Suzuka 2019: Pre-Race thread

Is Suzuka an easy enough place to get to, comparatively, and a decent enough place to watch a race? I love Japan, and I'm seriously considering attending a race there, if so.

Thank you!
Kevin

 

Is that a go kart going up the hill on the left of the picture of the esses?

 

As always - AMAZING shots Joe! Thanks for sharing them with us

 

A unique and amazing circuit!!! Im ready

 

Proper old school circuit,let the Ferrari battle commence in earnest.

 

See photo 14 post 1. Running on short track with loop back just before the pits like the Nascar taxi cabs did when they raced there once (just once AFAIK)

 

Look at the two Type Rs.

 

School cars perhaps? The silver car looks like a casualty, left to rot in the weeds.

 

Good eye. The mower seems to have maneuvered around it.

Perhaps a couple more silver cars will join it soon.

 

Thanks for the photos, good stuff! Amazing to even try and think about the logistics of not only getting the teams and people there, but all the track prep. As a business model, even with hundreds of thousands of tickets bought at hundreds of dollars each, just the annual maintenance on a track has to be a huge expense.

 

Oh, Hell no! I would not be up there!

 

Here are the ESPN US event times.
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If Ferrari can keep their collective noses clean, there's no reason to expect them not to be impressive here. They just need to stop tripping over their own feet.

 

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/146394/ferrari-boosted-form-by-fasttracking-2020-updates

Mattia Binotto has suggested the crucial recent car upgrades that transformed Ferrari into Formula 1's form team were a result of bringing forward development work planned for 2020.

Ferrari brought a major aerodynamic package including a new nose, floor and diffuser to the Singapore Grand Prix that appears to have eliminated its dependency on power-sensitive tracks to be competitive.

The team has now won pole position for all four races since F1's summer break, and only lost victory in last weekend's Russian Grand Prix because of an MGU-K failure suffered by Sebastian Vettel.

 

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/11827389/f1-2020-testing-six-days-of-winter-running-in-spain-during-february

F1's pre-season testing schedule has been cut from eight to six days for the 2020 season.

With the advent of an additional Grand Prix next year- taking the calendar up to a record 22 races - a "compromise" has been reached with teams whereby the length of the two winter tests will be reduced by one day apiece.

The two three-day tests will continue to be held Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya and take place on February 19-21 and then February 26-28.

 

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Why keep Japan in October? That is prime typhoon season. Move it to the beginning of the F1 season when the weather is dry. Next season, Hanoi is added in April, so the kickoff of F1 could be be the Asia leg.

 

The weather in Suzuka is not unlike Watkins Glen in October.