Mika Hakkinen: 2023 Japanese Grand Prix

EVERYONE loves driving Suzuka, a great track which is technically challenging to drive.  You need to get into a good rhythm around this track, the only circuit which is shaped like an 8 with the Degner corners going beneath the super quick 130R corner.  It’s quick, you can really generate some high G-forces in Suzuka, but it’s not easy to overtake – the entry to the final chicane and Turn 1 are really the best places.

I have fantastic memories of Suzuka, winning both my World Championship titles there in 1998 and 1999.  It’s incredible to think that, each time, it was the final race of the season and we only had 16 races!  Now Suzuka is the 17th race of the season and there are still a further six races left.

In 1998 we had quite a nervous start to the race with two aborted starts caused by Jarno Trulli and my arch rival Michael Schumacher.  Michael ended up being put to the back of the grid, so that took quite a lot of pressure off me as I drove for the win.  I actually didn’t need to win the race to win the World Championship, but it’s always good to take the title with a victory.  A very memorable day for me.

The following year I was fighting for the World Championship with Eddie Irvine, but the race went really well and m y second title came with another win.  Not surprisingly I associate Suzuka with good times, my great team at McLaren and some very good celebrations.

Singapore was unusual.  Red Bull was nowhere all weekend and Ferrari came good, a great result following a strong weekend in Monza and a really brilliant, intelligent win for Carlos Sainz.  The way he controlled the race showed a great combination of speed and experience, a result which gives him and the team a huge boost.

Red Bull is confident that Singapore was a one-off bad performance, so they expect things to be back to normal in Japan.  The team can win the World Championship for Constructors this weekend and, unless Mercedes somehow manages to produce a surprise and beat them, that seems a very likely result.

Ferrari looked a lot happier with its car and how to make it work on different types of circuit, and there is nothing quite like a win to give a team and extra lift at this stage of the season. I am sure Carlos and Charles Leclerc will be in the mix for top six qualifying.

We have to believe Mercedes will be a threat once again.  They are really pushing, trying everything to score a win, taking some risks as we saw with their aggressive strategy in Singapore on Sunday.  That really brought the race alive.  The fact that they were disappointed just to have only one car on the podium shows how ambitious the team remains, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell both super determined to get a win.

Lando Norris drove brilliantly in Singapore, scoring another 2nd place finish for McLaren and reminding everyone just how good he is.  McLaren is in a good place at the moment, they know the car can be very quick, and they have two impressive drivers.  They can give Aston Martin a tough time in the Constructors Championship, and I am not surprised they have just signed Oscar Piastri until the end of 2026.  He has been one such an impressive rookie this season.