The Japan Grand Prix has repeatedly caused memorable moments in Formula 1 over the years. Even legends like Niki Lauda or Michael Schumacher experienced tragedies in Suzuka. The four biggest dramas at the Japan GP:
Fuji 1976 – Niki Lauda has enough
Although he missed several races because of his fire crash at the Nürburgring, Niki Lauda comes to Fuji with a three -point lead on his rival James Hunt in 1976. Much suggests that the Austrian invades Ferrari’s second World Cup title.
On the race day, however, it pours the Fuji volcano’s foot like from buckets-drivers and race management discuss a cancellation for a long time. The supporters of the rain madness prevail.
Lauda starts, but turns into the garage after just two rounds, gets out – and not again. “There are more important things than a world championship. For example my head, my life,” he says. This makes the way free for Hunt, a third place is now enough for the British. Five laps before the end, the McLaren man in the lead has to change the tires, falls back to 5th place.
So a happy ending for Lauda? No! How unleashed, Hunt grabs Clay Regazzoni and Alan Jones in the last round, climbs the platform and at the same time the Formula 1 throne.
Suzuka 1994 – Damon Hills Sertion
Michael Schumacher lies in front of his rival Damon Hill before the second last GP of the 1994 season. A victory in Suzuka and the first title is practically no longer to be taken. First of all, everything runs according to plan: Schumacher Rast in the Benetton Ford confidently on Pole, Hill (Williams-Renault) buys more than four tenths.
On race Sunday there is land in Suzuka, in streams the water flows over the eight slope. Schumacher and Hill surf at the top, behind it it goes haywire. Despite the yellow flags, Martin Brundle circle from the route in the McLaren-Peugeot, almost unchecked into an accident site. A route post breaks the leg – luckily, more does not happen.
After the Brundle shock, the race is interrupted, the drivers have to park their racing cars at the start/finish. Schumacher on 1, Hill on 2. According to the 94 rules, the race is now valued in two parts-the distances of the first part of the race are charged with the intervals from part 2 according to the black and white checkered flag. Schumacher goes to the second Suzuka rain round with a cushion of 6.8 seconds.
Hill has to risk everything if he wants to keep his World Cup chance alive. The Briton delivers and drives the race of his life. Unlike “Regengott” Schumacher, he only comes to the box once and takes the virtual leadership. The German has a lighter car through the strategy, but cannot catch up on the unleashed Hill as expected.
The Williams man crosses 10.1 seconds before Schumacher, but does not yet know whether it is enough in the cockpit. “Keep my mouth and just tell me if I won,” Hill chokes the voice confusion on team radio rigoros. After a short head calculation phase, he gets the redeeming radio message from team boss Frank Williams: “Yes, you won.”
With the greatest victory of his career, Hill shortens his gap to one point in the World Cup. The rest is history: a week later, Schumacher and Hill collide at the season finale in Adelaide, the German is world champion for the first time.
Suzuka 2014 – The drama around Jules Bianchi
Twenty years after Hills Hussar ride it rains again in Suzuka. And how. Sergio Pérez slides off the asphalt in the formation round, the race is initially started behind the Safety Car.
The fact that Lewis Hamilton then gives his Mercedes rival Nico Rosberg a lesson on Nasser Piste and wins is a minor matter. A tragic accident overshadows the Japan GP 2014. The drama begins when Adrian Sutil puts its cleanly into the route limit. No heavy crash. The tow crane moves out to rescue the car. Pure routine.
However, the safety car remains in the garage. The incredible thing happens in round 41: Jules Bianchi flies down in the same place and rushes under the reciprocal in his Marussia. In the impact, the roll bar of the car breaks, Bianchi suffers serious head injuries.
The 25-year-old Frenchman is flown to the hospital with the helicopter and operated on. After nine months in a coma, Bianchi dies in July 2015. Formula 1 is shocked. Bianchi’s start number 17 is never awarded again.
Suzuka 2022 – Max Verstappen’s crowning
At the start, Max Verstappen shows on a mirror -smooth slope why he is considered a rain master. On the outside he pushes past Charles Leclerc in Ferrari, who briefly has his nose on the inside. After that it gets wild: Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Kreiselt in the gravel bed, Williams man Alex Albon stops with defect.
The Safety Car takes over the command, as a hair is repeated a catastrophe à la 2014. Pierre Gasly wants to catch up with the Safety Car in Alphatauri – the race line swings the red flag, but has already sent a recovery crane to recover Sainz ‘Ferrari.
In the event of poor perspective, Gasly races towards the scene of the accident, suddenly the crane appears in front of him, and a route post is also busy. The F1 congregation collects collectively that the Frenchman does not rush into the vehicle, understandably-besides itself.
When the race is started after more than an hour behind the Safety Car, the conditions are okay again. Max Verstappen drives up to his rival Leclerc and away, can even afford an additional pit stop. But that’s not enough for early World Cup crown.
However, Leclerc then makes a mistake in the fight for second place with Sergio Pérez in the last harassment: he leaves the route, only stays in front of the Red Bull. Even while the Top3 interviews run in the Parc Fermé, the race management is growing up a 5-second penalty to the Monegassen, classifying it in 3rd place.
As a result, Verstappen is suddenly world champion – also because the FIA reinterprets its rules and forgives the full number of points, although only a little more than half of the actual racing distance has been completed. In the end, nobody checks in Suzuka.