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Motorsport Week

Feature: Behind-the-scenes from the Japanese Grand Prix

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A typhoon, spiders and the best fans in the world. Motorsport Week takes a look behind-the-scenes of Formula 1’s Japanese Grand Prix.

Extraordinary F1 organisation 

It is often said that Formula 1 drivers are extraordinarily gifted, and they are, while their engineers and designers have similar high skillsets in those departments, which is also true. But elsewhere in Formula 1 there are people who are equally as talented and hard-working, and that was truly shown at Suzuka amid the arrival of Typhoon Hagibis.

Ultimately the worst of the storm bypassed the track but it was wiser to be over-prepared than under-prepared, and teams bolted down equipment, packed a lot of it away, and then had to get up in the early hours of Sunday morning to get it all going again. One of the most amazing undertakings was the relocation of the entire Broadcast Centre from above the paddock to inside the top four garages, usually occupied by the FIA and Formula 1. It was a stunning achievement in team work as under serious stress the crew pulled off the feat in rapid time, and ensured that a broadcast was ready to go on Sunday morning, even if a chunk of the paddock was taken up with the cooling equipment required for all of the technology! 

Sandbags at the ready as teams prepared for the worst with typhoon Hagibis

What to do in a typhoon

There is the annual ‘day off’ each year in Formula 1 courtesy of the unique Monaco timetable, whereby there is no track action on Friday. But on that occasion teams and drivers get roped into sponsor appearances, spend time debriefing with the engineers, or even head out into the hills for training runs or bike rides. But in Japan the situation was altogether different, with the instruction for Saturday to be to remain in their hotel rooms, most of which were in a different location to the rest of the team members. The bulk of the drivers stay at the Suzuka Circuit hotel while team members are dotted around either in Suzuka, Shiroko or Yokkaichi. 

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What did they do – or plan to do? A group of drivers, predictably the younger ones, had come prepared, with Max Verstappen and Lando Norris among the pack that had brought their PlayStations to Japan, leading to a day of racing and FIFA, in which Carlos Sainz Jr., Sergio Perez and George Russell were involved. Though the slightly older Daniel Ricciardo raised a sage point while wishing to hark back to the old days. “WiFi is going to be down, Millennials are going to struggle,” he said. “Let’s all get together, tell stories, it could be a chance for everyone to get rid of technology for a day. And do things that people used to do. Maybe we could get around, light a little fire, tell some stories.”

Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz opted for a bit of bowling

Romain Grosjean was part of the Xbox clan – there’s always one – but also had other ideas. “I bought a Tyrrell 6-wheeler model to build,” he revealed to this writer. “I went to the shop here in Shiroko and they have amazing remote-control cars, and I wanted to buy them, but I don’t have the tools to build them, so I said I’m just going to go for the small plastic Tyrrell 6-wheleer and glue it. I don’t have the paint unfortunately, but put the stickers on, and while the glue is getting off, play x-box.” He did, and then showed off the results on social media, much to his delight.

His compatriot, Pierre Gasly, took some stick from his team members who now regard him as something of a curse, dating back to 2017, when his Super Formula title bid ended when a typhoon caused the season finale to be cancelled. “I’m still having nightmares about the typhoon I had in Super Formula,” he joked. “It’s like the third one, because last year I came to Japan, at some point there was also a typhoon coming here, and now I come back here and all the people in Honda and Red Bull are taking the piss that I always bring the typhoon here with me as well!”

Daniil Kvyat and Robert Kubica headed to an arcade to take on the old-school racing games, while once FIFA was done the McLaren drivers went to the bowling alley and typically broke out into a play fight…

