Race Report by Aramco

JapanJapan

2022 season

In a very wet race at Suzuka, Sebastian went from the back to finish sixth after early contact, while Lance produced a great first lap and a strong charge late on to finish in 12th position.

2022 season

Japanese Grand Prix circuit figures

Number of pitstops

Longest stint (laps)

190

Total laps in Japan

1103

Total km in Japan

Fastest lapM:S.MS

1.46.964

Sebastian

1.45.205

Lance

Max speedKM/H

296.2

Sebastian

296.2

Lance

It has been a wonderful weekend, and to all the fantastic Suzuka fans I can only say, ‘thank you'.
Sebastian Vettel

Japanese GP

Sebastian Vettel

"Obviously, it was a shame that we only got half a race – but at least the people in the grandstands got to see some racing.

"We were waiting in the dry for the restart, but I imagine it must have been rather unpleasant to sit outside in the wet for a couple of hours.

"I got a very good start – but then I collided with another car at the first corner. I really could not see anything – I am not sure, maybe I aquaplaned or I made a mistake – but I lost all the positions I had gained and ended up last.

"When the race restarted, we made a good decision to box immediately for Inters. It was a great stop, then I pushed like crazy and managed to undercut most of the field.

"It has been a dream weekend – for us to score eight points is a mega result. I feel sad to have driven my last race here, but it has been a wonderful weekend, and to all the fantastic Suzuka fans I can only say, ‘thank you'."

I had noticed a strip of drier asphalt and decided to go for it at the start. It was a really fun first lap.
Lance Stroll

Japanese GP

Lance Stroll

"Before we got going, I had noticed a strip of drier asphalt and decided to go for it at the start. It worked out really well – it was a really fun first lap.

"There was not much grip on those early laps and very little visibility; it was a tough call for Race Control, but it was clear that the race had to be stopped when Carlos [Sainz] crashed.

"I do not think the visibility was much better when we restarted, but it did get better towards the end.

"All in all, it was an eventful race, the fans were incredible with the weather, and now we look ahead to Austin and Mexico City."

We scored our another sixth place, thanks to a fine drive by Sebastian and by a good strategy call.
Mike Krack - Team Principal

Japanese GP

Mike Krack

"Once the race finally got underway, it was a great one, albeit not a long one.

"But the main thing is that it provided excellent entertainment for the always-enthusiastic Japanese fans who braved the wet weather to fill the grandstands, and for viewers all over the world who stayed glued to their TV sets despite the long hiatus in the on-track action.

"From an Aston Martin point of view, we scored our second consecutive sixth place, thanks to a fine drive by Sebastian, facilitated by a good strategy call to fit Inters so soon after the restart and a superb pitstop that enabled him to exit the pit lane ahead of [Nicholas] Latifi.

"Lance pushed hard on his second set of Inters - another good call by our strategy team - and ended up a solid 12th."

Your guide to Japan

With Cognizant

Insight and Speed

Strategy

Pirelli brings the hardest tyres to this race, which marks the final time this season that the C1 compound will be used. Traditionally, this can be a one- or a two-stop race. The opportunity for overtaking may influence strategy here; track position while maintaining tyre life is key.

Race disruptions

Despite the demands of the circuit on the drivers and the cars, Safety Cars and VSCs are infrequent. Retirements are also quite rare – notably, every driver finished the race in 2016. However, somewhat unpredictable weather can drastically influence the race – or even the entire weekend.

Overtaking

Surprisingly, this layout tends to feature a lot of overtakes. There is just one DRS zone – on the run down to Turn One. This is the main overtaking spot, despite a very fast entry. Passes can be made under braking at Turns 11 or 16, while Turn 13 is also a popular place to make a move.

With SentinelOne

Unlocking the Lap

Revered by all drivers and one of the most spectacular places to watch a Formula One car on the limit, the opening snake through the Esses is as challenging as it is rewarding. The corners flow into each other, so learning and perfecting these entries and exits is critical to a quick time through the first sector.

There is little rest after the Esses; the Degner section of the circuit – two very tricky right-handers – follows immediately. The first turn is fast but has a very tight exit and it is easy to run wide. The second corner arrives almost straight away – it is slightly banked, but running wide is also commonplace and can ruin a quick-lap.

The left-handed double-apex Spoon Curve precedes the longest flat-out section on the circuit and is crucial to lap-time. The first part is very fast but drivers need to resist the urge to push too soon and run out of road before the second apex. The bend leads onto a long blast up to 130R and is easy to misjudge, being slightly off-camber.