F1 goes back to Fuji

[Wizzo]

This weekend, Formula One will make its first trip to the Fuji Speedway in Japan since 1977. Toyota purchased the circuit in 2000, and a significant upgrade of facilities has meant it has won the right to host the Japanese Grand Prix this year.

The 4.563km track, over-shadowed by Mount Fuji, takes over from the well-liked Suzuka circuit, although the two circuits will alternate hosting duties from 2009. Fuji Speedway will feature a 1.5km pit straight, the longest in F1, and a slightly altered layout from its previous incarnation.

The stage is set for some fireworks at Fuji, and although the constructors' title has been decided in Ferrari's favour in unfortunate circumstances, the drivers' crown is still well and truly up for grabs.

[SennaMan]

Being in the shadow of Mount Fuji the locality is subject to rain; real bucket loads of it.

Remember when Nikki LAUDA retired his car after only 2 laps at the first ever Japanese Grand Prix in 1976? Many criticised him for it.

The race should never have even started - the track was awash and very dangerous. Fuji got only one more GP in 1977, thankfully fine weather on that race day but a marshall and a wandering lunatic of a spectator was killed by the FERRARI 312T2 of Giles VILLENEUVE after he was involved in an accident.

The long 1.5 km straight will be amazing to witness the cars breaking at the end of it!

[SennaMan]

Hmmmmmmmmm Final practice at FUJI abandoned because of rain.........

I'm no meteorologist but is it 1977 repeating itself?

Sorry FUJI but it may be a case of wrong track, wrong place and wrong time of year

doesn't any one take heed of history?

[romephius]

You couldn't be more right there SennaMan.....they should have stayed at Suzuka

Rom

[Steven Roy]

When you think how Bernie penalises any circuit that for whatever reason has a race that does not run to the TV schedule it seems odd giving a race to a circuit that has a worse weather record than the proper Nurburgring.  Guess Toyota must be putting a lot of dollars in his account.

[johnbull]

When you think how Bernie penalises any circuit that for whatever reason has a race that does not run to the TV schedule it seems odd giving a race to a circuit that has a worse weather record than the proper Nurburgring.  Guess Toyota must be putting a lot of dollars in his account.

Another episode in the Bernie and Max show called TWO WEIGHTS AND TWO MEASURES.

[SennaMan]

When you think how Bernie penalises any circuit that for whatever reason has a race that does not run to the TV schedule it seems odd giving a race to a circuit that has a worse weather record than the proper Nurburgring.  Guess Toyota must be putting a lot of dollars in his account.

Another episode in the Bernie and Max show called TWO WEIGHTS AND TWO MEASURES.

I think you two have "hit the button".

Right on the button too - with these two ya just have to follow the money trail coz their show could also be called:

SHOW ME THE MONEY!!!!!!!!

However, in spite of them I am looking forward to one helluva great race.

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!

[SennaMan]

I am watching the race now - 5th lap behind safety car - the wet conditions are atrocious and far too dangerous

surely they will abandon it

if they race I fear someone will die - but no worries Bernie will love the free F1 publicity

bloody stooooooooopid race track!

bloody stupid money-hungry philosophy

I love F1 but sometimes feel it can be so shameful

[Steven Roy]

What a farcical race.  There is no way that race should have been started when it was. 

Of course as has been said before it was all utterly predictable.  The weather at Fuji at this tme of year is always likely to be wet.  The 'race' was always going to start behind a safety car even though when it started there was no break in he weather anticipated and it was even possible that the whole race could run behind the safety car.  Modern F1 cars are not designed to run in extreme wet weather as could be seen by cars aquaplaing at safety car speeds.  And most predictably of all as soon as they thought they could get away with it they pulled in the safety car and let them 'race'.

My first ever race was a FFord race in very wet weather.  Skinny tyres, no aerodynamic devices on the cars and a top speed not much over 100mph.  All you can see in those conditions is the red light on the car in front - occasionally.  I cannot imagine what it is like in cars with twice the speed, all that aero and tyres chucking up 3 or 4 times as much water.  And to think people praise Max for his safety work.  What a joke.

Max the man who said we should think of F1 like a chess match.  Whoever played chess where you don't know where all your pieces are??

One interesting point that came up in the UK commentary is that the safety car cannot do the race distance.  The pinacle of motor sport has now reached a point where serious racing journalists have to spend their time finding out how far the safety car can go on a tank of fuel.  Farcical.

[Alianora La Canta]

There is an entire branch of chess where you don't know where any the pieces are (unless your memory is exceptionally good). It's called blindfold chess and quite a lot of Grandmasters of chess play it to improve their standard chess skills. In Formula 1, it doesn't really work, though, because of the likelihood of players being removed from the game innocently (besides all the carbon fibre disrupting everyone else and the obvious safety problems).

I believe there is such a thing as a delay option, though in their haste to keep to TV scheduling, the race control insisted on setting the race off. I know there's an argument that sending the cars out is the quickest way of drying the track, but that only works if it's not raining...

[johnbull]

Some excellent points made by writers before me so I've no need to elaborate, save to say that I agree completely.

This business of "The show must go on" is getting carried just a little too far, and sooner or later someone is going to get hurt. But as I think it's Alianora said, Bernie will be rubbing his hands because it means more publicity.