Suzuka extends for the 2012 season

Formula One enthusiasts feared that 2011 would be the last season we would see the legendary Suzuka circuit on the calendar, as many Japanese have withdrawn from the sport in recent years. However, the circuit has just extended its contract by one season, until the end of the F1 2012 season.

This extension may be directly linked to the presence of Kamui Kobayashi within Sauber since he was able to attract Japanese sponsors for his national event. He also had his own merchandising shop to satisfy the identification desires of his compatriots.

Yet the number of Japanese companies invested in Formula 1 has never been so low, as all the major manufacturers (Honda in 2008, Toyota in 2009) from the archipelago have left over the last two seasons, and Bridgestone made the same decision at the end of the 2010 season.

Similarly, Suzuka is one of the few events (along with Silverstone) that does not benefit from public financial support since the circuit still belongs to Honda, through the structure Mobilityland. Last October, the president of that company acknowledged that the Formula 1 event was only marginally profitable for the circuit. However, this is already an impressive performance when compared to the debts left to taxpayers in Australia or Belgium.

If the Suzuka Circuit were to disappear from the calendar, there would be little chance of it being replaced by Mount Fuji since it is owned by the world’s largest manufacturer, Toyota…

With the participation of RacingBusiness.fr