Japanese Grand Prix

The Japanese Grand Prix is one of my favourite races. For a start, the track is legendary. It’s situated in the small city of Suzuka about an hour from Nagoya.

Spectators get a great deal here with the cheapest 3-day general admittance tickets of the year. This ticket also gets you access to tiered seating. But perhaps it’s the fans that stand out most to me. They are immensely polite, passionate and patient. If you can make the Thursday pit lane walk, you’ll love the colourful outfits and signs on display.

The ferris wheel offers a great view of the track and runs all day. There is also a go-kart track near an entrance that I took my kids on many years ago.

The drawback for me with this race though is the accommodation. There are no 4 or 5 star properties in the small town and the rooms that are on offer are normally tiny and in many cases, smell strongly of cigarettes.

You can stay in Nagoya where there are larger western style hotels but if you drive, expect to spend at least an hour on the freeway each way and have to shell out plenty on tolls. The train is a quicker and much cheaper option. Most of the drivers stay at the Suzuka Circuit Hotel adjacent to the track but it’s impossible to secure a room there as the teams have first option.

One of the best spots to sit is at turns 16 and 17 where the cars break heavily for the right hander having taken R130 at full tilt. I often shoot from the inside of this section of track where the ferris wheel features strongly in the background.

Photographers, you’ll be interested to know that you can buy a photography ticket that allows you to shoot the action from a couple of different areas in the stands where you’ll be surrounded by fellow shooters. I don’t think this happens at any other track.

If you want to glimpse the drivers arriving and leaving, get to the main vehicle entrance on Circuit Road (behind the pit straight grandstand) early each day. They all pass by here and will often wave.

One peculiar thing about the Japanese GP is the fans stay back after the race and re-watch it on the big screens from the pitstraight grandstand.