Japanese GP 2011 - Suzuka

[raymondu999]

Circuit data
Length: 5.807km* (3.608 miles)
Race distance: 53 laps (307.573km)

Top speed (race) – 313kph
Full throttle – 67%
Longest flat-out section – 16s / 1.23km

Right/left-hand turns – 10/8
Tyre wear – high
Brake wear – high
Downforce level – low
Gear changes per lap – 42

Strategy
2011 tyres: Medium (prime, white) and soft (option, yellow)
2010 tyres: Hard (prime, no stripe) and soft (option, green stripe)
2009 tyres: Hard (prime, no stripe) and soft (option, green stripe)

Average fuel use per lap: 2.752kg
Pit lane time loss: 19.9s (source: Williams)

2010:

[Lycoming]

sounds like 3 or 4 stop will be the order of the day. Will DRS be on the pit straight? I can't think of another position; after 130R its too short, same with the run down to the hairpin. still feeding into a fast corner like that isn't ideal if you want DRS to get people to fight it out under braking.

[raymondu999]

I was thinking hairpin exit; or the run from Spoon through to the chicane. I'm convinced that 130 will be DRS-able for the Bulls. But the FIA may go health and safety and ban it there. Again. Probably might do at Dunlop too

[godlameroso]

DRS on start stop straight is more than enough, you come out of the Casio triangle at nearly 120kph and it's a flat out run with barely a lift into turn 1. Vettel will crush them all, this track is made for the RB7, the McLaren's won't be far behind. Alonso gets lapped.

[beelsebob]

DRS on start stop straight is more than enough, you come out of the Casio triangle at nearly 120kph and it's a flat out run with barely a lift into turn 1. Vettel will crush them all, this track is made for the RB7, the McLaren's won't be far behind. Alonso gets lapped.

I think the McLarens will be closer here than most expect. They've had strong races at every single high DF track this year (barring silverstone, but we all know that story).

[Gerhard Berger]

DRS on start stop straight is more than enough, you come out of the Casio triangle at nearly 120kph and it's a flat out run with barely a lift into turn 1. Vettel will crush them all, this track is made for the RB7, the McLaren's won't be far behind. Alonso gets lapped.

RB7 is simply the strongest car, and it's really strong on every type of circuit, as we have seen in the last 3 races.

[beelsebob]

DRS on start stop straight is more than enough, you come out of the Casio triangle at nearly 120kph and it's a flat out run with barely a lift into turn 1. Vettel will crush them all, this track is made for the RB7, the McLaren's won't be far behind. Alonso gets lapped.

RB7 is simply the strongest car, and it's really strong on every type of circuit, as we have seen in the last 3 races.

Agreed, this track is made for the RB6. Of this years cars, the one that gets most improvement on high downforce tracks is the MP4-26.

[ringo]

Rb7 will destroy all.

Vetteelll!!!

[Diesel]

Should be an easy RB 1-2, and an even easier WDC for Vettel. Vettel could just coast to P10 if he felt like it, with the mid-field so off the pace this year, it's pretty difficult for the front runners NOT to score points.

[nacho]

Nice to see Vettel get his championship Suzuka, such a great track with history of deciding championships before.

[ringo]

He's the suzuka king too. He can't lose here.

[beelsebob]

Nice to see Vettel get his championship Suzuka, such a great track with history of deciding championships before.

Just as long as he doesn't do it by ramming button off at the first corner.

[RB7ate9]

He's the suzuka king too. He can't lose here.

I agree, Suzuka should be suited to the RB7 and, with any luck, it can be a solid Red Bull 1-2. I think RBR will be pushing harder than normal to seal up Japan to gain momentum into Korea, where they will be working 300% towards a 1-2 to make up for...well, you know...

[Mandrake]

Nice to see Vettel get his championship Suzuka, such a great track with history of deciding championships before.

Just as long as he doesn't do it by ramming button off at the first corner.

Well, if he did he'd probably shut the mouthes of all those saying he is no special. He'd do the same as THE BEST F1 DRIVER IN THE WORLD.....he must be great then must he?

[JohnsonsEvilTwin]

Brawn expects a better finish to Mercs season:

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/94886?

"There were several detailed aerodynamic improvements - with bodywork and tuning.It was nothing radical – just going through the loop of floor and bodywork, those sorts of things.I don't think we advertised it as a big upgrade, but it was an upgrade. It seemed okay.
It may not look as though our relative position has changed, but if you think back to Hungary, which was the last high downforce track, we struggled.
So far the numbers look like we have moved forward and I think we will see the benefit in the next couple of races in particular, so it looks okay.

We are reasonably happy with it, but it is a very difficult track to assess these things on. When we get to the next couple of tracks it should be better.