Well the last Malaysian GP is over and Lewis Hamilton extended his lead over Sebastian Vettel. But the Championship race is still far from over. Ferrari had horrendous problems in Malaysia as Kimi Raikkonen had to be pushed off the race staring grid and Vettel did well to finish 4th after starting at the back of the grid following engine problems in qualifying. Guarantee Ferrari will be flat out to put that right in Japan, with the Red Bull team also doing very well in the 2017 season
So bye bye Malaysia and on to Suzuka in Japan………
Japan remains one of the most exotic destinations on the Formula One calendar. Suzuka Circuit is 50 kilometres south west of Nagoya, Japan’s third largest city, and it is liked by the drivers and teams. The track is owned by Honda, having originally been built in 1962 as a test track for its road cars and motorbikes. In recent years there has been an increasing number of Japanese sponsors in Formula One racing and with them has come a surge of interest within Japan. Nowhere in the world are the fans more knowledgeable or enthusiastic.
“Our home race is very important to us,” says Hiroshi Yasukawa, director of Bridgestone Motorsport. “There are lots of things to do in and around Suzuka, starting with a thrilling ride on a rollercoaster at the track. Not only do you get a great view of the track, but you can also see the sea. For those who think they can sing, there is the Big Echo bar in which to try some karaoke and you can eat high quality beef in the Matoba restaurant.”
Last year’s race in Suzuka was won by now retired Nico Rosberg, with last week’s winner Max Verstappen, 2nd, last week’s runner up Lewis Hamilton came 3rd, Ferrari’s Vettel and Raikkonen, 4th sand 5th respectively, and Red Bulls Daniel Ricciardo was 6th and he was 3rd in Malaysia – so this year’s Japan Gran Prix looks to be potentially a very exciting and could have a huge effect on The Championship race, which is far from over. 5 races left and just 34 points separating Hamilton and Vettel, although a lead of 118 points for Mercedes over Ferrari in the team standings is more in the German teams favour, but who knows, mechanical failures or collusions can change all that and Red Bull are only 115 points behind Ferrari.
The 2017 Japan Gran Prix promises to be an intriguing and vital F1 ….let’s go……Auto Logistics wishes you all a very exciting and enjoyable race – hold your hats …….