Editing Suzuka Circuit (section)

==Introduction==
[[File:Suzuka International Racing Course, July 10, 2018 SkySat (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|The circuit, as it appeared in 2018]]
[[Soichiro Honda]] decided to develop a new permanent circuit in Mie prefecture in the late 1950s. Designed as a [[Honda]] test track in 1962 by Dutchman [[John Hugenholtz|John "Hans" Hugenholtz]], the track has a figure-of-eight layout, with the {{cvt|1.2|km|mi|abbr=on}} long back straight passing over the front section by means of an [[overpass]]. It is the only [[FIA]] Grade 1 licensed track to have such a layout, after the [[Fiorano Circuit]] was downgraded to Grade 2 in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=LIST OF FIA LICENSED CIRCUITS UPDATED ON : 2024-12-23 |url=https://www.fia.com/sites/default/files/circuits_fia20241223.pdf |website=[[Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile]] |date=23 December 2024 |access-date=28 March 2025}}</ref>

The circuit has been modified at least eight times:

In 1983 a [[chicane]] was inserted at the last curve to slow the cars into the pit straight; the original circuit was an extremely fast track with only one slow corner; without the Casio chicane some cars would go through the final long right-hand corner flat out and then would go past the pits at more than {{cvt|200|mph|km/h|abbr=on}}. In 1984 the first part of Spoon was made slightly slower and the corner was brought closer to the track to expand run-off area there, and in 1985 the first corner was made slightly slower.

In 1987 the circuit was brought up to F1 and Grand Prix motorcycle standards for both Japanese Grands Prix of their respective championships, the F1 Grand Prix being the first held at Suzuka. The Degner curve was made into two corners instead of one long curve, and more [[crash barrier]]s, more run-off areas were added, exposed vegetation was barricaded off and straw bales were removed (but still used for the Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix).

In 2002, the chicane was slightly modified, 130R (marked as 15 on the diagram) was also modified and some of the snake curves were made a bit straighter and faster; additionally, the runoff area at the Dunlop Curve was doubled from 12 metres to 25 metres, and the corner itself was made slightly tighter.

In 2003, the chicane was made slightly faster and closer to the 130R.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.etracksonline.co.uk/News/stories/news_id091.html|title=Suzuka: new chicane and 130R|date=2 February 2003|access-date=21 September 2011|work=etracksonline.co.uk|publisher=e-Tracks|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110317034906/http://www.etracksonline.co.uk/News/stories/news_id091.html|archive-date=17 March 2011}}</ref>

Following the death of [[Daijiro Kato]] at the [[2003 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix]], Suzuka reconfigured the motorcycle variant of what is now known as the Hitachi Automotive Systems Chicane before the final turn, and added a second chicane, between the hairpin and 200R.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.motogp.com/en/news/2004/02/02/suzuka-begins-latest-phase-of-modifications/135774|title=Suzuka Begins Latest Phase of Modifications|date=2 February 2004|access-date=25 July 2015|work=motogp.com|publisher=Dorna}}</ref>

The circuit can be used in five configurations; the car full circuit, the motorcycle full circuit, the "Suzuka east," "Suzuka west car," and "Suzuka west motorcycle" configurations. The "east" portion of the course consists of the pit straight to the first half of the Dunlop curve (turn seven), before leading back to the pit straight via a tight right-hander. The "west" course is made up of the other part of the full circuit, including the crossover bridge; the straight leading to the overpass is used for the start/finish line and the grid.  The chicane between the hairpin and 200R separates the west and full course sections between cars and motorcycles.

The Degner curve was named in honour of [[Ernst Degner]] after he crashed his factory Suzuki 50 there during Suzuka's inaugural All Japan Championship Road Race meeting on 3 November 1962.

At the [[2014 Japanese Grand Prix]], F1 driver [[Jules Bianchi]] suffered serious injuries after colliding with a recovery vehicle, and died in hospital as a result nine months later. In the wake of the accident, the ''Dunlop'' corner was slightly changed and revised in safety standards, and the organisers of the Japanese Grand Prix installed a large crane in place of the tractor that Bianchi hit.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Suzuka installs larger crane for 2015|url = http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/330563/suzuka-installs-larger-crane-for-2015/|website = GPUpdate.net|access-date = 27 September 2015}}</ref>