Advice about entrance, trackside activities and on-track action at Suzuka Circuit for F1 fans attending the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix
2026 Japanese GP Tickets / F1 Experiences / Nagoya Hotels / Japanese GP Facebook group
- The 2026 Japanese Grand Prix takes place from March 27-29
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With so much recent F1 history and an incredible atmosphere courtesy of the fervent local fans, a trip to the Suzuka circuit is on the bucket list for many F1 fans. The circuit is a little out of the way, but the trip is worthwhile. Just pay attention to our tips below and come prepared! The good news is that the Suzuka website offers lots of useful information in English for fans visiting the track; we have included plenty of links to relevant pages below.
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Be Prepared For a Day at Suzuka
It’s worth getting organized before travelling to Suzuka. Aside from food and F1 merchandise, there are no convenience stores at the circuit or the Suzuka Inou train station. (There are shops and ATMs at the Shiroko train station, but opening hours are limited and you may not get what you need.) Make sure you have sufficient cash, as well as other useful items such as sun cream, a hat, umbrella or wet weather gear. You’ll be walking a lot at Suzuka, so be sure to wear comfortable shoes. English commentary is available on FM86 during race weekend.
Suzuka Circuit: Entrance & Orientation
- Entrance Gates: Eight gates provide access to the circuit (see map above). It pays to check the closest entry gate to your grandstand or you may have a substantial walk of up to 3km. The main gate is closest to the grandstands on the final corner (Q1-2, R, S) and pit straight grandstands (V1, V2). The main fanzone at Suzuka is also located right in front of the main gate.
- 2026 Gate Opening Hours: Listed in the main schedule below. The Main Gate is open from 08:30-17:30 on Thursday, 08:00-19:00 on Friday, 08:00-20:15 on Saturday and 08:00-19:30 on Sunday. Sunset on race weekend is at approx. 18:15. Check all gate locations and opening times for 2026 here.
- Prohibited Items: Ticket terms and prohibited items are listed here.
2026 Japanese Grand Prix Schedule
- On-Track Schedule: The full timetable for the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix has now been published and is listed below. The schedule includes gate opening and closing times, F1 driver forum appearances and public pit lane and track walks.
- Support Categories: Ferrari Challenge Japan and Porsche Carrera Cup Japan return as support categories in 2026. Both will contest the first round of their respective seasons at Suzuka.
- Thursday Opening: The main gates open at 08:30-17:30 and the Turn 1 gate are open from 08:45-17:30. All other gates are closed on Thursday. The public pitlane walk and track walk happens from 09:00-12:00 (details and map here). The main GP Square Fanzone is also open on Thursday, along with the adjacent theme park and ferris wheel. It’s a good day to pick up special-edition Japanese GP merch, as the good stuff sells out fast.
- Pit Lane Walks: Holders of 3-day tickets for the race can access both the Pit Lane and the Main Straight on Thursday morning (09:00-12:00) and Saturday evening (18:10-19:10), as well as after the race. More details below. F1 Experiences also offers a pit lane walk and track tours for selected guests on Thursday afternoon (normally mid-afternoon) and a grid walk on Saturday evening. Guests in the F1 Paddock Club can take part in daily pit lane walks on Friday, Saturday & Sunday; timings are listed in the schedule below.
- Post-Race Track Invasion: Only children and accompanying adults with S-class family seats can enter the track for the podium ceremony. Fans in the VIP Suite and V1/V2 grandstands opposite the pits can enter the track on the main straight, but only after the podium ceremony has finished. All other fans can access all other parts of the track (After-Race East Course Walk), but not the Main Straight, from the end of the podium ceremony from about16:30 (end of podium ceremony) until 18:00. More info here.
