More recently however, Suzuka stands out in the mind of tifosi around the world as the track at which Michael Schumacher won his first Drivers’ Championship for Ferrari in 2000.

Technically, the track is tough. The drivers have to contend with a variety of corners, G-forces and speeds. The first sector of the lap is a long snake of quick third and fourth gear corners, the middle sector has two heavy-braking hairpin turns and the final sector is virtually flat-out bar the chicane at the end of the lap. In that final third the drivers negotiate the fearsome 130R corner, known as Japan’s Blanchiment - named after Spa’s notoriously quick corner - such is the speed of this left-hander.

For the teams and engineers, Suzuka is a track where compromises have to be made at every level. They must provide their drivers with a car capable of reaching the 300kph mark on the charge down to the hairpin, yet which is stable in the fast sweeping corners and has enough aerodynamic grip in the tricky first five or six turns. To do this, engineers and drivers will be experimenting with varying levels of wing. The angle of the wings on the cars alters the pressure of the air over the car and thus alters the amount of grip available. The suspension will also come into play as the different suspension set-ups give the driver varying amounts of grip as he turns into and exits corners. And of course they will be experimenting with tyres which, depending on compound choice, will give different levels of grip and durability.

“This is the last race of the season, and Suzuka is a really exciting power circuit, although the weather can be cold and wet,” says David Barnes, Shell’s Global Motorsport Business Manager. “Like Montreal, we need top-end power and acceleration, and we can help Ferrari here by optimising the engine performance with the lubricant. We also need to work with the team to protect the engine, as the high speeds mean that engine temperature can get very high.”

Ferrari and Shell come to Suzuka having won nearly everything this year. 2002 will be remembered as Ferrari’s year. With the help of its technical partners such as Shell, the team’s speed, reliability and performance has broken all known records for the sport. Japan is another race for the team to win and Ferrari and Shell will be working at their usual fast pace to try and win another Grand Prix, before they can pat each other on the back and reflect on a job well done….