Top 10 Japanese Grand Prix Races In Formula One History h2q3k

Formula One is back in Japan this weekend, and SportsCasting has decided to take a look at the greatest Japanese Grand Prix races in the sport’s history.

The Japanese Grand Prix often played host to the season finale – with 14 title deciders held in the country.

This often led to some great races and massive controversy. This was particularly the case when Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna were involved.

The race was moved to April in 2024 and will be the third race of the 2025 Formula One season.

Below, SportsCasting has selected the 10 greatest Japanese Grand Prix races of all times.

10 Greatest Japanese Grand Prix Races In F1 History 4q6d2l

10. 2006 Japanese Grand Prix g2gz

The first race is the day that Michael Schumacher’s hopes of an eighth world championship went up in smoke.

Schumacher and Fernando Alonso were level on points going into the penultimate race of the 2006 season.

Ferrari icon Schumacher overtook his teammate and pole-sitter Felipe Massa on Lap 3. Alonso then got past the Brazilian in the pitstops and began to close down his title rival.

Schumacher looked to have the victory wrapped up with a five-second lead before his engine blew up on Lap 36.

Alonso took the lead and picked up the most important win of the season. He needed just one point in the last race to win his second championship, which he accomplished.

De un momento al otro
Michael Schumacher parecia encaminarse al triunfo en el GP de Japon 2006 y al 8vo titulo, hasta que su motor dijo basta

Fernado Alonso ganó y casi aseguró su bicampeonato #F1 #JapaneseGPpic.twitter.com/fBH6vjRrnH

— Formula + (@Formula_Stats) September 23, 2023

9. 2012 Japanese Grand Prix 522j5l

The 2012 Japanese Grand Prix had a massive say in the title fight between Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel.

Alonso went into the race with a healthy 29-point gap over the Red Bull driver.

The Spaniard benefitted from Schumacher’s engine blowing up six years prior, but this time luck was against him. He retired following a first-lap collision with future teammate Kimi Raikkonen.

Romain Grosjean drove into the back of Mark Webber, while Bruno Senna crashed into the side of Nico Rosberg during a manic opening lap.

Vettel drove a faultless drive to take victory and close the gap to four points with five races to go.

There were some thrilling battles behind the German. Alonso’s teammate Felipe Massa finished second and Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi held off Jenson Button to take the only F1 podium of his career.

8. 1990 Japanese Grand Prix 3sj42

Ayrton Senna qualified on pole ahead of title rival Alain Prost but was unhappy that he would have to start on the dirty side of the grid.

His appeals to start on the cleaner side of the grid were turned down. He itted after the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix: “I said to myself, “OK, you try to work cleanly, and you get ****** by certain people. All right, if tomorrow Prost beats me off the line, at the first corner, I will go for it and he better not turn in because he’s not going to make it.”

Prost beat Senna off the line but the Brazilian intentionally crashed into the Frenchman. This sent both drivers out of the race and Senna was crowned champion for a second time.

It came one year after the two crashed at the same track in a race where Prost won the championship.

Gerhard Berger spun out of the lead on the first lap while Nigel Mansell retired from a certain victory with a mechanical failure at the halfway stage.

So Benetton took an all-Brazilian 1-2 with Nelson Piquet finishing seven seconds clear of Roberto Moreno. Meanwhile, Aguri Suzuki became the first Japanese driver in history to finish on the podium in third.

Two icons. Two championships. Two controversial collisions.

The tale of Ayrton Senna 🆚 Alain Prost – and their duels at Suzuka in 1998 and 1990 – are nothing short of legendary#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/c0Bg6SOPWM

— Formula 1 (@F1) April 1, 2024

7. 1996 Japanese Grand Prix 2s624y

Damon Hill famously won the drivers’ world championship at the 1996 Japanese Grand Prix.

He became the first son of a world champion to do so himself. His dad Graham won the championship in 1962 and 1968.

He started the race second behind his title rival and teammate Jacques Villeneuve.

However, the Brit beat the Canadian off the line and produced a brilliant drive to take the victory. Villeneuve crashed out of contention after his right rear wheel came loose.

Hill though still had a fight for the win as Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen closed him down.

The Brit beat Schumacher by just 1.8 seconds, with 3.2 covering the top three at the chequered flag.

6. 1994 Japanese Grand Prix 3b626e

Japan was a kind place to Damon Hill who also produced the drive of his career at the Japanese Grand Prix in 1994.

The race started in torrential rain with eight drivers spinning off or crashing in the opening 13 laps.

Martin Brundle’s spin brought out the red flag after he hit a track marshall who was helping move Gianni Morbidelli’s stricken car. The track marshall suffered a broken leg.

Michael Schumacher had a 6.8 second lead when the red flag was brought out. However, when the race resumed Hill took the lead.

Hill won by 10.1 seconds at the chequered flag and thus took the win by 3.3 seconds on aggregate.

