Suzuka is one of the classic venues of the Formula One calendar, incorporating a huge variety of demanding corners such as the well known Spoon and 130R.

Located to the west of the Japanese capital, Tokyo, Suzuka has undergone a number of significant enhancements since it was originally inaugurated as a Honda test track back in 1962.

Pirelli will bring the P Zero White medium compound tyre to Japan together with the P Zero yellow soft compound: the same combination that was used recently on two other demanding circuits featuring high-speed corners, Spa and Monza.

The wide range of speeds and corners at Suzuka mean that it is essential to have a versatile tyre, with the soft and medium compounds providing a good compromise between grip and durability, together with the possibility to create some interesting pit stop strategies.

The technical and abrasive layout of Suzuka, particularly in the long and fast corners such as 130R, place heavy demands on the construction of the tyres, which have to absorb huge loadings that equate to 800 kilograms or more.

Coming at the end of the season, Suzuka has frequently played host to races that decide the world championship and this year is no exception, as Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel needs just one more point to clinch his second consecutive title. The German has won the Japanese Grand Prix for the last two years, with only Fernando Alonso, Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello being the other current drivers to have won at Suzuka previously.

The Japanese Grand Prix has often been characterised by wet weather, meaning that the P Zero Blue intermediates and P Zero Orange wet tyres might also come into play after a recent spell of dry races. The safety car has appeared for the last two years in Japan, which is sure to have a profound impact on tyre strategy.

Paul Hembery: "After what has been a devastating year for Japan, we are very pleased to be showing our support for the country and coming to the Japanese Grand Prix, on a circuit that all the drivers love. Suzuka is all about putting power down effectively in order to obtain maximum grip in terms of traction, braking and cornering. There's a lot of energy and lateral load going through the rubber, so once more it is going to be important for all the drivers to manage their tyres effectively, because of the speeds involved and a high-downforce set-up that pushes the tyres onto the road surface. We are likely to see our very first P Zero-equipped world champion crowned at Suzuka this weekend, so it's a race that is set to go down in our history. The combination of soft and medium tyres has produced several close finishes in the past, as there is not a hugely different level of degradation between these two compounds. All the ingredients are in place for a memorable race."