One of Formula 1’s most iconic circuits will look a little different this year and Lewis Hamilton will be hoping it doesn’t take away from his favourite section of track in the sport
Resurfacing and changes to kerbs are among the tweaks that have been made at Suzuka ahead of this year’s Japanese Grand Prix.
In 2025, Formula 1 visits the iconic track as the third stop of 24 on its global tour. The timing of Ramadan has seen races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia pushed back, meaning the season starts with the Australian Grand Prix before back-to-back races in eastern Asia.
The trip to Japan, which follows the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, is no doubt one Lewis Hamilton will be looking forward to. Like many of his fellow F1 racers, the seven-time champion sees Suzuka as one of the more enjoyable circuits on the calendar at which to compete.
But it will feel a little different this year. On social media, the official account of the Suzuka circuit has posted several images showing a new surface and “sharpened” kerb stones which await the arrival of F1 cars in April.
Describing the changes, circuit bosses wrote: “The resurfaced track surface of the Suzuka Circuit East Course. There is still a little bit of soil left so it’s hard to tell, but it has great grip, good drainage and is extremely flat. After various maintenance is completed, the track is expected to be ready for driving in mid-February.
“It’s a racer’s nature to run off course if it will shave even 0.001 seconds off their time. The kerb stones will be sharpened even further during the facility’s closure, waiting for these mischievous racers.”
In a separate statement, it was confirmed that the circuit will be closed this week to all visitors so that inspections and maintenance work can be carried out across the site. This year’s Japanese Grand Prix will take place on Sunday, April 6, with a start time of 6am for UK viewers.
It will be just Hamilton’s third race as a Ferrari driver. And if he hasn’t already done so, his previous comments suggest Suzuka will be the perfect place for him to figure out the weaknesses of his new red racing machine.
He previously said of the Japanese circuit: “Sector one is the best first sector of any circuit in the world. It’s absolutely incredible when the car is where you want it to be and I can feel exactly where the car is weak.”
Max Verstappen has dominated at Suzuka in recent seasons, with victories in 2022, 2023 and 2024 driving his Red Bull using engines made by Honda. The Japanese manufacturer will hope for four successes in a row at their home event before their partnership officially comes to an end and their new link-up with Aston Martin begins in 2026.
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