Fuji Speedway (富士スピードウェイ, Fuji Supīdowei) is a automobile racing circuit located in Japan. Also called Fuji Speedway or Fuji International, the circuit was built near Mount Fuji, a dormant volcano in central Japan. Fuji International Speedway hosted the Fuji Television Japanese Grand Prix in 1976, 1977, 2007, and 2008. Fuji International Speedway was originally intended to be a NASCAR or Indy Car style oval, so it had a banked turn 1. Some of this turn survives today.
Due to a big crash in 1977 involving Gilles Villeneuve and Ronnie Peterson, which killed a photographer and a race marshal, Fuji Speedway was removed from the 1978 calendar until 1987, where the Japanese GP was held at Suzuka Circuit, until F1 decided to return to a modified Fuji in 2007.
Due to poor ticket sales and bad weather, FOM decided that the Japanese Grand Prix would be shared between Fuji Speedway and Suzuka Circuit on alternate years. But in 2010, Toyota decided to discontinue the hosting of the Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji, due to the global financial crisis.
Circuit History[]
In 1963 a group of Japanese businessmen hatched a plan to bring NASCAR-style racing to Japan. They called their company Japan NASCAR Corporation, and planned to create a 4 km/2.5 mile high speed oval in a hilly area about 10km west of Japan's iconic Mount Fuji, actually on the foothills of 1,400m Mount Mikuni. Unfortunately the money ran out while the first of the two banked turns was under construction.
Circuit Layout[]
For other Layout layouts of Fuji Speedway that is not Formula One related, please visit Wikipedia.
Event History[]
The following is a list of Formula One World Championship events held at the Fuji circuit:
Year | Event | Winning Driver | Winning Constructor | Report |
---|---|---|---|---|
1976 | Japanese Grand Prix | Mario Andretti | Lotus-Ford | Report |
1977 | James Hunt | McLaren-Ford | Report | |
2007 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren-Mercedes | Report | |
2008 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | Report |
For 2009 onwards, the race would no longer be held at Fuji International Speedway, with F1 opting instead for Suzuka Circuit. Fuji International Speedway is owned by the Toyota Motor Corporation, a Japanese car company that also owned and operated a Formula 1 Team from 2002 until 2009.
Sources[]
- www.wikipedia.org, The Complete Encyclopedia of Formula One by Bruce Jones
v·d·e | Nominate this page for Featured Article |
V T E | Japanese Grand Prix | |
---|---|---|
Circuits | Fuji (1976–1977, 2007–2008), Suzuka (1987–2006, 2009–present) | |
Races | 1976 • 1977 • 1978–1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009 • 2010 • 2011 • 2012 • 2013 • 2014 • 2015 • 2016 • 2017 • 2018 • 2019 • | |
See also | Pacific Grand Prix |