Japanese Grand Prix

The 2024 Japanese Grand Prix is the fourth race of the 2024 Formula 1 World Championships, held on April 5 - 7, 2024, in Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, Japan.

Date:April 5 - 7
Circuit:Suzuka International Racing Course
Location:Suzuka, Mie Prefecture, Japan
Circuit Length:5.807 km (3.608 miles)
Race Distance:53 Laps, 307.471 km (191.053 miles)
Record Lap:1:30.983 - Lewis Hamilton (2019)
Last Winner:Max Verstappen
Number of Turns:18

The Japanese Grand Prix used to be one of the last races of the season for a very long time. Consequently, it saw many title-deciding races. 13 World Championships have been decided during the Japanese Grand Prix, one of the most memorable being the title decider between Niki Lauda and James Hunt.

The Japanese Grand Prix is one of the oldest races on the current calendar. It was held for the first time in 1976 at Fuji Speedway Circuit. However, it was taken off the racing calendar just one year later, in 1977.

Japanese Grand Prix made its return in 1987, although, this time, it was at Suzuka International Racing Course. Suzuka signed a contract during this time to host the Japanese GP exclusively for 20 years. It was also during these 20 years that Suzuka Circuit gained its reputation as one of the most challenging circuits.

After 20 years, the Japanese GP returned back to Fuji Speedway in 2007, but again, it did not last more than two years before it returned to Suzuka International Racing Course in 2009. It was supposed to be a part of the agreement between rival companies Toyota, which owned Fuji Speedway, and Honda, which owned Suzuka Circuit.

The Japanese Grand Prix, however, never saw its return to Fuji as in 2010, Toyota announced it would not host the race at Fuji because of an unfavorable situation in the global economy. Since then, the Japanese GP has been held at Suzuka Circuit until today.

Being one of the most challenging circuits, the race at Suzuka is very popular with both drivers and F1 fans. Some popular previous winners include Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Ayrton Senna, Damon Hill, Mika Hakkinen, and  Fernando Alonso.

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