Lets have proper thread this time.



Circuit changes since 2012

• The artificial grass around the outside of Turn One now starts approximately 50m earlier, replacing a damaged verge.
  
• The verge on the left in Turn 10 has been levelled and taken up to the tyre barrier and wall, which have also been raised.
  
• A new debris fence has been installed on the left between Turns Nine and 10.
  
• A new opening has been provided on the left in Turn 11. This allows a gravel recovery vehicle to be positioned there instead of a large crane.
  
• The verge on the right approaching Turn 13 has been laid with a one-metre wide strip of artificial grass, replacing a verge prone to erosion.
  
• The last part of the tyre barrier around the outside of Turn 14 has been extended right, to the end of the guardrail.
  

Timetable
All following times in local(GMT +9) time

FRIDAY
Practice session 1 10.00-11.30
Practice session 2 14.00-15.30
Press conference 16.00

SATURDAY
Practice session 3 11.00-12.00
Qualifying 14.00-15.00
Followed by unilateral and press conference

SUNDAY
Drivers’ Parade 13.30
Race 15.00
Followed by podium interviews and press conference

Fast facts

• Suzuka strongly favours the front row. In 24 races, the winner has come from the front row 20 times. Fernando Alonso (2006) won from fifth, Alessandro Nannini(1989) and Nelson Piquet (1990) from sixth. The anomalous statistic is Kimi Räikkönen’s mesmerising charge from 17th in 2005, overtaking Giancarlo Fisichella on the final lap for the lead.
  
• Michael Schumacher is the stand-out driver at Suzuka with six victories. The seven-times Champion took his first Suzuk avictory forBenetton in 1995 and followed it with wins for Ferrari in 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2004.
  
• McLaren have the best record of any team at the Japanese Grand Prix with nine victories. James Hunt took the first in 1977 at Fuji,followed by wins at Suzuka for Ayrton Senna (1988, 1993), Gerhard Berger (1991), Mika Häkkinen (1998, 1999) and Kimi Räikkönen (2005). Lewis Hamilton won at Fuji in 2007, and Jenson Button at Suzuka in 2011.
  
• Last year, Vettel won the race with pole, fastest lap and victory having led every lap of the race. It was his second ‘grand chelem’. Recently he’s recorded a third in Singapore and a fourth last week in Korea. He is halfway to equalling Jim Clark, who collected eight.
  

Futher reading
Thursday press conference at Suzuka
Lotus duo 'free to fight for positions'
Suzuka: 'The best track in the world'

So, there were quite a few incidents in practice one and two. A damp qualification tomorrow would be lovely

Bianchi's crash was due to his arm getting stuck between the seat and the chassis. What the hell.

Vettle.. not o pole o_O. Doesn't matter, Wibber will surely be passed before the second lap. Nice qualification by Grosjean and Hulkenberg, it's about time the former gets a decent finish, but what'll break this time.. The usual crap from Räi, he isn't a one-lap qualifier. It did look as if the conditions were changing quite rapidly, though.

Vettel had no KERS so that's the reason he was only 2nd.

He got it back for the 2nd run. Surely disrupted his rhythm though, but can't really say he would have got pole if it wasn't for that for sure

So Redbull mixed up Vettel's and Webber's cars for today? Or will Webber be allowed to win this time?

Can't be quite sure on Wibster cocking up the start tomorrow. He's almost always good at everything after going low for a considerate period of time, aka since Malaysia. Pit-stop battles are gonna be the key. Maybe Vettel will make a Senna chicane on him coming end of the race. Hm, hm, waking up early is a must.

Vettel will pass him at the start, and nothing interesting will happen. I hope I'm wrong though.

inb4 conspiracy that Vettel didn't get pole today because they had to switch his TC off because his KERS broke

go go mork wobber

I hope vettel blows a diffuser and dnf's. See what I did there?

Well, it'll probably be kind of boring, but I'm going to split up my night of sleep to watch it live... If it's interesting enough to keep me awake :P

1.GRO
2.VET
3.WEB


my predicted top 3

Surely Romain can't hold onto this...

How to **** up Webber's strategy: lvl PRO.

I don't think they could of done much better, other then go on new hards instead of mediums at the end.

Webbers race was defined by the poor first stint pace at the end that forced him to pit early.

Brundle saying hulk has already signed a contract which my guess is lotus, Grosjean and Hulkenburg would be a really strong combo next year now that Grosjean has learned to race properly and show the promise he had in GP2.

i was wrong *sad face* but still good race by roman and wobber. vettel wins again *sigh*

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/110611

Haha. Who hasn't complained about Perez yet? lol

Apparently Rosberg is known for not making big maneuvers while defending his place... Many great examples from e.g Bahrain. But ye, there's a reason for blaming Checo.

finger fanboys should cover themselves with last year leafs, ****ing disgusting how Webber's race was ****ed up in account of finger having another "great victory" in "fantastic race". Ofc every race is fantastic when you cry to team radio to have one or another out of the way and you suddenly appear in P1.

This synthetic shit must stop, I wish them to become this-year-mclaren level team in 2014 to have some fights with Force India/Williams/Sauber so he can stick his bloody finger up to his arse in disbelief that he is a shit pilot with no natural talent, only a reject who can win with illegal TC/Newey/Marko and Webber constantly being mixed up with manure.

Also shame about Grosjean, finally he found himself and becomes more and more complete, some effort on him after the motivated finn left for Ferrari did the job, if 2014 is a good year for Lotus we could see frenchman fighting for WDC I hope

GOGOGO!!

Quote from TexasLTU :

[...] must be trolling [...]

Klaidas, there's foam coming out of your mouth. Are you still allright?

Or is it because you are so excited to see Kimi bringing the Spanish vulcano to explode at Ferrari in 2014?

Quote from Feuerdrache :

Or is it because you are so excited to see Kimi bringing the Spanish vulcano to explode at Ferrari in 2014?

Still a better love story than watching poor Ricciardo licking Vettel's ass.