Thursday, March 26
- 08:30: Main Gates Open (Turn 1 gates open from 08:45, all other gates closed))
- 09:00-12:00: Pit Lane Walk & Main Straight Walk. (open to all 3-day ticket holders)
- 17:30:: Main Gate & Turn 1 gates close
Friday, March 27
- 08:00: Main Gates Open (some other gates open at slightly later times)
- 09:00-09:45: Ferrari Challenge Japan – First Practice Session
- 10:00-11:00: Paddock Club Pit Lane Walk (car presentation)
- 11:30-12:30: Formula 1 – Free Practice 1 (FP1)
- 13:00-13:45: Porsche Carrera Cup Japan – Practice Session
- 15:00-16:00: Formula 1 – Free Practice 2 (FP2)
- 16:30-17:00: Ferrari Challenge Japan – Qualifying Session
- 17:15-18:15: F1 Experiences – Champions Club: Grid Walk
- 19:00: All Gates Close
Saturday, March 28
- 08:00: Main Gates Open (some other gates open at slightly later times)
- 10:20-10:50: Porsche Carrera Cup Japan – Qualifying Session
- 11:30-12:30 : Formula 1 – Free Practice 3 (FP3)
- 13:10-13:45: Ferrari Challenge Japan – First Race (30 minutes + 1 lap)
- 15:00-16:00: Formula 1 – Qualifying
- 16:45-18:00: Eve Festival (V1/V2 grandstand ticket holders only)
- 17:15-18:15: Champions Club Trophy Photo & Grid Walk (F1 Experiences guests only)
- 17:15-17:45: Kids Pit Lane Walk (Restricted)
- 18:10-19:10: Night Pit & Home Straight Walk (All ticket holders)
- 20:15: All Gates Close
Sunday, March 29
- 08:00: Main Gates Open (some other gates open at slightly later times)
- 09:40-10:15: Ferrari Challenge Japan – Second Race (30 minutes + 1 lap)
- 10:55-11:30: Porsche Carrera Cup Japan – Race (10 laps or 30 minutes)
- 12:00-12:30: Formula 1 – Drivers’ Parade
- 13:44-13:46: National Anthem
- 14:00-16:00: Formula 1 Aramco Japanese Grand Prix 2026 (53 laps or 2 hours)
- 16:30-18:00: Straight Walk (limited to VIP SUITE, V1, and V2 seats) & East Course Walk (all ticket holders)
- 19:30 All Gates Close
Fan Activities at the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix
A full program of F1 fan activities are held as part of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend, including pit lane walks and a Fan Forum with F1 driver interviews on the stage in the GP Square Fanzone. This is located behind the V1/V2 grandstands, close to the main entrance to Suzuka and the Mobilityland theme park.
GP Square Fanzone & Fan Forum Stage
From Friday to Sunday, the main stage in the Fanzone (GP Square Official Stage) also has special guest appearances. The F1 drivers appear in team groups on either Friday morning or Saturday morning. As well as the F1 drivers, there’s also appearances by F1 team principals, as well as ex-F1 drivers from Japan and other local F1 personalities. Japanese bands Mos (Friday & Saturday) and Ryoma Quartet (Friday only) will also be performing. Full list of appearances is here.
Friday, March 27
- 09:30-09:40: Max Verstappen & Isaak Hadjar (Red Bull Racing)
- 09:40-09:50: Pierre Gasly & Franco Colapinto (Alpine) + George Russell & Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- 09:50:10:00: Charles Leclerc & Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- 10:10-10:20: Esteban Ocon & Oliver Bearman (Haas F1 Team)
- 10:20-10:30: Jacques Villeneuve (F1 Ambassador)
- 13:35-13:45: Toto Wolff (Mercedes Team Principal)
- 13:50-14:00: Zak Brown (McLaren Team Principal)
- 14:10-14:20: Jean Alesi (F1 Ambassador)
Saturday, March 28
- 09:30-09:40: Liam Lawson & Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
- 09:40-09:50: Lando Norris & Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- 09:50-10:00: Alex Albon & Carlos Sainz (Williams)
- 10:00-10:10: Nico Hulkenberg/Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi)
- 10:10-10:20: Fernando Alonso & Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) + Sergio Perez & Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac)
- 14:15-14:25: Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull Racing Reserve Driver)
Home Straight, Pit Lane Walks & East Course Walks, Eve Festival
Race weekend kicks off on Thursday morning with a pit lane walk and home straight walk from 09:00-12:00, open to all ticket holders. More info here. A second pit lane walk and track walk take place on Saturday evening, beginning with a Kids Pit Lane Walk (17:15-17:45). This will be followed by Night Pit Lane & Track Walk (18:00-19:10). All Saturday events, including maps, are listed here. Both of the pit lane/home straight walks are open to all holders of 3-day tickets for the race, while the Eve Festival is restricted to V1/V2 grandstand ticket holders. If you’ve got tickets for either the V1 or V2 grandstand, it’s worth staying around on Saturday night for the Eve Festival. It’s worth noting that whilst Suzuka has several pit lane walks,these are not normally held at times when the teams are most active (e.g. doing pit stop practice). The times for fan activities at the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix are listed below:
