Japanese Grand Prix Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Japanese Grand Prix
Race information
Suzuka Circuit (2003–present)

Number of times held	43
First held	1963
Most wins (drivers)	Michael Schumacher (6)
Most wins (constructors)	McLaren (9)
Circuit length	5.807 km (3.608 mi)
Race length	307.573 km (191.117 mi)
Laps	53
Last race (2017)
Pole position
Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:27.319
Podium
1. L. Hamilton Mercedes 1:27:31.194 2. M. Verstappen Red Bull-TAG Heuer +1.211 3. D. Ricciardo Red Bull-TAG Heuer +9.679
Fastest lap
Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:33.144

The Japanese Grand Prix is a race in the calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. Historically, Japan has been one of the last races of the season, and as such the Japanese Grand Prix has been the venue for many title-deciding races, with 13 World Champions being crowned over the 30 World Championship Japanese Grands Prix that have been hosted. Japan was the only Asian nation to host a Formula One race (including the Pacific Grand Prix) until Malaysia joined the calendar in 1999.

History

Mark Webber (2013 Japanese Grand Prix)

The first Japanese Grand Prix was run as a sports car race at the Suzuka Circuit 80 kilometres (50 mi) south west of Nagoya in May 1963. In 1964, the race was held at Suzuka again. This marked the beginning of motor racing in earnest in Japan. For the next eight installments, however, the non-championship Grand Prix was run at the Fuji Speedway, 40 miles (64 km) west of Yokohama and 66 miles (106 km) west of the Japanese capital of Tokyo. The circuit had a banked corner called Daiichi and was the scene of many fatal accidents. It was then run as a number of disciplines of motorsports, particularly Formula 2, sports cars and Can-Am-type sprint racing.

The first two Formula One Japanese Grands Prix in 1976 and 1977 were held at the Fuji Speedway, before Japan was taken off the calendar. It returned in 1987 at Suzuka, which hosted the Grand Prix exclusively for 20 years and gained a reputation as one of the most challenging F1 circuits. In 1994 and 1995, Japan also hosted the Pacific Grand Prix at the TI Circuit, making Japan one of only seven countries to host more than one Grand Prix in the same season.

In 2007 the Grand Prix moved back to the newly redesigned Fuji Speedway. After a second race at Fuji in 2008, the race returned to Suzuka in 2009, as part of an alternating agreement between the owners of Fuji Speedway and Suzuka Circuit, rivals Toyota and Honda.

However, in July 2009, Toyota announced it would not host the race at Fuji Speedway in 2010 and beyond due to a downturn in the global economy, and so the Japanese Grand Prix was held at Suzuka instead. Suzuka has hosted the Japanese Grand Prix every year since 2009.