Jean Alesi and Nigel Mansell had a thrilling fight for the final spot on the podium. After some epic wheel-to-wheel racing, Alesi in his Ferrari took third.

5. 2000 Japanese Grand Prix 3in45

Michael Schumacher and Mika Hakkinen were in a class of their own as they fought for victory in 2000.

The German went into the race knowing that a win was enough to take Ferrari’s first drivers’ title in 21 years. Hakkinen won the championship in the previous two years and was keen to complete a treble.

Schumacher took pole but Hakkinen beat him off the line after an explosive start. The Finn also led through the first pitstops and looked good for victory to close the gap ahead of the final race.

However, Schumacher never gave up. Ultimately, he stopped later than Hakkinen in the second round of pitstops and was fast enough to take the lead and the victory to claim the championship.

Hakkinen pressured Schumacher all the way until the chequered flag. The extent of their brilliance was shown by the fact that they finished one minute clear of their respective teammates David Coulthard and Rubens Barrichello.

4. 1989 Japanese Grand Prix 1k2u3e

The 1989 Japanese Grand Prix was a two-way battle involving Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna.

Senna started on pole but was beaten off the line by Prost – who then built a six-second gap. The Brazilian eventually caught his great rival and went for a move going into the chicane at the end of Lap 47.

Neither driver was willing to back down and they collided at the apex of their turn. Their wheels were locked and engines were stalled.

Prost left his car thinking the championship was settled in his favour. However, Senna got a push from the marshalls to help his car get going and he accelerated away.

Senna ed Alessandro Nannini for the lead just two laps after having his nose cone replaced and took victory – or so he thought.

The Brazilian was disqualified immediately after the race, with Senna feeling that the FISA president Jean-Marie Balestre had given the championship to his French compatriot Prost.

3. 1976 Japanese Grand Prix 2f2e14

The 1976 Japanese Grand Prix brought a conclusion to the epic title fight between Niki Lauda and James Hunt.

Lauda had suffered horrific burns in a fiery crash at the German Grand Prix. Despite missing two races, he led the championship going into Japan by three points.

However, race day brought torrential rain like has rarely ever been seen. Organisers decided to go ahead with the race despite complaints from the drivers, including Lauda.

Hunt took the lead on the opening lap while Lauda drove into the pits to withdraw from the race. Lauda believed the weather conditions were too dangerous and said “my life is worth more than a title”.

Hunt dropped to third as the track began to dry and he needed to stay in that position to win the title.

However, he dropped to fifth after he was forced to change damaged tyres. Hunt overtook Clay Regazzoni and Alan Jones to get the third place he needed to win the title – finishing behind Mario Andretti and Patrick Depaillier.

2. 2007 Japanese Grand Prix 23535i

The 2007 Japanese Grand Prix offered F1 fans the first glimpse of Lewis Hamilton’s brilliance in wet conditions during his legendary career.

In torrential conditions, the Brit in his first season led the majority of the race from pole and made no mistake to take his fourth career win.

His title rivals both hit problems as Kimi Raikkonen started on the wrong tyre but recovered well to finish third, while Fernando Alonso crashed out after his McLaren aquaplaned into the barrier.

Future Red Bull teammates Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel both fancied their first career wins. However, behind the safety car when running second and third, the young German in just his sixth race drove into the back of Webber and ended both of their races.

Hamilton was found guilty for this crash after his sudden braking forced Webber to follow suit with Vettel not reacting quick enough. The FIA though decided not to impose any post-race penalty.

Heikki Kovalainen and Kimi Raikkonen completed the podium behind Hamilton, while there was an epic last-lap battle involving Felipe Massa and Robert Kubica who finished 6th and 7th.

1. 2005 Japanese Grand Prix 5d3m1a

The 2005 Japanese Grand Prix is arguably the greatest race of all time with Kimi Raikkonen and Fernando Alonso putting on epic drives through the field.

Raikkonen won the race after starting 17th, after he ed Giancarlo Fisichella with a daring move around the outside of Turn 1 on the final lap.

What a race – and what a drive from Kimi!

After starting P17, here's the moment he took P1 on the final lap to secure the win at the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix 😮 🏆

We hoped you enjoyed our latest F1 Classic, in partnership with @DHL_Motorsports 🙂#F1 #MomentsThatDeliver pic.twitter.com/Y6q3Xbr9M4

— Formula 1 (@F1) June 10, 2020

It was of many incredible overtakes during the race. Alonso completed the podium having started in 16th – with an overtake around the outside of Michael Schumacher at 130R his highlight.

Raikkonen also put in a brave move on Schumacher, while Alonso took to the grass to Mark Webber.

The Finn’s win from 17th on the grid is one of the lowest-ever grid slots for a victor to this day and even excelled the drives that took him to the championship two years later.