- Thursday, March 26: 09:00-12:00: Pit Lane Walk & Home Straight Walk. Open to all 3-day ticket holders. A chance to walk in the pit lane and on the starting grid. (All Thursday activities)
- Saturday, March 28: 16:45-18:00: Eve Festival. Performance by Ryoma Quartet and appearance by Leonard Fornaroli (McLaren Reserve Driver). Takes place in front of V1/V2 grandstands. Only open to holders of V1/V2 grandstand tickets and those who have purchased special tickets. (All Saturday activities)
- Saturday, March 28: 17:15-17:45: Kids Pit Lane Walk: only children of junior high school age or younger and their companions can participate if they have an F1 race ticket. Participating children must be ticket holders; up to 2 guardians per child under junior high school age. (All Saturday activities)
- Saturday: March 28: 18:00-19:10: Night Pit & Home Straight Walk: open to all 3-day ticket holders, this is your chance to walk in the pit lane and on the starting grid, after dark! (All Saturday activities)
- Sunday, March 29: 16:30-18:00: Fans are able to enter the track after the race on Sunday, but ticket restrictions apply. Those seats in the V1/V2 grandstands opposite the pits can enter the main straight after the conclusion of the podium ceremony. The After Race East Course Walk (all sections of the track, with the exception of the main straight) is open to all other ticket holders after the conclusion of the podium ceremony. (All Sunday activities)
Ferris Wheel Fanzone & West Fanzone
- Suzuka is also home to two other fanzones. The Ferris Wheel Fanzone is new for 2026. Located in the theme park, it’s close to fans in the grandstands near the final corner (Q, R grandstands). Three-day ticket holders normally get free rides on the iconic Ferris Wheel at Suzuka and it’s a must-do at the circuit. The views are spectacular, even if there is no on-track action at the time.
- Thursday is the best day to take a ride, as the queues are shorter. There’s also a rollercoaster and other rides (paid). Check details and the map here.
- An additional fanzone is located close to general admission and affordable grandstands near the L section of the Spoon Curve. Learn more about the West Fanzone here.
F1 Tokyo Fan Festival 2026: Wednesday, March 25
After successful activations coinciding with the last few editions of the Japanese race, the F1 Tokyo Fan Festival returns ahead of the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix. After previously running for five days across race week, the 2026 festival takes place on just one day: Wednesday, March 25, at Tokyo Tower and the adjacent Tokyo Star Rise Tower. Opening hours are from 11:00-19:00 and entrance is free. An event event on the same day is by invitation only. Former F1 and Indy driver Takuma Sato will be appearing, as well as DJ KOO. The festival features the Front, Park and Museum zones with interactive exhibits, simulators, talk shows on the stage, merch and food vendors.
Food & Drink at Suzuka
There is a good selection of food and drink available at Suzuka with reasonable prices, though few vendors take card payments – bring cash. Expect to pay approx. 250 yen for water and soft drinks ($1.70 USD), 500 yen for beers ($3.50 USD) and 1000-2500 yen ($6-16 USD) for meals. Choose from Japanese or Western food, including noodles, rice dishes and hamburgers. The best food choices are behind the main grandstand, but there are smaller concessions around the circuit. Free water refill stations are located around the circuit, but not in abundance or well signposted. Be aware that some vendors did run out of drinks and food later in the day at Suzuka during the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix weekend.
Hey Andrew – Great info on this site , i was watching the suzuka web page and i can’t find anything about what are the things you can get and not to the circuit.
I was searching for food and beverage , could it be possible to enter food (Sandwiches) and beverages in backpack to the racetrack?
My first f1 race , no idea
Thank you very much , Regards
Hi Richard, thanks for the compliment! You should be fine taking in your own food to the track. Drink is less clear, but at least one bottle of water or other non-alcoholic drink should be ok. The trackside food and drink is actually not that bad, nor too expensive, but the queues at peak times can be a problem.
Hi, me again. Is it possible to get onto the track after the race? Do you have any tips on this?
