The Fuji Speedway takes it name from Fujiyama, Fuji-san or Mount Fuji, as it is more commonly known in the English-speaking world. Both “yama” and “san” can mean “mountain” in Japanese, depending on whether you follow Kunyomi or Onyomi pronunciation. Rising up 3,776 metres above sea level, this composite volcano is Japan’s highest mountain. Its rock is estimated to date back 100,000 years. Still classed as an active volcano, Mount Fuji has a literally smouldering beauty. The likelihood of an eruption, however, is reckoned to be slight. Indeed, the last recorded eruption occurred in 1707.

Fuji is located in the Japanese Alps on Japan’s main island of Honshu, its summit gracing the boundary between the prefectures of Yamanashi and Shizuoka. In geological terms, the mountain is located at the point where the Eurasian, Pacific and Philippine plates meet. Its smoothly rising form makes it relatively straightforward to climb. The first man to do so was a Japanese monk in the year 663 AD. Nowadays, as many as 3,000 tourists per day dash their way up to the summit each summer once a trio of mountain paths have been cleared for access.

The Fuji circuit was opened in 1966 and given a full overhaul in 2005 to meet the standards for Formula One set out by the FIA. Toyota has been the main investor in the Fuji Speedway Corporation since 2000. The extremely limited access routes to the track have sparked much debate in the lead-up to the grand prix, and are likely to cause traffic congestion in the surrounding area on the race weekend.

The two previous F1 races held at Fuji were won by Mario Andretti and James Hunt in 1976 and 1977 respectively, when the track was 200 metres shorter. The 1976 Japanese Grand Prix secured itself a memorable chapter in Formula One history. The Fuji GP was the final race of the season and got underway in torrential rain. Frequent aquaplaning prompted Ferrari’s reigning world champion Niki Lauda to pull into the pits and withdraw from the race after only two laps. Hunt went on to take the World Championship by a single point.

Data (simulation):

Full-throttle percentage: approx. 72%

Top speed: 320 – 330 km/h

Longest stretch at full throttle: approx. 18 sec / 1,350 m

Right-/Left-handers: 10/6

Gear changes per lap: 37

Brake wear: low

Downforce level: medium