McLaren Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton: "It feels like I’ve been waiting my whole life to race at Suzuka - so, as you can imagine, I’ll be really excited when practice starts there on Friday morning. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve raced Suzuka on computer games - and while it kind of gives you an idea of how the circuit goes, nothing can beat the real thing. It looks like a real driver’s circuit - the first sector esses look very demanding and the higher speed corners towards the end of the lap will probably require real precision and a good car set-up. I’m also really looking forward to returning to Japan - it’s one of my favourite countries and I love racing in front of the Japanese fans. It should be a great weekend."
Heikki Kovalainen: "I had one of my greatest Formula 1 drives in Japan, in the wet race at Fuji in 2007 when I finished second behind Lewis, so I have some fantastic memories of the country. While I’m really looking forward to racing at a classic racetrack like Suzuka for the first time, I don’t think the circuit will be ideal for our package: it’s a bit of a mix of places like Silverstone and Istanbul, with high speed corners, and will require a car with good downforce and mechanical and aero balance. But, that doesn’t put us off: the improvements we’ve made to the car over the course of the season have been genuinely remarkable and I think we still go to Japan confident that we can do a very good job."
BMW Sauber
Robert Kubica: "I am really looking forward to going racing in Suzuka again. The circuit is one of the most exciting tracks to drive on - for me it is one of the best circuits in the world. There are a lot of really challenging high-speed corners, especially the 130R which is really fast. The fans there are fantastic. In 2006 a lot of them in the grandstands stayed at the circuit until very late in the night. They are really passionate and enjoy Formula One a lot."
Nick Heidfeld: "I’m thrilled that my favourite Formula One circuit is back on the calendar. It will be interesting to see what changes it has in store for us. I know the track has been partly resurfaced, and there’s always the possibility of the forces of nature intervening - we’ve already had an earthquake and a close call with a typhoon. The weather is always an issue and there’s been torrential rain often enough in Suzuka. It’s quite a long circuit, very varied, and it flows beautifully. The first section with its double-apex right-hander and sequence of esses is really superb. But you have to get into the flow properly; if you make a mistake in one turn, you’ll mess up all the rest."
Williams
Kazuki Nakajima: "Suzuka has a very technically challenging layout. It’s designed in a figure of eight shape, which has a mix of 16 slow and fast corners around the lap. One of my favourites is the famous 130R which is really unforgiving. It’s a really quick circuit so you have to make sure you have a well balanced set-up or you’re just punished the whole way round. The one thing you have to be careful of in Japan at this time of year is the weather which can be really variable, but that could just make it more exciting!"
Nico Rosberg: "I am now looking forward to Suzuka because I think we can do well there. Personally, I think the track is one of the best on the calendar, up there with Spa. It’s also a good venue for Formula One because the fans are so enthusiastic which is always great. I haven't been to Suzuka for three years now but I felt really comfortable on the track the last time that I raced there I am looking forward to driving it again.
Toyota
Jarno Trulli: "It is a very technical and very challenging circuit. There are a lot of high-speed corners and quick changes of direction, so it is a very nice lay-out for a driver. Spa is very similar but I would say a little bit harder because it is longer. There are many different types of corner so you need your car to be strong in all areas and, as a medium-high-speed track, aerodynamics are very important. I am really looking forward to going back to Suzuka after two enjoyable trips to Fuji Speedway because it's one of the sport's great tracks. The combination of fast corners at the start of the lap is great fun in a Formula 1 car then you have the quick left-hander of 130R followed by hard braking for the chicane which is quite challenging."
Timo Glock: "Suzuka is a mega track, one of the best in the world. I am really looking forward to driving there again as it has been five years which is way too long! The main thing about Suzuka is that it is high speed and in a Formula 1 car that is a lot of fun. It is a really interesting circuit, with lots of different types of corners as well as up and downhill sections. It's certainly not easy. For me the most exciting part of the track is the first sector, turns three, four and five going uphill. You're hitting over 300km/h so the speed and direction changes are really nice. It's just an unbelievable combination of corners. In the past I think 130R was quite challenging but now it is flat-out, even with the new aerodynamic rules."
Renault
Fernando Alonso: "I think all the drivers enjoy the high-speed corners of Suzuka, but it's also a technical track which gives the engineers a big challenge. In terms of set-up, you have to work hard to make sure you have a car with a good front end for the changes of direction, and a stable rear so you have the confidence to attack the high-speed corners. The Esses section is an important part of the lap as you have to cope with fifteen seconds of continuously changing direction, so it's very demanding physically. You also need to keep your concentration as there is only one line through the corners and any mistakes cost you a lot of time."
Romain Grosjean: "It's a circuit that I've never been to, but I have always dreamed of racing there as it's one of the special circuits of the world. I have seen the track on television many times so I know the layout and cannot wait to drive the quick corners like 130R."
