It is not at every Grand Prix that a tranquil pre-race lunch in a Formula 1 team’s hospitality unit is interrupted by a man dressed as a dragon entering the building, accompanied by a swarm of drummers, before pretending to eat an unsuspecting team member. That it is considered almost a normal occurrence is symptomatic of the weird, wonderful and welcoming nature of Suzuka, Japan, and the country’s Grand Prix.
There are vending machines on nearly every street corner, the colourful assortments of questionable liquids inside them illuminating the area, the railway stations are enormously complexing and musical tunes unheard anywhere else on the planet inform you of your impending arrival at the next stop. Ordering food can be a challenge, and understanding what you’re ordering can be even worse, but usually you wind up pleasantly surprised.
The paddock itself – dragon troupe and Bento boxes for media aside – is much the same as at any flyaway, full of the same people undertaking the same routine for the same purpose. But venture outside and it is a charming venue unlike anywhere else in the world.
There are an array of merchandise stalls and walking around in ‘normal’ clothes makes you feel very much the outsider. Every team and driver is represented (including the very obscure), families walk around promoting an assortment of affiliations, and there is a loveable quirkiness and devotion that is limited to Japan and Japan alone. The fans – who line up outside of the circuit to not only greet the drivers but also wave at our Shiroko-Suzuka media shuttle – go to admirably extreme lengths in their garments. A fully suited and helmeted Ayrton Senna, Kimi Raikkonen (2005-spec), Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel were spotted, with the latter regularly replicating the famous post-win finger for anyone who requested a photo. One fan was dressed in a splendid homemade Red Bull-themed kimono.
It doesn’t take long to encounter fans with headgear, such as a miniature replica rear wing with fully-operational DRS, and one spectator who had created Pierre Gasly’s STR13 – with moving wheels and suspension components – was eager for a colleague to try it on, much to her delight (and it was significantly heavier than she expected!) Some carry homemade fans with messages of support, others carry flags devoted to drivers no longer, or never even, in the sport (allegiances to Martin Brundle, Jarno Trulli and Loic Duval were spotted), while vociferous cheers and polite applause greeted the PA announcement of each driver shortly before the race start. On Saturday evening it was a staggering sight to return to the press room, glance out of the window, and see thousands of spectators waving glowsticks while watching driver interviews that were taking place on the pit straight, several hours after the conclusion of qualifying, and with only one support series. That enthusiasm, and exceptional politeness, does not go unnoticed by drivers, who regularly receive handcrafted gifts. Local schools are assigned a Formula 1 team and they create banners and messages of support for that respective outfit, who usually hang them in the garage through the weekend. It is a classy interaction, and a superb way at introducing the next generation to the sport.
Aside from the official merchandising there is an official shop that goes well beyond the usual shirts, caps and other assortments. You can buy a Suzuka tie, ‘tire pudding sweets’, biscuits purporting to be made from tyres (though they probably taste like marbles, bad um tsch), a Suzuka paper lantern, a headgear-esque car-shaped cushion, Suzuka-branded cutlery (useful for Europeans in a land of chopsticks), and such was the demand for many items that ‘sold out’ stickers were in much use by Sunday morning.
That lack of support series action was at least made up by the parade of historic cars that were present to commemorate 30 years of Formula 1 at Suzuka (1987-2006, 2009-present). Mika Hakkinen was the star draw as the 50-year-old climbed into the cockpit of his glorious McLaren MP4-13, two decades on from the victory that clinched him his first of two world titles.
“Well you can probably imagine, this weekend, when I’m driving my old racing car, winning car here, of course it’s like an incredible feeling,” said an enthusiastic Hakkinen. “It’s been a great weekend, really, really good, and also meeting a lot of fans in different locations here in Suzuka. It’s been really good. I was in Formula 1 for 10 years, and I did experience a lot of different cars. But this car is just something unique. It has an amazing front end when you go in the corner. It just had a beautiful balance all the way, through the corner. Brilliant traction. So it’s just great, the car on the edge, to really have fun. Of course the engine is also pretty… I think it adds up to something like 800 horsepower, the balance-to-weight ratio is just brilliant. So a lot of positive words about it.”
Felipe Massa piloted the Ferrari 248 with which he took pole position for the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix and the Brazilian was clearly enjoying the opportunity, as he flicked the screaming V8 engine down three gears for Turn 1, then just twice next time around. Takuma Sato made it three-wide at the rolling start on Sunday morning as he gunned it in the McLaren MP4-6, Jean Alesi was in the Ferrari F187, Satoru Nakajima hopped into the 1988 Lotus T100 as Aguri Suzuki wrestled the 1989 Benetton B189 around the track, the only downside being a suspected gremlin that prevented Kazuki Nakajima from taking the Tyrrell 017 out during Sunday morning’s gathering.
That demonstration run was greeted with fervour by the spectators who had taken up their seats in swelteringly hot conditions four hours before the start of the Formula 1 race.
Once you also consider the actual circuit itself, it’s little wonder that many believe Suzuka must stay on the calendar forever. It absolutely has to. There is nowhere else in the world like it.
