Suzuka Circuit

The Suzuka Circuit is a real world circuit in the Gran Turismo series. Based in the Mie Prefecture of Japan, it first appeared in Gran Turismo 4 and has returned in every game since.
An updated variant known as "Suzuka Circuit 2014" was added to Gran Turismo 6 via Update 1.14. This version is also included in Gran Turismo Sport and Gran Turismo 7, where it is known simply as Suzuka Circuit again.
==Circuit History==
Designed as a Honda test track in 1962 by John Hugenholtz, it is one of only a few real-world circuits to have a figure-of-8 layout (Another example is the Top Gear Test Track). Obviously, due to the danger of an intersecting track, it doesn't actually intersect with itself; instead, the back straight passes over the front section by means of an overpass.
It is believed by many to be among the most challenging and dangerous circuits in the world, having claimed the lives of 17 drivers and riders in its 48 year history. Other drivers who have failed to finish the Japanese Grand Prix at this circuit include Ayrton Senna (twice) and Michael Schumacher (five times). Jules Bianchi died after crashing into a crane that was carrying the car of another driver that crashed on the previous lap during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.
It currently hosts the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix, FIM Endurance's 'Suzuka 8 Hours' and Super GT's 'Suzuka 1000km'.
Very few major changes have been made since its inception in 1962. The most significant of these took place in 1983, when a chicane was inserted in what is now known as the 'Casio Triangle' complex to reduce speeds. 2003 saw 130R being redesigned following two major accidents, separating it into a double-apex 85R-340R complex. It underwent major renovations between 2007 and 2009, to improve its facilities and safety.
==Events==
===Gran Turismo 4===
*License Tests A-10, S-12
*Driving Missions 16, 26
====Professional Events====
*Gran Turismo World Championship; Race 9 - 9 Laps
====Extreme Events====
*Gran Turismo All Stars; Race 7 - 5 Laps
*Polyphony Digital Cup; Race 9 - 5 Laps
*Formula GT World Championship; Race 15 - 53 Laps
*Real Circuit Tours; Race 1 - 6 Laps
====European Events====
*European Classic Car Championship; Race 4 - 1 Lap
*Schwarzwald League B; Race 5 - 2 Laps
====Japanese Events====
*Japan Championship; Race 5 - 4 Laps
*All Japan GT Championship; Race 10 - 5 Laps
*Japanese 80's Festival; Race 5 - 2 Laps
====One Make Races====
*Club "M"; Race 4 - 2 Laps
*Type R Meeting; Race 3 - 4 Laps
*Club "RE"; Race 5 - 1 Lap
*MG Festival; Race 2 -1 Lap
*Mirage Cup; Race 5 - 1 Lap
*Race of Red Emblem; Race 5 - 6 Laps
*Clio Trophy; Race 1 - 3 Laps
*Saleen S7 Club; Race 4- 3 Laps
*Stars of Pleiades; Race 3 - 2 Laps
*Altezza Race; Race 2 - 1 Lap
*Beetle Cup; Race 4 - 1 Lap
*Lupo Cup; Race 4 - 1 Lap
====Endurance Events====
*Suzuka 1000km - 172 Laps
===Gran Turismo 5 Prologue===
*Clubman Cup Race 3 (Event B-7): 2 Laps
*Gran Turismo All Stars Race 3 (Event A-7): 3 Laps
*Japanese Championship Race 2 (Event A-9): 3 Laps
*Event S-6 (Ferrari F40 Special Mission Race): 1 Lap
*Tuned Car Battle Race 4 (Event S-10): 5 Laps
*Audi TT Coupé 3.2 Quattro One-Make Race - 2 Laps
*Ferrari Festival! - 3 Laps
*Mercedes-Benz SL 55 AMG One-Make Race - 3 Laps
*Tuscan and Tamora Meeting - 3 Laps
===Gran Turismo 5===
*Supercar Nostalgia Cup; Race 2 - 3 Laps
*Tuning Car Grand Prix; Race 1 - 5 Laps
*Japanese Championship; Race 5 - 5 Laps
*Super GT; Race 1 - 10 Laps
*Formula Gran Turismo World Championship; Race 6 - 20 Laps
*Suzuka 1000km - 173 laps
=== Gran Turismo 6 ===
* NA Sports Series; Race 2 - 3 Laps
* Civic Sprint; 3 Laps
* Tour of Japan; Race 3 - 4 Laps
* Super GT300 Championship; Race 3 - 4 Laps
* Super GT500 Championship; Race 3 - 5 Laps
* Group GT3 Series; Race 5 - 5 Laps