Thanks
Do you know what entertainment lineup is set for 2017.
Hello, we will update this post for 2017 closer to the race. In the meantime, you can check the circuit website for updates.
best reliable information I ever found on web!! thank you soooooo much for the info, making ticket purchasing much easier (purchased via your website, got V2 tickets)!
now I’m wondering how to get to the destination tho… my partner and I will fly into and stay in Osaka (bad idea??). We hope to attend the Thursday morning track/ pitlane walk too. Wondering if you have any good information about traffic (Kintetsu Railway or something)? I’m having serious troubles in understanding the rail map/ figuring out what tickets to buy………. )=
Any update?
Hi, we will update this page very soon!
Hi there, is it possible to get just one ticket for a day? My fiance will be in Japan that week for his job, but only available on Saturday to go. Thanks!
Hi, single-day tickets are only on sale for Friday, sorry. He could take his chances on the day, but I don’t know how successful he will be in getting a reasonably priced ticket.
Hi I’m planning to get the package that includes the pitlane walk/tour around the track/etc but was wondering how hectic it is in pitlane walks? I am a relatively short guy (5’2″ lol) and was worried I might not be able to enjoy the pitlane walk, let alone see the teams/drivers in the garages, as I might easily get devoured by the crowed. Any tips for a short guy like me to enjoy pitlane walks and make the most of my money spent on the package? Thanks!
Hi Chan, you will be fine with the F1 Experiences tour. The number of people in each group is quite small, so you will not have any problems seeing everything. The access on these tours is incredible. I wrote a blog for F1 Experiences about our tour in Malaysia this year: http://social.f1experiences.com/inside-the-f1-paddock-with-f1-experiences
hi
I want to offer my husband an F1 experience, but I am undecided between the championship experience and the F1 Paddock Premier club. I would like you to advise me between the two, which would better?
the first is to be in champions club and the second the first day in paddock club and The obter 2 days in stand B2 upper seating. I want to know is which of the two places I see the race better.
my husband is a karting and off-road driver and I would also like to offer him a ride on the track with the ferrari or the Mercedes amg. him to drive. is it possible? How can I do it? Who should I contact?
Is there any chance of listening to radio live commentary during the race? Does the circuit offer any services?
Hi Alessio, maybe you should read the post again! The information is there: “trackside commentary is being offered in English this year for the first time! Tune in to 87.5 FM on your own device or rent a radio at the track.”
Many thanks! Because the article provided information based on the 2017 race, I thought it was a good idea asking. Thank you
Hello!
Great page that has offered me lots of help! I will be attending the Japanese Grand Prix this year, I have a West Area ticket and will be alone, so I was hoping to bring my own food in so I don’t have to eave and lose my spot as I will have no one to keep it for me.
Do you know if it is permitted to bring in your own food? Thanks!
Thanks James! According to the Rules and Manners document, you are not allowed to bring food and drink into the circuit. I cannot say how closely this is checked on entry. I’d probably take the risk of packing a sandwich and bottle of water!
Thanks mate. This is great info that I couldn’t find otherwise. I was particularly looking to see if there was FM broadcast of English commentary. Thanks mate. You’ve made my day
Thanks Peter, hope you have a great weekend at Suzuka!
Will English FM radio still be available this year?
Hello~
Thank you for the very detailed information.
Regards the Thursday pit lane walk, is it available for all 3-day tickets holders? No matter which section I seat? And does everyone get the chance to join the autograph lottery? Thanks~
Yes, all 3-day ticket holders can join the pit walk and track walk. And yes, everyone will get a ticket for the autograph lottery. Good luck!
Do you know if this was still true in 2023? F1 experiences is selling a pit lane walk with their cheapest 2024 packages, but if the walk is open to GA on Thursday the ticket does not seem as worth it
Hi, I worked with F1 Experiences in Japan this year. The public pitlane walk on Thursday was in the morning, from 9:00-11:30, when the pitlane was less active. By contrast, the F1 Experiences pitlane in the afternoon (16:00-17:00, from memory) was much busier. The teams were doing practice pitstops, and plenty of drivers were around. Several stopped to sign autographs and pose for selfies. As part of the Thursday activities for F1 Experiences, you also get to do a lap of the track on the flatbed truck, and also get your photo taken with the championship trophies.
