By Phil Huff
October 4 2006

Built by Honda as a test circuit in 1962, the Suzuka circuit, designed by John Hugenholtz, a Dutchman who also produced Zandvoort and Jarama, was the first full-scale race track in Japan. It is also the home of the Suzuka Circuit Racing School Formula whose graduates include a certain Takuma Sato. The circuit is just one component of a giant amusement park and other facilities, and is situated on Honshu, by far the largest of the Japanese islands, which is also home to Tokyo, Yokohama and Osaka.

Suzuka has an 18-turn, figure-of-eight course that is unique in F1. It begins with a fast 7th gear bend that tightens to lead into a series of fast S-bends. Spoon Curve and the legendary 130R are the other great challenges on this popular driver's circuit.

Overtaking is normally done in the 50mph Casio Triangle chicane at the end of the lap. More difficult passing moves can be performed into the 140mph First Corner and very occasionally at the Turn 11 Hairpin.

In 2002, the circuit was reduced in length, courtesy of the realigning of several key corners to provide greater run-off areas. Retaining walls were also moved back and the track slightly altered at the S-Curves and Dunlop Curves. For 2003, this programme of modernisation and re-profiling continued with 130R, tweaked into a two-radii sweeper to provide a faster and more fluent corner with an earlier turn-in. More changes were made at the revised Casino Triangle chicane, which is now more open than before. These alterations have added about 3 metres to the overall lap, but the lap record was still comprehensively beaten in 2003.

Honda-powered drivers have won the Japanese Grand Prix three times; Ayrton Senna in 1988 and 1989, and Gerhard Berger in 1991.

Last years race saw Jenson Button lining up on the front row of the grid, with team mate Takuma Sato qualifying in fifth. Button dropped back slightly, finishing in fifth place, while Sato had a far more eventful Grand Prix - running wide at the first turn before clattering into Jarno Trulli on lap nine, a feat that saw the driver disqualified.

This years race is the last Japanese Grand Prix that will be held at Suzuka, at least for the foreseeable future. The Honda owned track, which will have staged 20 Grands Prix by Sunday evening, holds fond memories for many drivers, being accepted as a true test of a driver skill. Rival Toyota now hold the contract for the race, which will be held at their own Fuji circuit next year.

Honda also owns the Twin Ring Motegi circuit, situated to the north of Tokyo. Twin Ring Motegi boasts international class oval and road circuits, which, among other races, host rounds of the IRL and MotoGP championships. It is also home to the Honda Collection Hall, which houses approximately 350 products and racing machines from Honda's history.