* Mission Race IA-1 - Super GT500 Class Battle
* Suzuka Circuit 10-Lap Challenge - 10 Laps
===GT Sport===
====Driving School====
*Lesson 18: Driving out-in-out: 2
**Gold: 0:10.600
**Silver: 0:10.900
**Bronze: 0:11.300
*Lesson 23: Hairpin corner: 2
**Gold: 0:13.500
**Silver: 0:13.900
**Bronze: 0:14.400
====GT League====
*Group 3 Cup; Race 5 - 5 Laps
*Group 4 Cup; Race 3 - 2 Laps
*Clubman Cup; Race 5 - 3 Laps
*Super Formula Championships; Race 1 - 5 Laps
*MR Challenge (GT Sport); Race 5 - 6 Laps
*F1500 Championship; Race 3 - 10 Laps
*All Japan GT Car Championships; Race 3 - 10 Laps
*Mercedes AMG Grand Prix; Race 3 - 10 Laps
*Porsche Cup; Race 1 - 30 Laps
====Mission Challenge====
*8-2: Suzuka Circuit Gr.3 Race; 2 Laps
**Race; Garage Car Event (Gr.3)Gr.3 cars battle it out on the Suzuka Circuit! Placing your determination and pride on the line, aim for the chquered flag!
***Gold: 1st
***Silver: 2nd
***Bronze: 3rd
=== Gran Turismo 7 ===
====License Centre====
*A-9: Hairpins
**Gold: 0:17.100
**Silver: 0:17.600
**Bronze: 0:18.800
*IA-1: Racing Line: Expert
**Gold: 0:18.000
**Silver: 0:18.500
**Bronze: 0:19.900
*Master B-8: Consecutive Corners: Intermediate 1
**Gold: 0:18.020
**Silver: 0:18.600
**Bronze: 0:20.000
*Master IB-4: Racing Line: Expert 1
**Gold: 0:29.600
**Silver: 0:30.500
**Bronze: 0:32.600
*Master IB-8: Cornering: Intermediate 2 (Wet Track)
**Gold: 0:28.730
**Silver: 0:29.600
**Bronze: 0:31.900
*Master S-10: Final Exam
**Gold: 1:44.490
**Silver: 1:48.700
**Bronze: 1:57.100
====World Circuits====
*Race of Turbo Sportscars; Race 2 - 5 laps
*World Touring Car 600; Race 2 - 5 laps
*World Touring Car 800; Race 4 - 10 laps
*GT Cup Gr.3; Race 6 - 5 laps
*Gr.1 Prototype Series; Race 2 - 10 laps
*World Touring Car 900; Race 3 - 10 laps
*European Clubman Cup 600; Race 5 - 3 laps
====Missions====
*Moby Dick: Honda Showdown
**One Lap Magic; Honda NSX Type R '02Drive the superb handling NSX-R to successfully dominate a single lap on the Suzuka Circuit, the homeground of Honda Sports.
***Gold: 1st
***Silver: 2nd
***Bronze: 3rd
==Layout & Sectors==
===Sector 1===
The first corner, where you make your entry from the downhill home straight, is made difficult by the downhill inclination and braking, which lifts the load off of the rear tires. This makes the car unstable in the turn. Use the orange wall, side roads and white lines indicating merging traffic to set your braking point, then brake in a straight line. For the driving line, consider the first and second corners to be a single corner, connecting both in a smooth line. For turn 2, make sure you hit the apex properly to raise your exit speed.
The S-bend at Suzuka, starting at turn 3, is a section that can have a major effect on lap times. To clear this efficiently, you need to coordinate steering and throttle operations well. It is important to rhythmically loosen the throttle as you turn the steering, and apply throttle as you straight the steering. At each corner, you want to set your apex at the far end of the turn, and make a smooth approach to the following corner.
Turn 6, the final right turn in the S, only has a shallow bank, and to the driver it looks as though it is banked the wrong way. Because of this this it is referred to as the Reverse Bank. In preparation for the Dunlop Corner which follows, keep a position along the inside curbstones, being careful not to go too wide at the exit.
===Sector 2===
Dunlop Corner is located at a point on the track with the steepest upward climb, and is also a blind corner. This makes it very difficult to set a proper driving line. Turn in from the outside, and set your apex around the center of the inside curbstones. Use the full width of the track, and make your exit towards the outside. Once you have made your exit, move to the left in preparation for Degner.
