Suzuka, an often decisive circuit

Now that the 2019 Constructors' Championship has been decided in Japan, we look back at the highlights from Suzuka. Traditionally the final round of the season, Suzuka was often decisive for the title throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

Japan only joined the Formula 1 calendar in 1976, and its debut was spectacular. The inaugural race took place at the Mount Fuji circuit, where James Hunt claimed his only Grand Prix victory in a race contested in pouring rain. The following year proved much less memorable: the championship had already been decided, and an accident involving Gilles Villeneuve and Ronnie Peterson tragically claimed the lives of two spectators, leading to the event being canceled. It would be a decade before the Japanese Grand Prix made its return, this time at the Suzuka circuit, much loved by Honda and often ranked by drivers alongside Spa-Francorchamps. Since its return, Suzuka has hosted several decisive battles for the title, the most recent of which saw Mercedes win its sixth constructors' championship. A look back at some of the key dates in the history of the Japanese Grand Prix:

October 30, 1988: Ayrton Senna takes pole position with a lap of 1:41.853, ahead of his teammate Alain Prost. McLaren is unbeatable that season, with the MP4-4 winning 15 of the 16 races, only the 11 best performances counting towards the championship. The title fight came down to Senna and Prost. Although Senna stalled at the start and fell to eighth place at the end of the first lap, his relentless driving allowed him to climb back up to second place on lap 20. The two drivers then battled for eight laps in cars fitted with slick tires on a wet track, and Senna's gamble paid off, allowing him to win the first of his three world titles. October 22, 1989: A year later, the rivalry between Senna and Prost reignited. Tensions within McLaren pushed Prost to Ferrari for 1990, leaving Senna as the undisputed leader of the team. The two drivers qualified on the front row, with Senna on pole position and Prost 1.7 seconds behind him. This time, Senna got off to a good start, but Prost quickly took the lead. On lap 46, Senna launched a daring attack in the chicane, causing a collision that forced Prost to retire and left Senna stuck in the gravel. After a lengthy protest, Alessandro Nannini was declared the winner, Senna was disqualified, and Prost won the championship. Senna would get his revenge the following year by crashing into the Frenchman in the first corner to win the title.

October 13, 1996: Once again, Suzuka became the highlight of the season, this time pitting Jacques Villeneuve against Damon Hill, both driving Williams-Renaults. Hill arrived in Japan with a nine-point lead, hoping to join his father among the world champions. He qualified second behind Villeneuve and, thanks to an excellent start, took the lead while Villeneuve found himself stuck in the pack after a modest start. Villeneuve's race ended on lap 36 with a lost wheel, giving Hill his 25th championship title. October 9, 2005: At that time, Suzuka was the penultimate round. Fernando Alonso had already won his first title in Brazil, so the race was no longer important for the championship, but it was no less exciting. On Saturday, in the rain, the champion qualified only 16th, but still ahead of his rival Kimi Raikkonen, who started 17th after an engine change. Michael Schumacher took pole position, but the race turned into a demonstration of the comeback of Alonso and Raikkonen. Alonso made a daring overtaking maneuver on Michael Schumacher in the 130R corner and finished third, while Raikkonen overtook Giancarlo Fisichella in the first corner of the final lap to take the win. The 2005 edition was marked by 34 overtakes and six different leaders.