F1
Boring race, rare overtaking... what's wrong with Suzuka?
© Antonin Vincent / DPPI
Ask any pilot F1, current or former, to name their favorite circuit. The chances that Suzuka's name comes up are very high. On the 2025 grid, to name just a few, Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso or Isack Hadjar cite the Japanese track among their favorite circuits on the calendar. And we can only understand them. The Japanese track is one of the most emblematic of the championship due to its history (12 titles have been won at Suzuka), its originality (the only "figure eight" circuit on the calendar) and its challenge. A true driver's circuit, "old-school" some would say, where the best stand out. Suzuka has no shortage of legendary corners: how can we not mention the "130R", the "Spoon" curve or, of course, the Esses of the first sector.
Suzuki, "the new Monaco" ?And yet, the Suzuka circuit may be emblematic and very popular with drivers, but that doesn't stop it from offering races that we qualify for.
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Dorian Grangier
A young journalist nostalgic for the motorsport of yesteryear. Raised on the exploits of Sébastien Loeb and Fernando Alonso.
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EMMANUEL RODRIGUEZ
07/04/2025 at 10:40 a.m.
Suzuka is a difficult circuit for overtaking, that's nothing new. Just reread Prost's pre-GP comments in 1989. Afterwards, to say that the race was boring... F1 is also a question of driving, and what the first 3 offered us was really very pleasant to watch, especially when you see the speed at which the GP took place. The drivers really gave it their all (just look at the state of the rookie drivers at the finish) and almost no mistakes, great art that must be appreciated at its true value, it seems to me!
Yves-Henri RANDIER
08/04/2025 at 11:52 a.m.
Very true... but it still lacked a bit of action!
Yves-Henri RANDIER
07/04/2025 at 09:53 a.m.
The F1 cruisers that are too heavy, too long, too wide, too loaded with aerodynamics should give way to more compact single-seaters, less loaded with aerodynamics and lighter, without forgetting to remove this artifice that is the DRS to once again give way to "those who have it"!
ALBERT Claude
07/04/2025 at 05:39 a.m.
In principle, on the majority of F1 circuits, the first curve after the pit straight is mainly an overtaking zone: this is not the case at Suzuka. The list of causes of Japanese "boredom" are well described in the very comprehensive article, but the main negative factor still remains the aero characteristics of these cars and the artifice invented for overtaking: the DRS.
Lucas Paul
07/04/2025 at 04:36 a.m.
Indeed, on dry ground the circuit doesn't offer much interest for European spectators! But it's certainly better than the "circuits" in the cities, with the exception of Monoca, but there too we don't overtake much!