Pit lane walk is spritted in proper population, so you may need to que up but once get in, enojgh time and not so crazy in population…but almost no chance to see drivers as well getting autographs.
More chance to get autograph is main straight walk(same session as pit lane walk), some of teams/drivers go to track walk, then you mau have chance to meet them when comming back to pit lane…it is just by chance.
Concerning Food & Drinks, I have been to Suzuka in 10years but never see they check your backpack.
But do not trust me as regulation can be changed. Foods are easily available with reasonable price, and it is big motivation of Suzuka citizens welcomming F1 event, so I wish you encourage then by purhasing your lunch there.
Especially Sunday, I recommend you to buy food early or late. Noon time is crisis.
You can kill your time by going to “GP Square”, back of main grand stand, many marchadise, promtion booths are there, as well as several talk show on the main stage, almost all drivers, some of regend drivers appear and have a talk.
great article, thanks…. full of good information …maybe I missed it but just in case it wasn’t mentioned, there are tunnels I think three (3) at Suzuka for fans to cross under the track at different points around the circuit. it saves a lot of time when making your way around to different corners and track positions. I haven’t been since 1996 and at that time it was a bit challenging for a foreigner to book a hotel room, if you have a Japanese friend or maybe the manager of your current hotel outside of Tsu city. Ask them to give the local hotel a call and explain that you are neat, quiet, and polite. it doesn’t hurt to have a few simple phrases too like “kagi oni ga-shimas” ( key please) too……have a wonderful time…. great track, deep Honda History. Kampai!!
Thanks Eddy, I’m hoping to attend the race at Suzuka this year for the first time so this is useful info
Hi Andrew, can you please confirm the practice sessions are free and do not require a ticket? I cannot find that info anywhere else and this is my first F1 race. Thank you!
No the practice sessions are not free. You need to buy a ticket. If you have a 3-day ticket you can watch all the action from Friday to Sunday
This site mentions “Free Fridays” in which fans can sit in any grandstand.
https://f1experiences.com/blog/maximise-your-trip-to-japanese-grand-prix
You’re saying you still need to buy a ticket to enter the grounds? Any recommendations for tickets? Viagogo.com has tickets, but from what I understand, I need to pick up the tickets in a convenience store in Suzuka after purchasing them online. Is this correct? Any advice would be much appreciated. Thank you.
Free Friday just refers to the fact that the grandstands are open on Friday. You still need a ticket to enter the circuit grounds. As for your question about Viagogo, I cannnot help you with that. Sorry
Hi Andrew, looking at going to the race next year with my wife and our soon to be born child. They’ll be 8 months old. That aside, what are the best seats/views/recommended areas to try to get seats? Knowing the above info a covered area would probably be ideal for either sun or rain. Thanks
Hi Mike, best of luck with the birth of your child! I’d really not recommend bringing such a young baby to F1. It’s too loud and also very difficult getting to/from the circuit etc with a stroller. If you are determined to go, I think you really need to choose the V2 grandstand – this is the only one covered, and it’s opposite the pits. It’s also the most expensive. Also close to fanzone and facilities. Alternatively, you could go for hospitality like the Champions Club above the pits, which is run by F1 Experiences
Hi,
Do you know if the Pit Lane Walk on Thursday will take place and at what times this year? I cannot find it on the official website
Sorry Megan, there’s no news on the pit lane walk at Suzuka yet. Hopefully we’ll get confirmation of whether or not it is going ahead soon. In the meantime, keep checking the circuit website. We will also update this page if there is any further information!
Hi Andrew,
Thank you so much for the information.
Any news about the pit walk for any ticket holder?
I have general admission arriving on Thursay and I haven’t found any official information in regards of that.
Sorry, no news on pit lane walk at Suzuka yet. There have been pit lane walks at other races this year but no confirmation for the Japanese Grand Prix. Hopefully there will be news soon – keep checking the circuit website. We will also update this page if there is any further information
Thank you Nick!
Hi! Planning to attend Suzuka this year. From what I’m hearing, Thursday public pit lane walk is only available if you have the 3-day ticket? And will I be able to buy tickets directly on the Suzuka circuit website? I imagine they will start selling tickets on their own website first, before any resellers, right? Thanks!