Force India
Adrian Sutil: "I'm really looking forward to this race. I lived in Japan for a year in 2006 when I was competing in Japanese F3 and I know the track very well as we often raced there. It's a brilliant drivers' track, quite difficult to learn, but very rewarding when you get it right. I think our car will perform well there as well - as we've seen, we are very strong on the low and medium downforce tracks and Suzuka should suit us well. I feel very confident on the track and in the car and I am positive this combination will bring us some good results."
Tonio Liuzzi:"I think for Suzuka we will be in better shape. Singapore was a circuit where it's difficult to get the feeling back, because the concentration is so high, and you have to try and stay away from the walls. It's not a normal situation. But doing the whole race helped me a lot. I think we are getting close to my optimum speed. Now I think we are ready for Suzuka. I've been there once in 2006 and it's a circuit I like. I'm more optimistic for there, because the configuration for our car is somewhere in between Spa and Singapore, so we should be more competitive. This year has been a bit of a crazy year but we cannot complain because we had two good races, Spa and Monza, and there are tracks coming up that will suit us more as well."
Toro Rosso
Jamie Alguersuari: "I have been to Suzuka before, back in 2005 for a karting race, the Asia-Pacific World Cup, although of course we weren’t racing on the F1 track! I was leading the race on the final lap, but I crashed with Kazuki Nakajima at the last corner and ended second. Being in Japan for the first time was an amazing experience and it felt like another world to me. It’s a dream to now be able to drive on the real circuit, after having seen it while I was there. I’ve driven it on the simulator and also on a computer game. I hope we can have a successful weekend."
Sebastien Buemi: "I’ve been to Japan, as I drove the Medical Car last year in Fuji, but I’ve never been to Suzuka. I’ve been on the simulator to practice the track, which looks great, so I’m very much looking forward to driving it for real. I’ve heard that they have resurfaced the track and got brand new facilities in the paddock with new pits. I think it is one of the best circuits in the world, so I can’t wait to get there. Japan is very strange and completely different to what we are used to in Europe. I’ve been to Tokyo, which is fantastically modern, although the people wear some rather funny clothes! I got a good impression while I was there, in that the people treat one another with a lot of respect and everything is very clean. As for the race, I think we can do well, as we will have a new update on the car. In Singapore, we were a bit more competitive than in past races and I think we could be even better in Japan."
Red Bull Racing
Sebastian Vettel: "Suzuka is the best track in the world. I drove the two hours of Friday free practice here at the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix. The first hour was wet, which was pretty scary as I didn’t know where the track went. I’m looking forward to racing there as it’s one of the most challenging circuits with a lot of high speed corners. It’s enjoyable and I think it should suit our car. I like the culture and the people in Japan. Last year, I climbed Mount Fuji and I’ve also spent time in Tokyo. The food is great, although maybe not all of it! Everything about the place is very disciplined and ordered, which I like."
Mark Webber: "Fourth is my best result here, for Williams in 2005, the penultimate time we raced at Suzuka. It was a bit of a classic with Raikkonen and Alonso coming through from the back. Kimi took the lead on the last lap and I had a good battle with Fernando in the middle of the race. It’s a sensational circuit and I’ve even got good memories of watching the 8 Hours motorcycle race on TV, as a lot of Australians ride in that race. The crowds are pretty close to the Italians in terms of how knowledgeable and passionate they are, although they’re also very reserved. When I walk into the track, going through the amusement park, you can really feel that Suzuka has got something about it that makes it special."
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Heikki Kovalainen: "I had one of my greatest Formula 1 drives in Japan, in the wet race at Fuji in 2007 when I finished second behind Lewis, so I have some fantastic memories of the country. While I’m really looking forward to racing at a classic racetrack like Suzuka for the first time, I don’t think the circuit will be ideal for our package: it’s a bit of a mix of places like Silverstone and Istanbul, with high speed corners, and will require a car with good downforce and mechanical and aero balance. But, that doesn’t put us off: the improvements we’ve made to the car over the course of the season have been genuinely remarkable and I think we still go to Japan confident that we can do a very good job."
BMW Sauber
Robert Kubica: "I am really looking forward to going racing in Suzuka again. The circuit is one of the most exciting tracks to drive on - for me it is one of the best circuits in the world. There are a lot of really challenging high-speed corners, especially the 130R which is really fast. The fans there are fantastic. In 2006 a lot of them in the grandstands stayed at the circuit until very late in the night. They are really passionate and enjoy Formula One a lot."
