Like Spa, it is a thrilling combination of high, medium and low-speed corners that make it satisfying to drive and challenging from a technical standpoint where a good overall balance from the car is of special importance for good lap times.

"The secret is to run enough downforce to be able to live in the T2 section of the circuit, even if it means being slower in T1 and T3," explains Scuderia Ferrari-Marlboro's Technical Director, Ross Brawn.

Because of the flowing, technical nature of the circuit in the T2 section, particularly the fast Esses behind the pits, it is essential not to have any oversteer or understeer in order not to lift off and be able to hold the right line for the next corner as it comes up. "Last year, we were slower in the other two sections but made up a full second in T2," points out Ross.

Although there are some long fast straights with fast corners like R130 and slow, long hairpins like Spoon, it is considered aerodynamically to be a medium downforce configuration. The ability to keep up with the opposition in the fast section back to the start-line is essential, because the braking area for the recently added chicane before the pit straight is one of the few overtaking opportunities around the track.

The chicane is also one of the hardest braking points on what is otherwise a fairly easy circuit on braking for the cars. The fast first corner at the end of the pit straight is another overtaking point with its wide entry, but the driver has to be virtually alongside the other if he has a chance to take the place, and that opportunity usually comes in a close fought battle with from some kind of a mistake at the previous chicane.

For a fast track, the tyre situation at Suzuka is not a difficult one. The surface affords good grip, but at the same time does not produce high temperatures or wear rates, similar to those characteristics of the Barcelona track. Because of this, the team can run a much softer compound than they would normally be able to at other tracks of a similar nature, so Bridgestone have once again developed a new tyre for their home race. With the hardness similar to that used in Indianapolis, the Bridgestone engineers have come up with a revised compound composition to make the most of their performance.

Ferrari will be looking for their 15th win of the season in Japan in another no-holds-barred race between their two drivers in a race that will have yet another unexpected twist to it. Technical Director and master strategist Ross Brawn will be unable to attend his 100th Grand Prix for Ferrari due to continuing back problems, although he will still continue to direct operations from his armchair through a satellite link from his home in England. "Ferrari's communication team will install a link to the track and I will be able to have a direct link to the two drivers, two engineers and my deputy Luca Baldisserri who will be running things trackside," explains Ross. With the digital image and timing monitor screens, things will be almost the same as when Ross is standing at the pit wall during the race. "There will be some things that I cannot monitor, but "virtual Ross" should have a similar grasp of the race as if I were there," he says with a smile.

He will also play a similar role in technical discussions and debriefings during practice and qualifying via the satellite link but, sadly, he will not get to join in the now traditional post-season celebrations in the log cabin at the Suzuka Circuit hotel after the race!