Greg from FanAmp attended the Japanese Grand Prix this 12 months. He shares his expertise and ideas for getting essentially the most out of a visit to Suzuka.
Again in September, I had the chance to journey to the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. Here’s a recount of my journey and the issues to take into accounts if you’re planning to attend the race at Suzuka sooner or later!
Arrival
Japan was the second cease on my tour-de-Components 1 in Asia (Learn Extra: Greg’s Journey Diary – 2023 Singapore Grand Prix). Having come straight from the Singapore Grand Prix, it was a very simple journey day. I arrived in Tokyo nicely earlier than the race to present myself time to discover.
One wonderful thing about Japan is that touring by prepare and subway is essentially the most environment friendly and best option to get across the nation. I used to be staying with my brother and our childhood buddy in Shibuya, so it was very straightforward to hop on a prepare from Narita Airport to our resort. I spent a few days within the space, working from Shibuya whereas additionally venturing into Shinjuku and Harajuku (each simply accessible by subway).
Getting Round in Japan
As I discussed already, trains and subways are the very best and most handy/ environment friendly option to get round Japan. Not like America (the NYC Subway particularly), Google maps provides glorious instructions and the timings are almost excellent. You should purchase tickets on each credit score and debit playing cards, though the machines are a bit finicky. Simply observe that there isn’t any faucet to pay on the turnstiles, which has grow to be the norm in america, so you must use the machines in every station.
There’s one exception: native transit playing cards. I personally used the Suica transit card as a result of it accepted American Categorical, however there are different choices that work with Visa Debit and Bank cards. After getting the transit card of selection in your telephone (Apple or Google Pockets), you load a stability earlier than tapping on the turnstiles earlier than AND after every journey to calculate the cost. This avoids the ticket machines altogether. The one time that this didn’t work for us was with the Shinkansen (bullet prepare) – these tickets are bought individually.
Wednesday: Tokyo Fan Pageant
Whilst you wouldn’t discover that the Japanese Grand Prix was really occurring from strolling round most of Tokyo (it’s not as massive of a spectacle as in different nations off-track), we went to the Fan Pageant in Shinjuku on Wednesday afternoon and IT WAS PACKED.
The Tokyo Fan Pageant is basically an enormous activation and pop-up expertise for the race with appearances by members of the F1 group together with workforce principals and present drivers. Followers stuffed the courtyard of the Tokyu Kabukicho Tower and Kabukicho Cinecity Plaza eagerly awaiting every look all through the afternoon.
This 12 months the appearances included F1 CEO Stefano Domenicali, Ferrari Staff Principal Frédéric Vasseur, hometown hero Yuki Tsunoda, Pink Bull drivers Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, Alpine driver Esteban Ocon, and former F1 driver Jean Alesi. Sadly it was SO packed, we needed to watch the festivities from a Starbucks overlooking the motion. Professional-tip for the Tokyo Fan Pageant: Present up early!
Thursday: Journey to Nagoya
Thursday was a brief journey day and a ‘day of relaxation’ transitioning from an informal journey to the Grand Prix Weekend. I needed to go away my group a day or so early to get settled forward of the race weekend. This time round I took the Shinkansen (bullet prepare) from Tokyo Shinagawa Station to Nagoya Station. This prices $75 USD and takes about an hour and a half. By automobile this journey can take between 4 and a half hours to five hours of journey, so I really appreciated the comfort of the bullet prepare.
I stayed on the Courtyard Marriott Nagoya which was a 15-20 minute stroll from the Nagoya Station. As anticipated, the workers had been extremely pleasant and welcoming and the resort itself, in addition to my room, was immaculately clear. Whereas I didn’t keep on the Marriott property above the Nagoya Station (Nagoya Marriott Associa Lodge), it was extremely really useful from somebody within the FanAmp group who typically travels to this area for work. He mentioned this resort is the place many F1 personnel keep throughout the race weekend.
Friday: Suzuka Circuit
Attending to and from the monitor from Nagoya was fairly straightforward. You possibly can trip the Restricted Categorical Practice from Nagoya Station (Kintetsu-Nagoya) to Shiroko Station for ¥1,920 JPY ($13 USD) and it takes precisely 39 minutes.. Most different race followers then opted for the shuttle bus service working between Shiroko Station and Suzuka Circuit for ¥450 ($3) every method. That’s paid when exiting on the monitor, and once more when boarding upon your return to Shiroko. The fare may be paid in your transit card!
One of many first (and most necessary) issues that I did on monitor was try the food and drinks. The choices had been extremely various, scrumptious, and VERY reasonably priced. Waters and alcohol had been at MOST a couple of {dollars} and the meals was very equally priced. This eating expertise was a far cry from the $15 handful of fries that I’m used to at typical giant American sporting occasions.
Ambiance-wise, I’d say this is likely one of the few circuits that could be a excellent vacation spot for households and people touring with youngsters. Apart from the expansive eating choices, the monitor was filled with rides and mini race tracks in addition to different family-friendly actions when there isn’t motion on the precise monitor. Moreover, Japanese followers are merely the very best and so devoted to the Grand Prix setting. They like to make costumes for his or her favourite groups. They put on merch for EVERY workforce, EVERY driver, EVERY era of Components 1. They only benefit from the sport and each workforce and driver is represented, not simply the most well-liked ones.
As soon as the follow classes began, you may have a ton of seating choices throughout all the monitor. On Friday, you possibly can principally sit wherever aside from the primary grandstand. Personally, I bought the most affordable tickets to the West Open Space (sections L, M, N, P) however spent most of my time pre-practice wandering to completely different vantage factors across the monitor.
