Formula 1 is changing rapidly on all fronts and the race tracks are one major aspect that is evolving with new venues coming into the sport. The recent announcement of a street circuit in Madrid which may effectively replace Barcelona-Catalunya as the host of the Spanish GP has made fans worried. Several fans have expressed discontent over the increasing number of street circuits in F1 lately. This sentiment may even resonate with Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, and their peers as another legendary F1 circuit – Suzuka in Japan – may be under threat for a street track in Osaka.
There have been reports of Osaka wanting to host an F1 Grand Prix. According to The Race, the city’s tourism board expressed its ambitions for the same, with a proposal for a street track in the Southern Japanese city. However, there are also possibilities of a purpose-built circuit.
For now, there is a proposal for a hybrid street track like Madrid on Yumeshima island in Osaka Bay. The Osaka Tourism Bureau chairman Hiroshi Mizohata cited how an F1 race in the city may help to make it an “international tourist city” as it has done for Singapore.
While the move is to boost Osaka’s tourism and economy, it also poses a threat to the only other Grand Prix that Japan hosts in Suzuka. Suzuka, which is a classic track in F1 that old-school fans love, has become a core part of F1’s identity in the country, and even many drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen always express adoration for the track.
From Suzuka’s future perspective, it has a contract till the end of 2024 only, which means the track is up for renewal for 2025 to continue hosting the Japanese GP. As Honda owns the track, it has a lot of prestige and racing heritage besides the popularity of it amongst F1 drivers. So, Formula 1 may reconsider replacing it with an Osaka street track, given how much fans and drivers love Suzuka.
Sebastian Vettel won’t be in favor of F1 dropping Suzuka for Osaka
After retiring in 2022, Sebastian Vettel returned to the F1 paddock at the 2023 Japanese GP, as he promised. He highlighted watching the race weekend in Suzuka from the sidelines was difficult for him. The four-time champion deems Suzuka as his favorite track and it was tough for him to not race on it in 2023.
During his final outing in 2022, the German driver also cited the possibility of him returning to Suzuka just for a one-off race appearance. While he may have bid adieu to the sport in Abu Dhabi that year, Vettel perhaps emotionally signed off in Suzuka itself.
In a rain-marred shortened race, the former Aston Martin driver had an awesome showing to have a down-to-the-wire finish beside his old foe Fernando Alonso. Following that thrilling finish, Vettel came on the radio to express his high emotions of racing for the final time at his favorite track. He said, “Arigato gozaimasu, Suzuka”, which translates to “Thank you so much, Suzuka”
Vettel’s wish to come back just for a one-off race at Suzuka shows the profound impact of the track on him. Just like him, many other drivers like Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen also have similar feelings about the Japanese GP circuit.
As it is a ‘figure of 8’ track with multiple flowing corners that provide an awesome driving experience, every driver would like it. So everyone including Vettel, Hamilton, Verstappen, and the rest of the grid will hope that Suzuka doesn’t drop off the F1 calendar.
