Fuji Speedway

Location: Oyama, Japan
Races held: 4 (1976 to 2008)
Most wins, drivers: Lewis Hamilton (1), Fernando Alonso (1), Mario Andretti (1), James Hunt (1)
Most wins, teams: McLaren (2), Renault (1), Team Lotus (1)
Most poles: Lewis Hamilton (2), Mario Andretti (2)
Fastest race lap: 1:18.426, Felipe Massa, 2008 (race laps since 1982; layouts change over time)
Map: OpenStreetMap

What is a lap of Fuji Speedway like?

Built in the eastern foothills of Mount Fuji and opened in 1966, Fuji was first planned as a NASCAR-style superspeedway and kept a 30-degree banked first turn until a fatal crash in 1974 led to a new 4.359 km layout, the one Formula 1 used in 1976 and 1977. The 1976 race, the first Formula 1 World Championship race in Japan, was run in heavy rain: Niki Lauda withdrew and James Hunt scored enough points to win the title; a crash involving Gilles Villeneuve in 1977 killed two spectators and Formula 1 left Fuji. Toyota bought the circuit in 2000 and had it rebuilt to a Hermann Tilke design (closed in 2003, reopened in 2005); the 4.563 km layout used in 2007 and 2008 keeps a 1.475 km main straight, one of the longest in motorsport, followed by a slow, twisty final sector. After shuttle-bus chaos in 2007, rain at both races and weak ticket sales, the race was set to alternate with Suzuka from 2009, but Toyota, hit by the recession, gave up hosting it and the Japanese Grand Prix has stayed at Suzuka; Fuji still hosts the World Endurance Championship and Super GT.

Lap length: 4.563 km
Turns: 16
Direction: clockwise
Downforce: Medium
Longest straight: 1,475 m
Altitude: 570 m
Layout described: Fourth configuration, rebuilt to a Hermann Tilke design and reopened in 2005: 4.563 km, 16 turns; used for the Japanese Grand Prix in 2007 and 2008 (the 1976 and 1977 races used the earlier 4.359 km layout)

Turn	Name	Side	Type
1	TGR Corner (First Corner)	Right	slow
3	Coca-Cola Corner	Left
4	100R	Right	fast
5	100R	Right	fast
6	Hairpin (ADVAN Corner)	Left	hairpin
10	Dunlop Corner		chicane
16	Panasonic Corner

Sources for the checked facts (16)

Report a correction.

Does pole position win at Fuji Speedway?

The pole sitter has won 2 of 4 races here (50%). Across all circuits since 1950 the pole sitter wins 44% of races. The winner started from the front row (P1 or P2) in 3 of 4 races (75%) and from the top three in 3 (75%). Lowest grid position to win: 4th, Fernando Alonso in 2008.

Winner started from	Wins	Share
P1	2	50%
P2	1	25%
P4	1	25%

Where the winner started, every race at this circuit. Pole sitter means the driver who set the fastest qualifying time (first on the grid where no qualifying data exists); a grid penalty can move the pole sitter back, and that race still counts for them. Compare every circuit.

How are races at Fuji Speedway won?

1994 to 2009 (refuelling): 2 races; winners made 1 stop in 1, 2 stops in 1; first stop at a median lap 23 (35% of the race)

Race	Winner	Stops	Stop laps
2008	Fernando Alonso	2	18, 43 of 67
2007	Lewis Hamilton	1	28 of 67

All races at Fuji Speedway

Race	Winner	Team	Pole	Fastest lap
2008 Japanese Grand Prix	Fernando Alonso	Renault	Lewis Hamilton	Felipe Massa (1:18.426)
2007 Japanese Grand Prix	Lewis Hamilton	McLaren	Lewis Hamilton	Lewis Hamilton (1:28.193)
1977 Japanese Grand Prix	James Hunt	McLaren	Mario Andretti
1976 Japanese Grand Prix	Mario Andretti	Team Lotus	Mario Andretti