As soon as Free Follow 1 started, I watched the session from the A Grandstands, which had an amazing view of the automobiles heading into Flip 1. A extremely necessary observe if you happen to’re planning on touring to Suzuka; there may be virtually no cowl, so I’m glad I introduced sunscreen. If it had rained as a substitute of the nice and cozy and sunny climate we had (which has positively occurred in previous years), everybody would have been very depressing.
After an extended day on the monitor I rushed again to the shuttle to beat the crowds. I managed to get on a bus with out ready, however heard that individuals who reached the shuttles after Free Follow 2 ended up ready a number of hours.
Friday Night time: Meetup in Nagoya
As traditional with the races that the FanAmp workforce attends, I hosted a meetup in Nagoya on Friday night. We had a desk filled with vacationers from everywhere in the world, together with quite a lot of first time race-goers who had simply wrapped up their first ever day at an F1 monitor. We shared beers, basic (largely American) bar meals with some Japanese twists (salmon fish and chips as a substitute of the basic cod), and traded tales from the day. I HIGHLY encourage anybody touring solo to enterprise out in Nagoya. Not solely is it fairly secure, there are numerous vacationers from everywhere in the world who will gladly ‘undertake’ you into their teams.
Saturday: Nagoya
Concurrently Qualifying on Saturday, I used to be working the manufacturing for FanAmp’s F1 Fantasy Present, so I sadly couldn’t go to the monitor on today. Nevertheless, after qualifying and the present, I used to be reunited with my brother and our buddy as that they had made the journey all the way down to Nagoya for race day. With their baggage safely stowed within the resort, we went out for meals at a neighborhood Yakitori restaurant. It was divey and scrumptious (the vibe of most of Nagoya), with hen skewers and chilly beers to scrub it down. We walked round Nagoya with our stomachs full, prepared for journey.
As luck could have it, we stumbled upon a particular occasion for locals: a sake tasting on the river. We rapidly bought sake cups and tickets and walked from stall to stall, sampling each kind of sake possible. The sake was superb and low cost. We even made associates with a Japanese father and son who lived within the space, however had spent a few years in Detroit. We bonded over a cup of sake earlier than splitting up so the three of us may eat (once more) at a close-by restaurant earlier than some well-deserved relaxation. As I mentioned above…. touring alone right here is an incredible expertise as a result of everyone seems to be so pleasant and prepared to share their time with you.
Sunday: Race Day at Suzuka
We wakened early to get to the monitor earlier than the push got here. Like different days, we pre-bought our return journey at Shiroko station for the night Restricted Categorical prepare to keep away from lengthy strains and any points getting again to our resort earlier than a night prepare. On race day, we had been capable of organize trackside hospitality within the Champions Membership by F1 Experiences.
The Champions Membership at Suzuka is situated on the within of the monitor, one stage above the Paddock Membership and two ranges above the pit garages. The area felt very open which was great on such a pleasant September day, and the views from either side of the membership had been unmatched. On the left, you had a view of the pitlane and on the appropriate, you had a view of the workforce hospitality areas within the F1 Paddock. Whereas it was positively very busy (anticipated in any viewing part on race day), it didn’t ever really feel crowded. One other distinctive function of the Champions Membership in Japan is that there have been two sections; one for English audio system and the opposite for Japanese audio system primarily based on which commentary you needed to listen to. You might transfer freely between them and resolve between the 2 choices… too dangerous I solely know methods to say ‘thanks’ in Japanese.
On high of the environment, F1 World Champion Damon Hill was interviewed by his son and the Digital Statman, Sean Kelly, gave a dwell preview of the race. The meals was additionally nice and various with fish, meat, vegetable and dessert choices for everybody’s tastes – together with vegan and gluten free choices.
Better of all, although, was the racing, after all! We had views of the pit straight which meant seeing the entire pre-race occasions together with the drivers’ parade and the groups organising on the grid. In the course of the race, Alfa Romeo struggled with their pit stops, and we noticed all of them first hand from above. The remainder of the groups got here roaring by, and folks would transfer between watching on the monitor and watching on the numerous TVs located across the seating space.
Having attended many different races and skilled the Champions Membership at COTA (USGP), this was the very best expertise I’ve had at an F1 race to-date. The workforce on the bottom was attentive and pleasant, the area was nicely laid out and cozy, and the meals and facilities had been unmatched. When you’re taking a look at premium hospitality, this one ought to be on the high of your record.
Safe entry to the Champions Membership on the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix
That night we hopped on one other Shinkansen, this time from Nagoya to Kyoto. After a pair days in Kyoto, we spent an evening in Osaka and boarded our aircraft to start out the journey dwelling to New York Metropolis,
Abstract & Suggestions
Don’t skip Friday! You possibly can discover almost all of the seating areas on the circuit and get your bearings. Pattern the views, seize superb images, and take a look at out the transportation earlier than the inevitable crowds on Saturday and Sunday
Study the method, all the things in Japan is finished deliberately. Make investments further time in your first day (earlier than Friday follow) to find out how transportation works earlier than attending to the circuit
Ask questions! All the workers we spoke with had been great and labored very exhausting to ensure we had solutions to our questions
Eat all the things, inside and outdoors the circuit! Japan is brimming with unbelievable meals. Sushi, katsu, and even 7-Eleven. Sure, I mentioned it… 7-Eleven. Decide up a couple of salmon onigiri and pancake sandwiches to start out or finish your day
Store for merch. Japan was the primary race since Mexico Metropolis 2022 the place I ended to discover every bit of merchandise accessible. There have been some very cool designs, particularly for Yuki Tsunoda, at rather more reasonably priced costs than different circuits
Take in Japan. The great thing about Japan is that it’s really easy to get round, which makes it straightforward to construct an itinerary round attending the race. Price range further time into your journey to absorb Tokyo and different must-do cities like Kyoto. There are such a lot of choices only a brief prepare trip away
