2024 Japanese Grand Prix: Fast Facts

As the Formula 1 paddock descends upon the Suzuka circuit for the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix, anticipation builds for a weekend filled with high-speed challenges and strategic battles. The Suzuka track, known for its figure-of-eight layout, offers a blend of high, medium, and low-speed corners that push both cars and drivers to their limits.

This year, the event has been scheduled earlier than its traditional September/October slot, setting the stage for potentially different weather conditions with rain forecast across the weekend.

With a history of memorable races and dramatic moments, the Japanese Grand Prix remains a highlight on the F1 calendar, promising excitement and unpredictability. As teams prepare to tackle the 5.807km track, where overtaking opportunities and strategic pit stops will play a crucial role, fans eagerly wait to see if Max Verstappen can get back on track or if the Ferraris can continue to take the fight up to the reigning champion…

2024 Japanese Grand Prix Scheduling

The 2024 Japanese Grand Prix kicks off with the first practice session at 11:30 on April 5th (local time), giving teams a chance to get a feel for the Suzuka circuit. They’ll have another go at it the same day at 15:00, tweaking their cars based on what they learned in the morning. The action continues on April 6th with the third practice at 11:30, leading up to the all-important qualifying at 15:00, where drivers push to the limit to secure a good starting spot for the race. The main event happens on April 7th at 14:00, where all the weekend’s preparation comes into play. This straightforward schedule spreads out the excitement over three days, keeping fans engaged and giving teams plenty of time to adjust and strategize for the race on Sunday.

Below is the schedule for the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix, please note, all times are local times at Suzuka.

How to Watch the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix

Formula 1 fans around the globe can catch all the action from the Japanese Grand Prix through various broadcasters and streaming services.

In the United Kingdom, viewers can watch every session live on Sky Sports F1, with comprehensive coverage of the practice sessions, qualifying, and the race itself.

For fans in the United States, the Japanese Grand Prix will be available through ESPN and its associated channels. ESPN offers extensive coverage of F1, including live broadcasts and replays. Cord-cutters can also stream the race live through various over-the-top (OTT) services that carry ESPN channels.

Viewers in Australia can tune in to watch the Grand Prix weekend unfold live on Fox Sports, which offers complete coverage of F1 races. For online streaming, fans can subscribe to Kayo Sports, a streaming platform that includes all Fox Sports content.

Additionally, F1 TV Pro offers live streaming of every track session to viewers in many countries worldwide.

This subscription service provides access to onboard cameras, team radios, live timing, and more, for an immersive viewing experience.

Remember to check the local listings and services for the most up-to-date information regarding broadcast times and availability in your region.

Yuki Tsunoda Seeks Suzuka Points Haul

After missing out on the points in his last two races at home, Yuki Tsunoda is looking to bring the momentum from his performance in Australia to Japan.

“Very excited, first of all – my home Grand Prix. The track itself is very high-speed and at the same time very risky. Once you step out of the track you end up in the wall, so you know a bit of fear as well, but definitely it’s my favourite track; I never get bored there. Last year I was able to go through to Q3 so that was very good. I achieved the target but at the same time, I wasn’t able to score points yet the last two years, so hopefully I can achieve that this year. So far, it’s good momentum, I think at the same time, every race we reset and focus, so let’s see how it goes but I’m feeling confident and can’t wait to get on the track in front of Japanese fans!”

Logan Sargeant Returns

Australia was a race weekend to forget for Logan Sargeant, who was forced to give his car to Alexander Albon after his teammate crashed heavily, and the team didn’t have a spare chassis. However, after recharging in Bali, the American is ready to get racing again.

“Australia was perhaps the most difficult weekend I’ve ever had to face as a driver and the same goes for the team. I really appreciate the fans for sticking by us with their incredible support at the track and back home. I’m looking to put this challenging moment behind us, learn from it and continue pushing together this season. I’ve taken the opportunity between races to head to Bali to stay sharp both mentally and physically, with plenty of time spent in the gym. I’m excited to be heading back to Japan so early in the season. Suzuka is iconic and is one of everyone’s favourite tracks on the calendar. I can’t wait to give it another go.”

Max Verstappen Looks To Bounce Back Quickly

After an extremely rare DNF the last time out, Max Verstappen swapped a steering wheel for skis as he cleared his mind in the snowfields of Japan. Now he is ready to get his title defence back on track this weekend…

“Suzuka is always a great circuit to go racing at. As a Team, we have had a lot of special memories here over the years including winning last year’s Constructors’ Championship as well as winning my second Drivers’ Championship here too. It has been nice to have had a break with family and friends before the racing starts and always fun to be able to spend some time in Tokyo too. The last race in Melbourne was unfortunate and these things happen, however we achieved nine race wins in a row, which is an impressive feat, so we are looking to come back even stronger for this weekend. The Team is feeling confident for Suzuka: it is an iconic circuit and is always fun to drive. The track has a lot of high speed corners and high degradation and we need to ensure that we optimise our performance where we can, especially with rain forecasted for this weekend. I am looking forward to getting back in the car and ready to fight for the win this weekend.”

Japanese Grand Prix: Fast Facts

• Suzuka holds the distinction of being the only circuit F1 races at that is laid out in a figure-of-eight configuration.
• After the Degner Curves, the circuit passes under the straight leading to 130R. Owing to this, it’s the only F1 track that runs both clockwise and anticlockwise.
• This figure-of-eight layout is beneficial for tyre wear. It creates a more even balance between left and right-hand corners (10 being right-handers and eight to the left), distributing load more equally between tyres.
• The first corner doesn’t require any braking on entry. In Qualifying, drivers don’t hit the brakes until the car is cornering at close to 5G.
• That helps to generate some of the highest steering wheel torques of the entire season.
• The vast majority of the first sector at Suzuka is spent cornering. From Turn 1 until the exit of Turn 7, the steering wheel is moving almost continuously for nearly 2km of the lap.
• Just 1.2 km of the lap is spent driving in a straight line. Most of the 5.807 kms sees some lateral g-force going through the car.
• The lack of straights also means that Suzuka is just one of a handful of circuits on the calendar that has a solitary DRS zone. This is found between Turn 18 and Turn 1.
• 130R is one of F1’s quickest corners, taken at 295 km/h. Turn 11 meanwhile is one of the slowest at 60 km/h.
• The braking zone for Turn 11 is particularly challenging. Drivers must hit the brakes midway through the fast Turn 10. They are cornering at close to 3.5G while turning right before the hairpin left. Lockups are therefore common.
• Brake duty and wear are among the lowest we see across the year.
• Suzuka has one of the highest mass sensitivities of the season. That means that carrying more fuel is more penalising in terms of lap time and performance.
• This will be the first time the Japanese Grand Prix has taken place in April, moving from its traditional slot in the latter half of the season.
• The Mercedes team claimed six consecutive wins at Suzuka between 2014 and 2019.
• In 2019, a Mercedes 1-3 finish saw the team clinch its sixth consecutive Constructors’ title.
• Max Verstappen is seeking to be the first driver to take pole in the opening four races of a Formula One season since Lewis Hamilton did so nine years ago, in 2015.
• Verstappen is currently 39 laps short of leading 3,000 laps in his F1 career, a landmark only previously reached by three drivers (Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, and Seb Vettel).
• Suzuka is one of two circuits to host the Japanese Grand Prix, along with the Fuji International circuit. The Okayama International circuit (Formerly TI Aida) hosted the Pacific Grand Prix in 1994 and 1995.
• Suzuka has played host to the final round of the World Championship on six occasions and has seen numerous world champions crowned over the years.