Hello, yes normally all 3-day ticket holders can attend the pit lane walk on Thursday. Yes, you can try and buy direct via the Suzuka website when they go on sale. Resellers can be a back up if you miss out
Hi, I’m planning to go to the JapanGP this year and have already booked a hotel for the weekend! regarding the tickets, do all 3 day ticket holders have access to thursday-monday events? my goal is to get V2 tickets, but this is my first f1 race so I’m also not sure what to expect. Do you know how fast the V1-2 seats tend to sell out once released by the suzuka circuit website or F1 tickets website?
Also, regarding the ferris wheel, do you know if you can see the track from the top of the ferris wheel? it says that the ferris wheel is right behind the grand stand seats but I don’t see it in any photos so I’m assuming that it’s not that tall.
Thanks, this post really helped!
Yes, all three-day ticket holders should be able to attend the additional events on Thursday and Monday – but we still need to wait for such activities to be announced for 2023. I expect V2 will sell out quickly, but if you get them on or soon after May 14, it shouldn’t be a problem. We will also have tickets in our shop for Japan from May 14. As for Ferris Wheel, I don’t have personal experience, but I think you can see the track quite well. I believe it’s located closer to the final corner, with views of the pit entry.
Thanks for this guide. It’s very informative. Already booked a hotel in Nagoya for this.
How and where do they announce the additional events for Thursday and Monday?
I think these will be announced on the Suzuka website, but much closer to the race. Maybe 2-4 weeks beforehand.
Are bags allowed into the Suzuka circuit? I have a small camera bag that is not transparent that I’d like to take for my camera gear.
I think that’s fine, there’s no mention of bags not being allowed. No food and drink, however. And your camera lens shouldn’t be longer than 26cm. It’s all listed here.
What is the “Home Straight Walk”? Is it a free event?
It’s just a chance to walk down the start-finish straight, and yes, normally it’s free to 3-day ticket holders. Not yet announced if it will happen in 2023.
Hi Andrew,
Just wondering if there are any paid lockers or storage services for storing larger items such as baby stroller?
Thanks
I think there is a good chance that there are storage lockers as there’s a theme park right next to the circuit, but I cannot find out for sure. I think you should contact the circuit to check: https://www.suzukacircuit.jp/en/contact/
I imagine you probably already know, and are just awaiting official announcment, but Japanese F1 GP 2023 is on the Porsche Carrera Cup Japan schedule for 2023. Probably safe to say that will be the support race again for this year.
Thanks, will update this post!
Best gate for C stand?
Check this link for more info – unfortunately, the map is only in Japanese. Looks like the 1st Corner Gate will be closest for Grandstand C.
Is there anyway I can listen to commentary in English over the weekend there?
Sorry I missed this comment, I was at Suzuka myself working so was pretty busy over the weekend. For future reference, I found this review on Reddit:
“We learned there is an English (and Japanese) commentary broadcast by a local FM station: Suzuka Voice FM. You’ll need to bring an FM radio that tunes to 78.3 MHz (or 86.0 MHz for English as I read elsewhere), which likely means a Japanese market radio or a multi-band/shortwave radio with that coverage. You’ll also want earphones with good noise isolation or cancellation because otherwise you won’t be able to hear the radio over the noise of the racing. We didn’t get the chance to get an FM radio, but we would try to get one next time.”
looking into an F1 experience starter package for this race next year and wondering what advantages it would give me over just a regular 3 day ticket? trying to research why I would need to spend the extra money, thanks!
Hi Nicole, Starter gives you some additional activities on Thursday at the track, as well as the three-day grandstand seat. I was there at Suzuka this year working with F1 Experiences:) You will have a pit lane walk, guided tour of the track and also a photo with the championship trophy. This year, our guests saw lots of drivers, some of whom even stopped for selfies and autographs.
Hi, any info on how much time I should allow to get to Nagoya Sunday after the race? I want to book a train from Nagoya to Tokyo that night.
Thanks
Jezz
Hi Jezz, I personally wouldn’t be booking a train from Nagoya to Tokyo until at least 9pm on Sunday night. It can be time consuming to get back to Nagoya after the race
Great article! Do you have any tips in how to how to get these Eve Festival tickets for those who don’t hold V1V2 Tickets? Thanks
I think it could be difficult. I don’t have info, but presumably it will be announced on the Suzuka website and social channels
Hi,
Do you know if there’s a size limit for bags or somewhere to leave big bags? I’m going to be travelling and am only passing through for one day so will not have anywhere to leave my bag (a 55l backpack) so am quite unsure about what to do with it.
