Gasly: 'Surprised by amount of Japanese fans'

The Suzuka Circuit in Japan is a favourite with many F1 drivers. The Alpine duo, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, are also looking forward to the Japan GP. Ocon sees the S-curves as a challenge, Gasly is looking forward to the Japanese fans who descend on the race in large numbers.

The challenge of Suzuka according to Ocon

Ocon drove a strong race in Singapore, but crashed out while on course to score good points. In Japan, the Frenchman is determined to strike back. Ocon: "It is one of the highlights of the season. This track has such a nice flow to it, and it is such a pleasure driving there. In the past, we’ve seen that overtaking is not always easy compared to other tracks, but the racing is always good."

Ocon continued: "Us drivers always need to quickly find a rhythm around there, especially through the Sector 1 Esses. Once you’ve found that, the lap time will improve, and it becomes a really fun circuit to drive. I had a great result here last year with a strong fourth place and I can’t wait to race in front of the passionate Japanese fans who always make it such an amazing experience to come here."

Gasly reflects back on Super Formula

And so does Gasly, who drove a full season of Super Formula in Japan in 2017. Gasly: "Japan is a very special place for me from my Super Formula days as I spent a lot of time in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya during my season back in 2017. I remember my first event at Suzuka and being completely blown away by the volume of support from the fans [...] I love the support, I’m so thankful for it and I can’t wait to experience it again this weekend where I aim to make itback-to-back points on track."