02/10/2014
NEWS STORY
Round 15 of the FIA Formula 1 World Championship, the 2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, takes the Marussia F1 Team back east to Suzuka, one of the great traditional circuits on the calendar. Owned by Honda and designed by Dutchman John Hugenholz, the Hermann Tilke of the era, Suzuka is a real test of driver and technical package, and also comprises some of the most challenging corners. 130R and Spoon Curve are among the drivers' favourites. It also plays host to some of the most passionate and knowledgeable Formula 1 fans, who are immensely proud of Japan's F1 heritage and the fantastic racing this track has witnessed through the years.
Max Chilton: "It's great to come back to Japan. I love everything about the country, although with the back to back with Sochi I won't get to see as much of it this year. Suzuka is a fantastic track, one of the highlights of the calendar. It's such a technical circuit and it has an enormous amount of history attached to it. I've watched some great battles here over the years. I had a good weekend in Singapore, so I feel really fired up for this race and hopefully another good fight with Caterham. With only five races remaining, it's important that we make each one count to ensure we maintain our current hold on 9th in the Constructors' Championship. In the meantime, I'm really looking forward to seeing the Japanese fans again; they're an awesome crowd."
Jules Bianchi: "I really enjoyed my first experience of Suzuka last year, but it was a less than straightforward weekend, so I'm hoping for better things this time around. The race itself was short-lived, as I was hit from behind on the opening lap, so I'm really looking forward to the race here. Suzuka is a great track; a big test of car and driver and some of the corners here are fantastic. I think we all remember seeing some really incredible racing here, especially in the Prost-Senna era, so it is a very special place, made all the more so by the fans, who are always very excited and passionate about the sport."
John Booth, Team Principal: "We had a tough race in Singapore, where we weren't quite able to assume our usual position ahead of Caterham, despite being quicker at most points in the race. Hopefully, Suzuka will suit us a little better, where another strong two-car finish, underlining our reliability and normal race performance advantage, is the objective. This is one of the truly great circuits and one I wish I'd had the opportunity to drive myself. It is very demanding, of car and driver, and has some fantastic corners, plus its most stand-out feature, the unique figure-of-eight layout. It will be a challenging weekend, and indeed a challenging couple of weeks, with the back-to-back with Sochi."
Mattia Binotto, Scuderia Ferrari Chief Operating Officer - Power Unit Division: "Suzuka is one of the classic rounds of the season, on one the most beautiful tracks on the calendar, where the power from the power unit has a significant influence on lap time and also on driveability: one only has to consider the hairpin before Spoon Curve, or the final chicane. We are now about to embark on the final five races of the season, hence we are looking at managing the five power units available per driver. Therefore, as is the case with Marussia, it will be vital to run extremely reliably, ready to make the most of any opportunity deriving from problems that might be encountered by other teams."