Thanks
The information on baggage storage service has been released by the circuit.
https://www.suzukacircuit.jp/f1/luggage/index.html
https://www.suzukacircuit.jp/eng/f1/luggage/index.html
Suzuka Circuit has several coin lockers. The size of the biggest ones is 80cm x 36cm x 48cm (The charge per one day is 400 JPY). The size of the smallest ones is 37 cm x 37cm x 41 cm (The charge per one day is 200 JPY).
In previous GP weekends there used to be a checkroom for F1 audience, but the information on checkrooms for this year is not announced yet.
I know there have been comments earlier in this post re FM radio coverage of English commentary. But seems to relate to pre pandemic times. Any firm info of FM radio for 2024? Thanks
I checked the website of the circuit, but they introduce a local FM station only and no information on English commentary is shown.
I checked the website of the circuit, but they introduce a local FM station only and no information on English commentary is shown.
Is there an App for the Suzuka GP 2025?
Cannot find it on the google store
Not that I’m aware of, sorry
Love these guides, been to Monza and now Suzuka and the info here is such a great resource, thank you! Just a note on payments – every retailer we saw for the 2025 weekend took card, with only one exception where the machine broke down briefly. It’s still a good idea to have cash as a backup (plus it is faster to pay cash), but not as essential as it once was it seems. Prices still very reasonable, ¥200 for soft drinks, ¥550 for beers and around ¥1000 for a main meal.
English radio was available at 86.0 fm, we were in B2 and the free Amex radios they handed out to cardholders picked up the signal really well.
Thanks for this Ollie! We also appreciate your kind words. 550 JPY = $3.75 USD, which may just be the cheapest trackside beer on the whole F1 calendar :) We will add your intel to our guide for next year.
Just attended the race at Suzuka last weekend. First time attending at Suzuka and many people did not understand the Kintetsu train system to get to the track.
First, if you are attending this race, you have to make the determination, bus, car, or train for your path to the race.
If bus, you can take direct buses from major stations to the track, but you will have to pay for each day to the circuit.
If car, you will need to purchase parking spots before attending. Those can go quickly, and also need to take into account how crowded traffic can be around the circuit. There are numerous parking lots, but roads can be single lane in one direction, and also some other roads are used by the shuttle bus.
If by Kintetsu train, Nagoya, Osaka or Kyoto stations do have a combination of limited express trains (which DO REQUIRE a reservation) and express trains (which DO NOT require a reservation). This difference is very critical because express trains are more frequent, but you may be standing for the entire trip. The limited express trains are less frequent, but with the reservation, you have a specific seat.
Additionally, I recommend that people using Kintetsu get their 5-day pass, which will cover any version of travel. (local, express, limited express) to Shiroko station. It will make your life easier,
Reservations can be made for the limited express 30 days in advance of travel, and need to be done separately from the 5-day pass.
After getting off at Shiroko, the shuttle bus to the track, is actually fairly easy to take, and they do have a winding path to get you onto the buses, but even with the walk and the bus ride, it was only about 40 minutes to the drop off where you will pay the one-way fare (500 yen). It was then about a 15 minute walk to the main entrance. Going back, the wait for the bus may be slightly longer, but if making a limited express reservation, try for a 2 hour window at best. If you are at different sections of the track, remember that it will take longer to get back to the bus stop. We were in the last corner (Q2 seats) and had probably the shortest route back to the buses. Still we had to kill 30 minutes on Saturday, and 1 hour on Sunday before our return trip. Limited Express tickets to Nagoya and Osaka were booked until 9 pm. So get those limited express tickets early.
Is there any luggage storage available around the area? if yes, is it easy accessible?
Check here: https://www.suzukacircuit.jp/eng/contact_s/service_faq/
Does the Friday-only ticket for the Japanese Grand Prix grant access to the Thursday Pit Lane Walk? The official website (https://www.suzukacircuit.jp/eng/f1/ticket/friday.html) says the ticket includes ‘park admission fees for two days, March 26 (Thu) to 27 (Fri),’ and I’m wondering if the walk is included in that.
Hello, my assumption would be that the Thursday pit lane walk is included with Friday tickets.