Paddy Lowe feels the layout of the Suzuka International Racing Course and the need for drivers to master it should play into the hands of Felipe Massa’s experience this weekend.
The Brazilian will be racing in his fourteenth Japanese Grand Prix this weekend, while team-mate Lance Stroll will be competing in his first, and Lowe, the chief technical officer of Williams Martini Racing, is excited to see how the Canadian rookie adapts to the Suzuka circuit.
Lowe himself rates Suzuka as one of the best tracks in the world, and coupled with the excitement shown by the Japanese fans makes the event one of the best on the calendar and one everyone is thrilled to attend every year.
“Japan is a fascinating country with some of the most enthusiastic fans that we see in the whole championship,” said Lowe. “Their commitment to the sport, the teams and the drivers that they follow is unparalleled, so we all enjoy the appreciation and interest that we get at this race.
“The circuit itself is one of the greatest race tracks on earth in my opinion. It has a long and significant history as one of the Formula 1 classics. It has a unique figure of eight layout with the track going underneath itself half way around.
“The track requires power, downforce and above all else, great skill from the drivers. It is one of the most difficult circuits for a driver to learn and master, especially the famous sequence of “esses” in sector one.
“This will play to Felipe’s experience but we look forward to seeing how Lance faces the challenge of Suzuka for the first time in his F1 career.”
