Not so long ago, the motorcycle Grands Prix offered a unique spectacle once a year. One circuit in particular gave chills and brought the crowds to their feet. The show was guaranteed. This is the story of a circuit, one of the most incredible: Suzuka.
This route, located in the south of Japan in the Mie prefecture, was designed at the request of the legendary Soichiro Honda, founder of the company of the same name, wanting a test circuit. Its doors opened in 1962, and since then, it has become a legend.
He has nothing in common. First of all the configuration: it is one of the only major circuits in the world not to be a loop, but an '8' with a bridge crossing the track. The character of the route lies in its long curves favoring passing speed and its complicated sections.
Between the difficult braking of the Casio chicane (which became known thanks to Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna in 1989), the unforgivable Degner curve, or the enjoyable 130R, there is no shortage of legendary turns. Formula 1 has been there regularly since the mid-1980s, and the clashes of four-wheeled titans are also responsible for its success. But the motorcycle occupies a major place in Suzuka's history; a story that is sometimes magnificent, sometimes tragic.
The Spoon corner is one of the best known on the circuit. It consists of a very long left turn with a blind exit. Overtaking here is impossible, because you have to prepare for the long straight line which leads to the 130R, a terrifying left curve. The most experienced got caught. Unless you try the outside… Photo: Morio
In fact, two-wheelers have been present since the opening of the circuit. From 1962, Jim Redman imposed his Honda at home to the delight of the fans and the firm, happy to see one of his machines triumph “at home”.
So much happened there that it is impossible to talk about everything. But the numerous games between Kevin Schwantz and just about everyone else – this circuit was among his favorites – at the end of the 1980s are ultimately only part of the myth.
Suzuka is more than that. It is also here that young Japanese hopefuls came to train their wildcard skills. Once a year, they competed against the best in the world. It was therefore not uncommon to see a stranger very well placed; we have in mind the pole position of Tadahiko Taira in 1989, without forgetting the performance of Norifumi Abe in 1994 who played spoilsport among the leaders before falling.
More generally, the Japanese seemed in another world when Suzuka came, often the first round of the season. Dozens of local drivers won in all categories. Thus, in 1995, the three Aoki brothers (Haruchika, Nobuatsu and Takuma) reached the podium in three different categories! Never seen.
The owner was also Japanese.. Daijiro Kato won the 250cc Grand Prix four times, and the mention of his name leads to the dramas linked to this track, and these are unfortunately inseparable from it. In 2003, after a loss of control when exiting the 130R, Kato hits the wall to the left of the track. At 200 km/h at this point, there's not much to do. The 250 2001cc world champion joined Satoru Takashima, Kengo Kiyama, Kunio Katsumata, Naoto Ogura, Mamoru Yamakawa and Keisuke Sato, all of whom died on the circuit during Grands Prix or other races.
The first turn is no less exhilarating. Very long right curve (or even double right) closing, the entry speed is staggering. It should not be neglected, because it conditions the “snake”, a series of left/right turns where the slightest error in trajectory can cost seconds. Here, from the start, the stands have been “stadium” type, like in a football stadium. The atmosphere there is electric. Photo: Morio
Indeed, it is impossible to talk about Suzuka and motorcycles without mentioning the various endurance events. The Suzuka 8 Hours are part of the DNA of the circuit, and have brought together the biggest names in our sport. Valentino Rossi, Carlos Checa, Alex Barros, Eddie Lawson, all won the prestigious event, taken very seriously by the manufacturers. This is the opportunity to admire the magnificent infrastructures, the amusement park in the blazing heat, which give the 8 Hours worldwide fame.
After Kato's death, we no longer saw a Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, now moved to Motegi, a race which, moreover, already existed in the championship in the form of the "Pacific Grand Prix". Deemed too dangerous for MotoGP, it is still a shame to no longer find this unique atmosphere in the world, and to no longer see the riders hugging the immense curves. It nonetheless remains one of the monuments of motor sports, a singular jewel which contrasts with many sanitized circuits.
Cover photo: Scott Russell at the 8 Suzuka 1993 Hours.
