Race Preview 2013 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 18 - 20 OCTOBER 2013

CIRCUIT DATA SUZUKA CIRCUIT Length of lap: 5.807km Lap record: 1:31.540 Following a thrilling and hard fought race in Korea, (Kimi Rikknen, the F1 teams have packed up and made the short McLaren, 2005) trip to Japan and the mighty Suzuka circuit, home of Start/finish line offset: the FIA Formula One Japanese Grand Prix, the 15th 0.300km Total number of race round of the 2013 World Championship. laps: 53 Total race distance: Suzuka is a firm favourite with drivers. The circuit deliver thrills, with part of the allure being the level of 307.471km risk a fast lap demands. Suzuka has teeth: from the Pitlane speed limits: 80km/h throughout the Degner curves to the still-fearsome 130R, its a weekend. circuit that demands high concentration. CHANGES TO THE The challenge is as great for engineers as for drivers. The quest for lap time is a highly technical CIRCUIT SINCE 2012 The artificial grass exercise, with a number of differing set-up requirements to be reconciled. Suzuka isnt easily around the outside of Turn One now starts categorised, featuring swift changes of direction at the spectator-friendly Esses, sinuous curves through approximately 50m earlier, replacing a damaged Dunlop and Spoon, high-speed sections and heavybraking, low-speed corners at the Hairpin and Casio verge. The verge on the left Triangle. The great laps require both man and in Turn 10 has been machine to be on the limit. levelled and taken up to the tyre barrier and wall, Championship leader Sebastian Vettel is the which have also been presumptive favourite to deliver those great laps. raised. The Red Bull Racing drivers form is excellent on A new debris fence arrival at the circuit he calls the greatest in the has been installed on the world. Coming to this race he has three successive poles and four successive victories. In addition, his left between Turns Nine and 10. record at Suzuka is excellent. From four visits, he has four poles and three victories . He missed out on A new opening has been provided on the left victory in 2011, driving conservatively to third but that was enough to secure a second Drivers World in Turn 11. This allows a gravel recovery vehicle to

gravel recovery vehicle to be positioned there instead of a large crane. Seventy-seven points clear of Fernando Alonso in The verge on the right the 2013 title-race, he has an outside chance of approaching Turn 13 has claiming his fourth championship this weekend. Should Vettel win and Alonso finish no better than been laid with a one-metre wide strip of artificial ninth, the German will do what only Juan-Manuel grass, replacing a verge Fangio and Michael Schumacher have done before and win World Championships in four consecutive prone to erosion. The last part of the years. tyre barrier around the outside of Turn 14 has been extended right, to the end of the guardrail. Championship. DRS ZONES The DRS zone at Suzuka is on the startfinish straight. The detection point is 50m before Turn 16, with activation 100m before the control line.

Japanese GP Fast Facts James Hunts win at Fuji in 1977 has been

overshadowed by his third place at the inaugural F1 Japanese Grand Prix a Kamui Kobayashis year earlier. It secured There have been 28 third place for Sauber in him the Drivers World F1 Japanese Grands Prix. 2012 made him the first Championship, beginning Fuji hosted the race in Japanese driver on the a string of titles that have 1976 and 1977. The race podium in Japan since been settled at this race. returned at Suzuka in Aguri Suzuki for LolaNelson Piquet (1987), 1987 where it stayed until Lamborghini in 1990. Alain Prost (1989), Senna 2006. The 2007 and 2008 Kobayashis was the first (1988, 1990, 1991), races were held at a podium for a Japanese Damon Hill (1996), much-modified Fuji, with driver since Takuma Sato Hkkinen (1998, 1999) the race reverting to finished third at the 2004 Schumacher (2000, 2003) Suzuka in 2009. US Grand Prix. and Sebastian Vettel Michael Schumacher Suzuka strongly (2011) all secured is the stand-out driver at favours the front row. In 24 championships here. Suzuka with six victories. races, the winner has Schumacher twice The seven-times come from the front row 20 clinched the title at the Champion took his first times. Fernando Alonso Japanese GP but three Suzuka victory for (2006) won from fifth, times in Japan. He Benetton in 1995 and Alessandro Nannini became champion in followed it with wins for (1989) and Nelson Piquet 1995 after a Pacific Grand Ferrari in 1997, 2000, (1990) from sixth. The Prix win at Aida. 2001, 2002, and 2004 anomalous statistic is Piquets McLaren have the Kimi Rikknens championship triumph in best record of any team at mesmerising charge from 1987 was by default. Title the Japanese Grand Prix 17th in 2005, overtaking rival Nigel Mansell with nine victories. James Giancarlo Fisichella on aggravated a back injury Hunt took the first in 1977 the final lap for the lead. in qualifying. He was at Fuji, followed by wins Last year, Vettel won ruled out of the race and at Suzuka for Ayrton the race with pole, fastest Piquet had the title before Senna (1988, 1993), lap and victory having led the grand prix began. Gerhard Berger (1991), every lap of the race. It One of Suzukas Mika Hkkinen (1998, was his second grand quirks is the figure-eight 1999) and Kimi chelem. Recently hes layout. The current F1 Rikknen (2005). Lewis recorded a third in calendar has 13 Hamilton won at Fuji in Singapore and a fourth clockwise circuits, five 2007, and Jenson Button last week in Korea. He is anti-clockwise and this at Suzuka in 2011. halfway to equalling Jim John HugenholtzClark, who collected eight. designed track which does the first half of the lap clockwise and the second half anticlockwise. Japanese GP Race Stewards Biographies GARRY CONNELLY DEPUTY PRESIDENT, FIA INSTITUTE; DIRECTOR, AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF MOTOR SPORT SAFETY; F1 AND WTCC STEWARD; FIA WORLD MOTOR SPORT COUNCIL MEMBER Garry Connelly has been involved in motor sport