The FIA got it exactly right

The FIA, and Formula 1, are in an invidious position when it comes to making important calls regarding a grand prix weekend schedule, given the knock-on effect on everyone involved. Rugby World Cup organisers bolted early by deciding on Wednesday evening, and announcing Thursday morning, that two fixtures scheduled for Saturday – in Yokohama and Nagoya – would be called off. Ultimately the FIA waited until Friday morning before making the decision to can all of Saturday’s action. At that stage Typhoon Hagibis was aiming perilously close to Suzuka, though through the evening the tracking altered such that it headed further east. It meant that for the majority of the Formula 1 paddock, spread out across Suzuka, Shiroko, Yokkaichi and Nagoya, Saturday was merely a very wet day with an occasionally strong breeze. Perhaps qualifying could have taken place but the volume of water would likely have left delays and then no action. The correct call was made at the right time in the interests of logistics and safety. Further to the east and north there was substantial damage caused by the typhoon, with excessive rainfall causing landslides and damaging properties, particularly in the Izu and Chiba peninsulas which took the brunt of the storm’s force. At the time of writing 48 people have died, and 17 are missing. The volume of water that fell in some areas was unprecedented – as much as 800mm in 24 hours – with Suruga Bay and Sagami Bay particularly affected, as the sea swell met with the water that poured from the hills above. Given that, at the end of the day, Formula 1 is just cars going around in circles, being overly cautious was the best plan enacted by the FIA. However, Formula 1 has been lucky that of the typhoons to strike during a race weekend in 2004, 2010 and 2019 they took place on a Saturday, while the worst of the 2014 one was post-race. 

Suzuka fans

It is often said that certain circuits have the best fans but that mantra is undoubtedly true at Suzuka, where the spectators reach a level of devotion unseen anywhere else in the world. All teams are represented among the throng of fans that attend the sessions, while an array of gifts – some of them staggeringly beautiful and thoughtful – are given not just to drivers but to team members. Fans pack the pit lane as early as Thursday morning, some in homemade and quirky gear, while each team ‘receives’ a local school, who have done drawings and, in a few instances, have come up with a dance routine. 

Among the best-spotted sights this year were the usual crew who had model cars and/or DRS hats, and fans who came dressed in full replica overalls and helmets. There was Sebastian Vettel, Ayrton Senna and, more bizarrely, Taki Inoue. As already said, like nowhere else in the world… 

The Japanese fans all get A* for their arts and crafts effort

Not only is the Suzuka fan zone one of the best of the year but its shop is unlike anywhere else. Formula 1 brings its own neatly-packaged stands full of merchandise but inside Suzuka’s shop you can find all sorts of unique memorabilia. They have sweet potato cakes in the shape of an F1 car, ‘asphalt’ chocolates – and others coloured to symbolise the starting lights – and an array of ornaments and objects such as towels, cushions and pillows. You can even buy underwear with the Suzuka circuit layout imprinted upon them. 

Suzuka trackside quirks

Watching trackside is a privilege that never gets old and heading out to watch at least part of one session is a must, though was more challenging this year due to the truncated weekend and subsequent work demands! Nonetheless, a pocket of FP1 acted as a reminder of Suzuka’s magnificence and the brilliance of these current Formula 1 cars. Standing atop the hill provides an exceptional view of 130R on one side, and the Degners on the other, providing a scintillating perspective on Formula 1 cars. 130R may be easy flat but it remains a fearsome sight, while Degner 1 is so narrow and fast and highlights any inadequacies in car balance or driver confidence. Yet to even reach that point requires a certain degree of exploration, as the nature of the circuit layout means you have to clamber over barriers, negotiate holes in the fences, and dodge the large and colourful spiders that inhabit the area! Poignantly, five years after the accident that led to his death, Jules Bianchi has never been forgotten. A couple of bouquets of flowers had been laid behind the barrier at Dunlop Curve, while in the fan zone there was one spectator draped in a Japanese flag upon which his name had been inscribed. 

Jules Bianchi, gone but never forgotten!

The nicest man in racing?

So far in 2019 there had been just one sole Friday driver – Williams’ Nicholas Latifi – but in Japan it was Toro Rosso’s turn to enact a change in practice. Two-time Super Formula champion and long-term Honda affiliate Naoki Yamamoto was given an outing in a Formula 1 car, in a move that had been planned for several months. Yamamoto acquitted himself well in the Toro Rosso STR14, driving aggressively but never over the line, as he finished competitively, a tenth down on Daniil Kvyat. Japanese fans cheered his every move as he became the first home representative since 2014, while the man himself earned plaudits for the manner in which he conducted himself throughout. The highlight? The fact that one of his main thoughts was for how his time in the car might negatively affect regular incumbent Pierre Gasly. “He actually apologised to me for being in my car” said Gasly. “But I told him there is no big deal about it. It was already planned since the beginning of the year. I said to him to enjoy and make sure you enjoy every single lap.”

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