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Williams
Kazuki Nakajima: "Suzuka has a very technically challenging layout. It’s designed in a figure of eight shape, which has a mix of 16 slow and fast corners around the lap. One of my favourites is the famous 130R which is really unforgiving. It’s a really quick circuit so you have to make sure you have a well balanced set-up or you’re just punished the whole way round. The one thing you have to be careful of in Japan at this time of year is the weather which can be really variable, but that could just make it more exciting!"
Nico Rosberg: "I am now looking forward to Suzuka because I think we can do well there. Personally, I think the track is one of the best on the calendar, up there with Spa. It’s also a good venue for Formula One because the fans are so enthusiastic which is always great. I haven't been to Suzuka for three years now but I felt really comfortable on the track the last time that I raced there I am looking forward to driving it again.
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Jarno Trulli: "It is a very technical and very challenging circuit. There are a lot of high-speed corners and quick changes of direction, so it is a very nice lay-out for a driver. Spa is very similar but I would say a little bit harder because it is longer. There are many different types of corner so you need your car to be strong in all areas and, as a medium-high-speed track, aerodynamics are very important. I am really looking forward to going back to Suzuka after two enjoyable trips to Fuji Speedway because it's one of the sport's great tracks. The combination of fast corners at the start of the lap is great fun in a Formula 1 car then you have the quick left-hander of 130R followed by hard braking for the chicane which is quite challenging."
Timo Glock: "Suzuka is a mega track, one of the best in the world. I am really looking forward to driving there again as it has been five years which is way too long! The main thing about Suzuka is that it is high speed and in a Formula 1 car that is a lot of fun. It is a really interesting circuit, with lots of different types of corners as well as up and downhill sections. It's certainly not easy. For me the most exciting part of the track is the first sector, turns three, four and five going uphill. You're hitting over 300km/h so the speed and direction changes are really nice. It's just an unbelievable combination of corners. In the past I think 130R was quite challenging but now it is flat-out, even with the new aerodynamic rules."
Renault
Fernando Alonso: "I think all the drivers enjoy the high-speed corners of Suzuka, but it's also a technical track which gives the engineers a big challenge. In terms of set-up, you have to work hard to make sure you have a car with a good front end for the changes of direction, and a stable rear so you have the confidence to attack the high-speed corners. The Esses section is an important part of the lap as you have to cope with fifteen seconds of continuously changing direction, so it's very demanding physically. You also need to keep your concentration as there is only one line through the corners and any mistakes cost you a lot of time."
Romain Grosjean: "It's a circuit that I've never been to, but I have always dreamed of racing there as it's one of the special circuits of the world. I have seen the track on television many times so I know the layout and cannot wait to drive the quick corners like 130R."
Force India
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Tonio Liuzzi:"I think for Suzuka we will be in better shape. Singapore was a circuit where it's difficult to get the feeling back, because the concentration is so high, and you have to try and stay away from the walls. It's not a normal situation. But doing the whole race helped me a lot. I think we are getting close to my optimum speed. Now I think we are ready for Suzuka. I've been there once in 2006 and it's a circuit I like. I'm more optimistic for there, because the configuration for our car is somewhere in between Spa and Singapore, so we should be more competitive. This year has been a bit of a crazy year but we cannot complain because we had two good races, Spa and Monza, and there are tracks coming up that will suit us more as well."
Toro Rosso
Jamie Alguersuari: "I have been to Suzuka before, back in 2005 for a karting race, the Asia-Pacific World Cup, although of course we weren’t racing on the F1 track! I was leading the race on the final lap, but I crashed with Kazuki Nakajima at the last corner and ended second. Being in Japan for the first time was an amazing experience and it felt like another world to me. It’s a dream to now be able to drive on the real circuit, after having seen it while I was there. I’ve driven it on the simulator and also on a computer game. I hope we can have a successful weekend."
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Red Bull Racing
Sebastian Vettel: "Suzuka is the best track in the world. I drove the two hours of Friday free practice here at the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix. The first hour was wet, which was pretty scary as I didn’t know where the track went. I’m looking forward to racing there as it’s one of the most challenging circuits with a lot of high speed corners. It’s enjoyable and I think it should suit our car. I like the culture and the people in Japan. Last year, I climbed Mount Fuji and I’ve also spent time in Tokyo. The food is great, although maybe not all of it! Everything about the place is very disciplined and ordered, which I like."
Mark Webber: "Fourth is my best result here, for Williams in 2005, the penultimate time we raced at Suzuka. It was a bit of a classic with Raikkonen and Alonso coming through from the back. Kimi took the lead on the last lap and I had a good battle with Fernando in the middle of the race. It’s a sensational circuit and I’ve even got good memories of watching the 8 Hours motorcycle race on TV, as a lot of Australians ride in that race. The crowds are pretty close to the Italians in terms of how knowledgeable and passionate they are, although they’re also very reserved. When I walk into the track, going through the amusement park, you can really feel that Suzuka has got something about it that makes it special."