since the late 1960s. A long-time rally competitor, Connelly was instrumental in bringing the World Rally Championship to Australia in 1988 and served as Chairman of the Organising Committee, Board member and Clerk of Course of Rally Australia until December 2002. He has been an FIA Steward and FIA Observer since 1989, covering the FIAs World Rally Championship, World Touring Car Championship and Formula One Championship. He is a director of the Australian Institute of Motor Sport Safety and a member of the FIA World Motor Sport Council. JOSE ABED FIA VICE-PRESIDENT Jos Abed, an FIA Vice President since 2006, began competing in motor sport in 1961. In 1985, as a motor sport official, Abed founded the Mexican Organisation of International Motor Sport (OMDAI) which represents Mexico in the FIA. He sat as its Vice-President from 1985 to 1999, becoming President in 2003. In 1986, Abed began promoting truck racing events in Mexico and from 1986 to 1992, he was President of Mexican Grand Prix organising committee. In 1990 and 1991, he was President of the organising committee for the International Championship of Prototype Cars and from 1990 to 1995, Abed was designated Steward for various international Grand Prix events. Since 1990, Abed has been involved in manufacturing prototype chassis, electric cars, rally cars and kart chassis. EMANUELE PIRRO FORMER F1 DRIVER AND FIVE-TIME LE MANS WINNER During a motor sport career spanning almost 40 years, Emanuele Pirro has achieved a huge amount of success, most notably in sportscar racing, with five Le Mans wins, victory at the Daytona 24 Hours and two wins at the Sebring 12 Hours. In addition, the Italian driver has won the German and Italian Touring Car championships (the latter twice) and has twice been American Le Mans Series Champion. Pirro, enjoyed a three-season F1 career from 1989 to 1991, firstly with Benetton and then for Scuderia Italia. His debut as an FIA Steward came at the 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and he has returned regularly since. Japanese GP Championship Standings (Drivers)

Japanese GP Championship Standings (Constructors)

Japanese GP Formula One Timetable & FIA Media Schedule THURSDAY Press Conference 15.00 FRIDAY

Practice Session 1 Practice Session 2 Press Conference SATURDAY Practice Session 3 Qualifying Followed by unilateral and press conference SUNDAY Drivers' Parade Race Followed by podium interviews and press conference

10.00-11.30 14.00-15.30 16.00 11.00-12.00 14.00-15.00

13.30 15.00

ADDITIONAL MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES QUALIFYING All drivers eliminated in Q1 or Q2 are available for media interviews immediately after the end of each session, as are drivers who participated in Q3, but who are not required for the postqualifying press conference. The TV pen interview area will be located in the paddock, adjacent to the entrance to the media centre. RACE Any driver retiring before the end of the race is available at the teams garage/hospitality. In addition, during the race every team will make available at least one senior spokesperson for interview by officially accredited TV crews. A list of those nominated will be made available in the media centre.

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