The cornering speed of the high speed turn 8 can be raised by driving to cut across the inside curbstones. However, you do need to be careful. If you go too deep onto the outer curbstones, on the outer side at the exit, it can disrupt your orientation at the next braking point. Also, turning in too early can run the risk of short-cutting the corner and incurring a time penalty. For the low speed turn follow along the inside curbstones, and make full use of the wide curbstones at the exit in order to raise your exit speed.
===Sector 3===
The 180-degree Hairpin Curve has a long flat out section following immediately after, so it is critical to raise your exit speed here. For the right hand 110R turn before the hairpin, take an out-in-out line in order to approach the Hairpin Curve from the outside. You will be braking as soon as you exit 110R. For the Hairpin Curve itself set your apex at the far end of the corner for a line that focuses on exit speed. Once you have adequately dropped your speed, face your car early towards the corner exit, and accelerate in a straight line. Be careful when you do this however, as getting on the throttle too early can disrupt the balance of the car and send you off the track.
For the consecutive 200R and 250R, minimize your steering operation and drive so that you do not inhibit you acceleration. For the latter, set your apex on the far side of the corner in order to allow you to braking in a straight line.
One of the most difficult, left hand combined corners, formed by turns 13 and 14 on the Suzuka Circuit, is called the Spoon Curve. This is an important turn that will affect the top speed on the West straight. Focus on raising your exit speed as much as you can. For the entry into turn 13, brake using the side road on the right side of the track as your cue, and make your turn into the corner. Be wary of over speeding and causing understeer. On he exit, go wide all the way to the outer side of the track. For turn 14, make your approach be using the area where the outer curbstones end as your mark. Apply brakes lightly while turning to avoid understeer. After the apex the track will begin to descend, making the way ahead almost blind. Make sure you are not late on the throttle, and go wide all the way out to the curbstones as you exit the corner.
===Sector 4===
For the ultra high speed 130R, perform minimum deceleration and clear the turn in an out-in-out line. The trick here is to perform braking for entry early on. This will suppress load shifts of the car during turn in, and will give yo additional cornering speed. Alternatively, release the throttle at the marshals hut and reapply it as you begin to turn in. As soon as the outer curbstones end, move your line to the left for the next chicane.
During a race, the chicane where you apply full brakes from high speed is an optimal point on the track for braking. Apply hard brakes from just before the 100m marker board, although your approach speed may put this as far back as the 150m marker board. Driving to cut across the first curbstone of the chicane will make your approach to the second left hand corner easier. Use the curbstone again in the second corner, facing your car towards the exit early on. Pen the throttle, and clear the final corner on the descent flat out.
==Video Footage==
thumb|center|500 px
==Trivia==
* In GT4, there is an advertisement for Capcom's Auto Modellista on the pit garages, where the track also appeared there.
** There is also Namco/Bandai Namco logos on the flag booth until GT5, where they were replaced with track logos, as Bandai Namco's logo agreement had expired.
* In Tourist Trophy, there is an advertisement for Kirin, a Japanese beverage company that manufactures alcoholic and non-alcoholic products, on the Ferris wheel.
*In Gran Turismo Concept Tokyo-Seoul, an unfinished Suzuka is hidden. The track itself doesn't feature any decorations, and only its layout and elevation exists. It can't be played without cheat codes.
* In GT7, the layout and logo is yet to be updated. The same occurs with the Circuit de la Sarthe.
** However, the updated logo appears in the 2023 GT World Series Showdown build during the Manufacturers Cup race, in the Spec II intro movie, and in promotional screenshots for both the Honda Civic Type R (FL5) '22 and Honda NSX GT500 '00 (the latter posted by Honda's Japanese social media accounts).
==See also==
*Suzuka Circuit East
*Suzuka Circuit West
==External links==
* Fastest Laps at Suzuka
Category:GT4 Circuits
Category:GT5 Prologue Circuits
Category:GT PSP Circuits
Category:GT5 Circuits
Category:GT6 Circuits
Category:GT Sport Circuits
Category:Figure 8 Circuits
Category:Japanese Circuits
Category:F1 Circuits
Category:Circuits with a real-life 1000 km race
Category:Circuits with weather
Category:WTCC circuits
Category:Super GT Circuits
Category:World Sportscar Championship circuits
Category:GT7 Circuits