F.1 Japanese GP stats:
160 – Last year a Mercedes engine won for the 160th time in F.1 history: a week ago they recorded their 170th win in Sochi.
116 – Last year Hamilton recorded here his 116th front row, equalling Michael Schumacher at the first all-time spot.
17 – Kimi Raikkonen won from 17th on the grid here in 2005: no other driver was able to record such a feat at Suzuka.
12 – Fernando Alonso won his only Suzuka GP 12 years ago.
12 – Honda, as engine manufacturer, scored points in their home track for the last time twelve years ago (2006: Jenson Button 4th for Honda).
7 – Ferrari and McLaren are the most successful teams at Suzuka, with 7 wins each.
5 – Excluding an accident in 2013, Hamilton always finished his Suzuka races in the top-5.
4 – Sebastian Vettel is one of the most successful drivers in the history of Suzuka with 4 wins and 7 podiums. Only Michael Schumacher fared better with 6 wins and 9 podiums.
4 – Vettel started from pole here four times in succession in the years spanning from 2009 to 2012.
4 – Four wins for Hamilton in Japan: in 2014, 2015 and last year at Suzuka, and a Grand Chelem at the Fuji circuit in 2007.
4-4 – Mercedes recorded pole and won all the four races of the Turbo/Hybrid era held in Suzuka.
3x7 – Last year Daniel Ricciardo equalled here the record for most third place finishes in a season, seven, scored previously by Mark Webber in 2011 and Vettel in 2015. He hasn’t finished third since then.
2 – Red Bull didn’t score points in Suzuka only twice: in 2006 and 2015.
2 – Red Bull locked the second row of the grid here both last year and two years ago.
2 – Only two British drivers recorded pole in Suzuka: Nigel Mansell in 1992 and Lewis Hamilton last year.
2 – Hamilton last year became here the second driver in history with at least 10 poles on three different seasons after Senna. Lewis started from pole 11 times in 2015, 12 in 2016 and 11 last year, while Senna recorded 13 poles out of 16 in 1988, the same value the following year and 10 out of 16 in 1990.
1 – The fourth place by Bottas last year is the only finish outside the podium in Suzuka in the Turbo/Hybrid era for the Mercedes team.