206 replies to this topic

[muramasa]

 

Suzuka will always be heartbreaking

 

 

 

 

 

this one from 2013 JPGP. the rest are from 2014.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

some team equipment have already arrived Suzuka last week (18 Sep), interesting logistico

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://twitter.com/...824198875975680

https://twitter.com/...823310027460608

 

 

 

 

prep work going on on track

https://twitter.com/suzuka_event

 

 

 

 

Edited by muramasa, 21 September 2015 - 05:37.

[teejay]

One year one. Hopefully something nice will be done for Jules. 

[muramasa]

　　

What's important for Japanese GP;

 

Temple

 

Tempura

 

Temperature!  ٩(⊙.◎｡)۶

 

 

☀☁☂ one week forecast, looks cloudy all weekend with some decent chance of rain for Saturday, temp around 24C

http://www.tenki.jp/...5/27/30123.html

Edited by muramasa, 21 September 2015 - 05:10.

[anbeck]

It's sad to see those pictures of Bianchi. If they are in chronological order, it shows how that weekend went from happy to rainy and sad.

 

 

I haven't looked forward to a race weekend like this since the start of the season! I am really excited to find out how Merc will be doing. Of course, I expect them to fully recover and win by 20 seconds, but there's this tiny, tiny, tiny hope that their complete domination is over. It would make for a much more exciting end to the season.

[Lights]

Such a beautiful circuit. It's a shame one day we'll lose it in favor of a parking lot in Uzbekistan.

[BlinkyMcSquinty]

Of course Suzuka is now clouded by the tragedy from last year. Sadly though, in almost any of the older tracks, there are usually a few of those sad tales. IMO all we can do is pause in respect, then celebrate the race as Jules would want.

 

This is a wonderful track, and even more relevant, the fans there are nothing short of their own version of tifosi. Rabid, passionate, informed, and more smiles than imaginable. For this old fart, the epic and nasty battle between Senna and Prost stands out, it was drama of the highest order, and something that still reverberates down through the years. Like tt or not, this kind of stuff defines Formula One.

 

And now the track. Blasting down the front straight the first obstacle is turn one and two, a diminishing radius braking zone that requires the driver to pitch it in at high speed, and somehow slow down enough without spinning out. Once past there, the wonderful and epic esses, truly some of the greatest sequences in any track. Left, right, left, right, then a final left accelerating out through Dunlop towards Degner, very difficult. Then next is the hairpin, where getting out of there properly avoids being passed. Then the Spoon, deceptively difficult. Then down that long back straight to the epic 130R. That corner is so great it doesn't need a name, just a number.  And then the most famous parking spot in racing.

 

[RainyAfterlifeDaylight]

@Muramasa

 

Any news about McLarenHonda doing some events for their home race or any other news?

[Maustinsj]

Nice OP & build up.

[CoolBreeze]

Sad to see those wonderful pics of Jules. I'm sure he's happier up there now. 

 

Back to the racing, i know it probably going to be dominated by mercs, especially with the cooler conditions. However, i hope Seb and Kimster have other ideas..

[RainyAfterlifeDaylight]

Ferrari's current situation is exactly like the year before of any Formula1 team that won the title the next year. Mercedes must watch out for Ferrari and obviously they have fight in their hands in this season but the next season is going to be tooth and nail fight between Mercedes and Ferrari. I hope RedBull to receive the latest Ferrari power unit and McLarenHonda sort out their problems to have a brilliant season in 2016.

[Rickyf1]

Will the Mercedes tam dominate again? I'm a merc fan and I aren't sure.

[Nonesuch]

The Japanese weekend is always a treat. The circuit is great - though unfortunately less so on Sunday than on Saturday - and the fans are nothing short of fantastic.

 

That it is run as the sun rises here in Europe only adds to the mystique. Land of the Rising Sun, indeed.

 

Plus, it's hard to beat stuff like this when it comes to nostalgia:

 

 

Edited by Nonesuch, 21 September 2015 - 08:19.

