Japanese F1 Grand Prix 2008, Fuji Speedway
Japan Fuji Speedway expects to be one of the biggest draws of the 2007 season when it returns to Formula One after a 30-year absence. The completely renovated track should offer high speeds especially from the awesome 1.5km main straight where there could be plenty of opportunities for passing, all adding up to some spectacular racing.
In 2003 the circuit was closed down to accommodate a major reprofiling of the track, using a new design from Hermann Tilke. The track was reopened on 10 April 2005. Toyota has now won its bid to host a Grand Prix event, replacing the Suzuka Circuit as host to the Japanese Grand Prix in the 2008 Formula One season. It will become the F1 track with the longest straight of the championship, 1.5 km.
Guests of the Formula One Paddock Club are treated, too, with new updated facilities within a Pit Building Terrace and Lounge with private grandstand viewing. The circuit is in a protected area of natural beauty with lakes, hot springs and of course Mount Fuji towering in the background. Only 100km away are the business facilities and bright lights of Tokyo.
The event promises to become the greatest ever Japanese Grand Prix as brand new facilities and a completely redesigned race track will attract a huge spectator crowd and make the event memorable. Located in Japan's populous Shizuoka Prefecture and just 62 miles from Tokyo, organisers hope to attract up to 280,000 spectators to Fuji over the course of the race weekend, with 140,000 on race day alone. To accommodate the crowds, the circuit boasts some of the calendar's best grandstands, including seating for 24,000 opposite the pits.