Suzuka Circuit facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Suzuka International Racing Course

Grand Prix Circuit (2003–present)
Location	Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, Japan
Time zone	UTC+09:00
Coordinates	Lua error in Module:Coordinates at line 614: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
Capacity	155,000
FIA Grade	1
Owner	Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (1962–present)
Operator	Honda Mobilityland (2006–present)
Broke ground	June 1961; 64 years ago (1961-06)
Opened	September 1962; 63 years ago (1962-09)
Architect	John Hugenholtz
Major events	Current: Formula One Japanese Grand Prix (1987–2006, 2009–2019, 2022–present) FIM EWC Suzuka 8 Hours (1978–2019, 2022–present) Intercontinental GT Challenge Suzuka 1000 km (1966–1973, 1980–2019, 2025) Super GT Suzuka GT 300 km Race (1993, 1995–present) Super Formula (1973–present) Former: Grand Prix motorcycle racing Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix (1987–1998, 2000–2003) WTCR Race of Japan (2011–2014, 2018–2019) GT World Challenge Asia (2017–2019, 2022–2024) FIA GT (1997–1998) NASCAR Thunder Special Suzuka (1996–1997) World Sportscar Championship (1989–1992)
Grand Prix Circuit (2003–present)
Length	5.807 km (3.608 mi)
Turns	18
Race lap record	1:30.965 ( Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes AMG W16, 2025, F1)
Motorcycle Grand Prix Circuit (2004–present)
Length	5.821 km (3.618 mi)
Turns	17
Race lap record	2:04.387 ( Takumi Takahashi, Honda CBR1000RR, 2019, SBK)
East Circuit (1987–present)
Length	2.243 km (1.394 mi)
Turns	7
Race lap record	0:48.245 ( Toshihiro Kaneishi, Dallara F399, 1999, F3)
West Circuit (1987–present)
Length	3.466 km (2.154 mi)
Turns	9
Race lap record	0:58.396 ( Toranosuke Takagi, Reynard 2KL, 2000, Formula Nippon)
Motorcycle Grand Prix Circuit (2003)
Length	5.824 km (3.619 mi)
Turns	17
Race lap record	2:04.970 ( Valentino Rossi, Honda RC211V, 2003, MotoGP)
Grand Prix Circuit (2002)
Length	5.821 km (3.617 mi)
Turns	18
Race lap record	1:36.125 ( Michael Schumacher, Ferrari F2002, 2002, F1)
Grand Prix Circuit (1987–2001)
Length	5.860 km (3.641 mi)
Turns	18
Race lap record	1:36.944 ( Ralf Schumacher, Williams FW23, 2001, F1)
Grand Prix Circuit (1983–1986)
Length	5.945 km (3.694 mi)
Turns	17
Race lap record	1:54.400 ( Stefan Johansson, March 842, 1984, F2)
Original Circuit (1962–1982)
Length	6.004 km (3.728 mi)
Turns	17
Race lap record	1:52.990 ( Kazuyoshi Hoshino, March 802, 1980, F2)

The Suzuka International Racing Course, also known as Suzuka Circuit, is a famous motorsport race track in Suzuka City, Japan. It's about 5.8 kilometers (3.6 miles) long. This exciting track is owned by Honda Motor Co, Ltd. and can hold up to 155,000 fans! It's super well-known for hosting big races like Formula One and Japanese Super Formula championships.

Discovering Suzuka Circuit

An aerial view of the Suzuka Circuit in 2018

The idea for this amazing track came from Soichiro Honda in the late 1950s. It was designed by a Dutch engineer named John Hugenholtz in 1962. Suzuka is special because it has a unique figure-of-eight shape. This means part of the track goes over another part using a bridge! It's the only track with this design that has a top-level license for racing.

Over the years, the circuit has been updated many times to make it even better and safer for racing.

How Suzuka Circuit Changed Over Time

• 1983: A new slow corner, called a chicane, was added near the end of the lap. This helped cars slow down before reaching the pit lane.
• 1984-1985: Some corners like Spoon and the first corner were made a bit slower. This also created more space for safety areas.
• 1987: The track was upgraded for Formula One and Grand Prix motorcycle races. The Degner corner was split into two, and more safety barriers were put in place.
• 2002: The chicane was changed again, and the fast 130R corner was modified. The safety area at Dunlop Curve was also made much bigger.
• 2003: The chicane was adjusted to be a little faster and closer to the 130R.
• After 2003: Following a serious incident during a motorcycle race, the track was reconfigured for motorcycles. A new chicane was added to improve safety.

The Degner corner is named after Ernst Degner. He had an accident there during the track's first big race in 1962.

In 2014, after a serious accident involving F1 driver Jules Bianchi, the Dunlop corner was changed. Organizers also put a large crane in place of the recovery vehicle that was involved in the incident, making the area safer.

Different Ways to Race at Suzuka

The Suzuka Circuit can be used in five different ways:

• The full circuit for cars.
• The full circuit for motorcycles.
• The "Suzuka East" course.
• The "Suzuka West" course for cars.
• The "Suzuka West" course for motorcycles.