[SophieB]

I don't know the name for those little pieces of artwork formed by keyboard strokes but I love the one you've made here, muramasa:

＼＼\\ ٩(☉o☉ )و //／／

[Nonesuch]

I don't know the name for those little pieces of artwork formed by keyboard strokes

Kaomoji. (⌒_⌒;)

[superdelphinus]

What a wonderful track Suzuka is, probably my favourite above spa just because there is no let up whatsoever and it all flows like a natural river through the landscape - it's almost as if it wasn't made by man. As with all the great older tracks, it has echoes of tragedy emanating from its soul.

Fitting that this weekend seems like a really pivotal one as to how the rest of the season is going to unfold. My feeling is that it's going to be a bit like post Malaysia where the excitement of a genuine upset dies down and business as usual resumes.

[thegamer23]

His first F1 experience in one of the thoughest tracks out there. 

Wondere how Max will perform.

Edited by thegamer23, 21 September 2015 - 09:43.

[Exb]

hmmm, the forecast that the BBC put on twitter showed rain everyday.

[Nonesuch]

Let's offset the saddening images from the opening post with some more Japanese flair from 2012:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[jonpollak]

muramasa-san arigatōgozaimasu

Jp-san

[RubalSher]

Lewis

[STRFerrari4Ever]

The feels are strong, has it really been a year already since last years race? Time flies so fast, I literally remember making my sandwich for that race like it was yesterday but a full 12 months have passed since that.

Anyway, is rain expected during the main events(Quali and the race)?

[kosmos]

Dear McLaren-Honda

 

Don't suck in your home GP!.

 

Spoiler

please

[Marklar]

Dear McLaren-Honda
 
Don't suck in your home GP!.
 

Spoiler

please

Double DNF incoming!

[Marklar]

The feels are strong, has it really been a year already since last years race? Time flies so fast, I literally remember making my sandwich for that race like it was yesterday but a full 12 months have passed since that.
Anyway, is rain expected during the main events(Quali and the race)?

Yes, qualifying a bit stronger than race apparentely. We have again an typhoon warning, but not so bad like last year....

Edited by Marklar, 21 September 2015 - 13:46.

[GoldenColt]

Most beautiful circuit on the calendar. 

[noikeee]

Time to promise myself I'm not gonna wake up 6AM to watch this crap. Might skim through a recording later, but enough's enough. It's not the fault of anyone in particular or any of the sport's rules in particular, but the races have been dreadful recently. There has to be some more productive way of spending my afternoon (early morning in this case - I suspect it might involve some kind of bed).

 

Hope Jules is remembered properly.

[Mtom]

Ferrari's current situation is exactly like the year before of any Formula1 team that won the title the next year. Mercedes must watch out for Ferrari and obviously they have fight in their hands in this season but the next season is going to be tooth and nail fight between Mercedes and Ferrari. I hope RedBull to receive the latest Ferrari power unit and McLarenHonda sort out their problems to have a brilliant season in 2016.

Because the dominant team had a bad weekend?

[STRFerrari4Ever]

Time to promise myself I'm not gonna wake up 6AM to watch this crap. Might skim through a recording later, but enough's enough. It's not the fault of anyone in particular or any of the sport's rules in particular, but the races have been dreadful recently. There has to be some more productive way of spending my afternoon (early morning in this case - I suspect it might involve some kind of bed).

Hope Jules is remembered properly.

You're waking up mate, don't kid yourself.

[Seanspeed]

Time to promise myself I'm not gonna wake up 6AM to watch this crap. Might skim through a recording later, but enough's enough. It's not the fault of anyone in particular or any of the sport's rules in particular, but the races have been dreadful recently. There has to be some more productive way of spending my afternoon (early morning in this case - I suspect it might involve some kind of bed).
 
Hope Jules is remembered properly.

I love F1 in the morning. No sitting around *waiting* around for it. Plus it leaves the rest of your day free.

Edited by Seanspeed, 21 September 2015 - 14:14.

[JHSingo]

Time to promise myself I'm not gonna wake up 6AM to watch this crap. Might skim through a recording later, but enough's enough. It's not the fault of anyone in particular or any of the sport's rules in particular, but the races have been dreadful recently. There has to be some more productive way of spending my afternoon (early morning in this case - I suspect it might involve some kind of bed).

