Furthermore, most of the teams' technical directors did not travel to the race and were instead at the factories working on the new cars for 2007. In fact, the cars were in very similar trim to the previous round and that at Turkey, despite some technical reports suggesting otherwise.
In only its twentieth running of the Grand Prix at Suzuka, the circuit has become a classic - a track that tests the car and rewards the driver like no other.
As the original track with a figure of eight layout, Suzuka includes several demanding high-speed sections, such as Degner and 130R, plus some tightening radius curves at Spoon and a final slower chicane complex. To work well there, the car must have good aerodynamic efficiency; otherwise the trade-off for fast cornering performance is detrimental to speed along the straights - notwithstanding the need for good mechanical grip, especially for the kerbs at the final chicane and subsequent traction on to the straight.