5 curiosities about the Japanese Formula 1 Grand Prix

4/2/2024

The fourth race of the Formula 1 season sees the return to Asia.

After the traditional Easter break, Formula 1 resumes with the Japanese Grand Prix, which will be held in April for the first time: Suzuka has always hosted the race in October and November, although last year the GP was moved up to September 24th. Owned by Honda, the facility also features an amusement park and a traffic education center, in addition to the Honda Racing School for karting, single-seater, and motorcycle driving.

The GP data

According to Brembo technicians, the Suzuka International Racing Course, with a length of 5.807 meters, falls into the category of circuits that are minimally demanding on brakes. On a scale from 1 to 5, it earned a difficulty index of 1 despite featuring 10 braking points per lap. However, in half of these, the deceleration is less than 60 km/h, and the braking lasts less than a second. There are only 2 braking points in the High category.

Goal 2030

The rescheduling of the Japanese GP to a new slot aims to rationalize the calendar, creating a more efficient sequence of races for logistics. The goal is to avoid back-and-forth travel between continents, reducing the air distance covered by cargo planes carrying cars and team materials, as well as cutting down on flight hours for personnel. By 2030, the aim is to reduce carbon emissions to achieve atmospheric balance.

Brembo adheres to Agenda 2030, the document drafted by the leaders of the governments of the 193 UN member countries, which includes 17 global goals and commitments, called Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to be achieved by 2030. With the We Support SDGs project, launched in 2019, Brembo encourages its people and all stakeholders to understand, support, and promote sustainable thinking.

The toughest corner

The toughest corner of the Suzuka International Racing Course for the braking system is turn 16, where there's a speed loss of just under 200 km/h, from 289 km/h to 92 km/h. To achieve this, drivers brake for 2.19 seconds, experiencing a deceleration of 4.5 g with a pedal load of 141 kg. During the braking, which releases a power of 2,250 kW, the car advances for 103 meters.

The first with McLaren

In 1989, McLaren used Brembo braking systems for the first time, at the insistence of Ayrton Senna, who had appreciated them during his time with Lotus. During the Japanese GP, the two MP4/5 cars collided at the chicane entrance: Alain Prost was forced to retire while the Brazilian continued but was later disqualified. The Frenchman thus won the World Championship, but the controversies between the two diluted Brembo's joy, as it became the F.1 World Champion for the first time with a team other than Ferrari.

Gran Turismo

In Japan, numerous video games have emerged, including Gran Turismo, the most important automotive simulation series of all time. Brembo is the official technical partner of Gran Turismo 7, a game in which all cars can be equipped in the Tuning Shop with real Brembo products through 4 upgrade steps: pads, discs, calipers, and CCM-R carbon-ceramic discs.