 

I'll probably make a decision after seeing the results of practice/qualifying. If it's normal service resumed and Merc dominant in a big way, I'll probably not bother getting up. But if Merc is continuing to struggle and there's more competition again, I may sacrifice a Sunday morning lie in.

[BlinkyMcSquinty]

Will the Mercedes tam dominate again? I'm a merc fan and I aren't sure.

 

Oh yea, this kind of track plays into the strengths of the Mercedes.

[DutchQuicksilver]

Though the track itself is good, races are pretty much always boring here. And of course, the tragedy from last year comes to mind as well. 

[sportyskells]

hopefully we safety get past this race, at least we had lessons learnt from the FIA. do not forgot if Saturday is too wet we could have a Sunday qualfying as in the past

[Zava]

I love F1 in the morning. No sitting around *waiting* around for it. Plus it leaves the rest of your day free more time that day for vehement arguing on internet forums.

 

there, corrected it for you. 

[Tenmantaylor]

Heavy rain predicted for Sunday at the minute. Take power out of the equation a bit, lower track temps and Ferrari / RB should be close to Merc I reckon.

[CurbPainter]

His first F1 experience in one of the thoughest tracks out there. 

Wondere how Max will perform.

 

...and his first time in that car, he only did prior to this his licence in an older Red Bull car. I'm willing to bet it's going to look a whole lot different now with a car he's used to and him being used to F1 cars now.

 

I wonder if he still takes the inside line in the chicane (old line according to McNish), because in Hungary he also did that where others took the outside line more in one corner (Hamilton did the same as Max, and both have a bit of the same late braking style and throwing the car sideways while braking, and straightening the car very quickly in a straight line to go quickly on full throttle again).

Edited by CurbPainter, 21 September 2015 - 18:39.

[Richard T]

Making your F1 debut at suzuka that requires a car with such high steering lock must be a nightmare   Good to see how good Max has become in exactly one year 

[CurbPainter]

Making your F1 debut at suzuka that requires a car with such high steering lock must be a nightmare   Good to see how good Max has become in exactly one year 

 

Yeah, it's surprising the progress he has made in one year.

 

It will most likely come down again to two options for him :

 

1. Lots of mechanical/strategy bad luck

 

2. Not so much mechanical/strategy bad luck and he will show himself again

 

3. This is the option which is a bit less likely, him making a mistake and screwing it up (both times in Silverstone and Monaco mistakes of the team went prior to it). He only has had one crash after his first 1 and 2/3 formula racing years...pretty remarkable if you look at how many daring overtakes he has done in that period. Prost/Senna had accidents on average every 9/10 races, Vettel up to last year every 11 races, Alonso every 14 races and Hamilton every 16 races. 

 

[Marklar]

Best URL ever

[travbrad]

Will the Mercedes tam dominate again? I'm a merc fan and I aren't sure.

 

Yes.

[CurbPainter]

Will the Mercedes tam dominate again? I'm a merc fan and I aren't sure.

 

I hope so, I already got bored after one race seeing someone else win.

[RainyAfterlifeDaylight]

I hope so, I already got bored after one race seeing someone else win.

I can't wait for a Mercedes win too   ----------- & I am serious.

Edited by RYARLE, 21 September 2015 - 19:50.

[RainyAfterlifeDaylight]

Because the dominant team had a bad weekend?

No. Because 49 points gap is as big as small.

[topical]

It woud be nice to see a McLaren Honda victory after their tough year.

[RainyAfterlifeDaylight]

It woud be nice to see a McLaren Honda victory after their tough year.

Or pole position and win 

[Marklar]

Or pole position and win

Dont you feel for bookies?

Edited by Marklar, 21 September 2015 - 20:18.

[Exb]

Some early set-up photos   https://twitter.com/...a_event?lang=en

[Spillage]

Every year Suzuka reminds the world why we need to bring back gravel traps. I love this track.

[STRFerrari4Ever]

Need a repeat of 2009 qualifying, with guys binning it left, right and centre because they are flat out.

[Hellenic tifosi]

Suzuka is a brilliant track. Fast, flowing, challenging, makes every modern track(apart from Austin) seem bland and boring. It is one of the very few tracks that can provide a great spectacle by just watching the cars lap fast. Especially the first sector is unbelievable.