10 things you need to know about the Japanese Grand Prix

Front Row is key

The first row at Suzuka holds the key with the stats showing a high percentage of winners at Japanese GP starting from the front

The pole sitter has been victorious in 14 of the 28 Japanese Grands Prix to date. At Suzuka the polesitter has won 50 percent of the time – 12 times in 24 races. The remaining 8 winners have also started from the front row.

The exceptions to the statistic were Fernando Alonso (2006) winning from fifth, Alessandro Nannini (1989) and Nelson Piquet (1990) from sixth on the grid and the best of them all was Kimi Raikkonen’s mesmerizing charge from 17th in 2005, overtaking Giancarlo Fisichella on the final lap for the lead and the win.

Japanese driver history

Kamui Kobiyashi celebrates his third place at the 2012 Japanese GP

17 Japanese drivers have started a world championship Grand Prix. Kamui Kobayashi’s third place for Sauber in 2012 made him the first Japanese driver on the podium in Japan since Aguri Suzuki for Lola-Lamborghini in 1990. Kobayashi’s was the first podium for a Japanese driver since Takuma Sato finished third at the 2004 US Grand Prix. There will be no representation of a Japanese driver in 2013 race with the last occasion of no home country participation being in 2001.