Japanese Grand Prix 2026

Suzuka Circuit, home of the Japanese Grand Prix, sits in Suzuka City in Mie Prefecture, Japan. Designed by Dutchman John Hugenholtz as a Honda test track and opened in 1962, it is famous for its figure-of-eight layout, with the back straight crossing over the front section on a bridge. Formula 1 first raced here in 1987, and the circuit is widely regarded as one of the sport's greatest driving challenges.

The opening sector is a sequence of S Curves that demands rhythm and precision, leading on to the pair of Degner corners and the hairpin. The lap continues through the long Spoon curve and, after the crossover, the fearsome 130R left-hander before the Casio Triangle chicane and the pit straight. With gravel close to the edges, errors are punished, and Suzuka has hosted many title-deciding races.

• The only FIA Grade 1 circuit with a figure-of-eight layout.
• Designed by John Hugenholtz and opened by Honda in 1962 as a test track.
• The Degner curve is named after rider Ernst Degner, who crashed there in 1962.

What to watch for: Fast, flowing corners make it hard to follow closely, so qualifying position and tyre strategy count for a lot, with the hairpin and the final chicane the likeliest places to pass.