeping right-hander at Turn One will see a driver experience some of the highest G-Forces on the calendar at 4.8.
Scenes in Suzuka
Suzuka in the hybrid era was the scene of plenty of success for our team. Between 2014 and 2019, Mercedes claimed every single race victory and five out of six pole positions at the track.
Nico, Lewis, and Valtteri all reached the top step of the podium in that run, and the latter’s victory in 2019 tied Ferrari’s record for six consecutive Constructors’ Championships for the Silver Arrows.
Mercedes-Benz power has triumphed nine times at Suzuka. In 2005, Kimi Raikkonen’s McLaren-Mercedes famously surged through the field from P18 on the grid to claim victory, passing Giancarlo Fisichella’s Renault at the start of the final lap.
Kimi holds the lap record at Suzuka, set in 2025. In the same race, the Italian also became the youngest driver to lead a lap in F1 history, when he held P1 for 10 laps in his W16.