The "East" part of the track includes the starting straight and some early corners. The "West" part has the famous crossover bridge and other sections.

The Famous 130R Corner

The Suzuka Circuit as it looked in 2006

Michael Schumacher's Ferrari 248 F1 being moved after a race in 2006

The 130R corner is one of the most exciting and challenging parts of Suzuka. After some serious incidents in 2002 and 2003, track officials made important changes to this corner to make it safer. They redesigned it into a double-apex section, which means it has two parts with different curve sizes. This change also brought it closer to the Casio triangle (chicane). For motorcycles, the chicane became a "bus stop" style.

Even with these changes, there was another serious incident involving a motorcycle rider in 2003. Because of this, MotoGP races have not returned to Suzuka since then, as safety is always the top priority.

Suzuka's Track Designs Over Time

Exciting Races at Suzuka

Suzuka is loved by Formula One drivers and fans alike. It's one of the oldest tracks still used in the F1 World Championship. It has hosted the Japanese Grand Prix since 1987. Many F1 world champions have been decided at Suzuka because it's often one of the last races of the season. For example, Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost had famous championship battles here.

Suzuka took a break from the F1 calendar in 2007 and 2008. The Fuji Speedway hosted the Japanese Grand Prix instead. But Suzuka returned in 2009 and has been a regular host ever since.

The circuit closed for a year of renovations to meet F1 standards for 2009. It reopened on April 12, 2009.

Yamaha YZF-R1 of Team Etching Factory during a qualifying session in 2010

Suzuka also hosts other cool motorsport events. One is the Suzuka 1000 km endurance race. This long race is now part of the Super GT Series. Another big event is the Suzuka 8 Hours for motorcycles, which has been running since 1978. This race attracts many famous motorcycle riders.

Even NASCAR once held exhibition races at Suzuka in 1996 and 1997. They used the shorter east circuit.

Lewis Hamilton won the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, a race that led to important safety changes.

The east section of Suzuka Circuit also hosted the World Touring Car Championship from 2011 to 2014 and the World Touring Car Cup in 2018 and 2019.

Current and Past Events

Here are some of the exciting races Suzuka hosts or has hosted:

Current Events

• March: Super Formula Championship, Super Formula Lights
• April: Formula One Japanese Grand Prix, Ferrari Challenge Japan, Porsche Carrera Cup Japan, Super Taikyu
• May: Porsche Carrera Cup Asia
• July: Formula Regional Japanese Championship
• August: FIM Endurance World Championship Suzuka 8 Hours, Super GT, F4 Japanese Championship
• September: Intercontinental GT Challenge Suzuka 1000 km, Japan Cup Series
• October: MFJ Superbike MFJ Grand Prix
• November: Super Formula Championship JAF Suzuka Grand Prix, Formula Regional Japanese Championship

Former Events

• Asia Road Racing Championship (2013–2019)
• Audi R8 LMS Cup (2017, 2019)
• BPR Global GT Series (1994–1996)
• F3 Asian Championship (2019)
• Ferrari Challenge Asia-Pacific (2012–2013, 2016, 2018, 2022)
• FIA GT Championship (1997–1998)
• Grand Prix motorcycle racing Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix (1987–1998, 2000–2003)
• GT World Challenge Asia (2017–2019, 2022–2024)
• International Touring Car Championship (1996)
• Japanese Formula 3 Championship (1979–2019)
• Japanese Touring Car Championship (1985–1998)
• Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia (2016–2019)
• NASCAR Thunder Special Suzuka (1996–1997)
• Superrace Championship (2013)
• TCR Japan Touring Car Series (2019–2024)
• World Sportscar Championship (1989–1992)
• World Touring Car Championship FIA WTCC Race of Japan (2011–2014)
• World Touring Car Cup FIA WTCR Race of Japan (2018–2019)

Lap Records

The fastest official lap record for the current Suzuka circuit is 1 minute, 30.965 seconds. This was set by Andrea Kimi Antonelli in a Mercedes-AMG F1 W16 E Performance car during the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix.

Here are some of the fastest official race lap records at Suzuka Circuit:

Suzuka in Video Games

Layout of the fictional Sakitto Circuit, a track inspired by Suzuka in Project CARS

Suzuka Circuit has appeared in many video games! It was one of the first tracks in the classic game Pole Position II. In some versions of the game, it was called the "Wonder Circuit."

You can also find Suzuka in the Final Lap series of games. There's even a game called Suzuka 8 Hours based on the real motorcycle race. Other popular racing games like the Forza series and Gran Turismo series also feature this famous track.

Some games, like Project CARS, have tracks inspired by Suzuka. For example, the "Sakitto Circuit" in Project CARS looks a lot like Suzuka but has some fun differences.

See also

In Spanish: Circuito de Suzuka para niños

• Mobility Resort Motegi, another race track owned by Honda.

External Links

• Official website: https://www.suzukacircuit.jp
• Suzuka track map and circuit history at RacingCircuits.info
• Suzuka at the Formula 1 site
• Suzuka Circuit on Google Maps (Current Formula 1 Tracks)

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