Tokyo, Oct 08: F1 teams arrive in Japan for their final race of the season. F1 teams have arrived in Tokyo on Tuesday (October 7) ahead of the final race of the season, the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka. Ferrari driver Michael Schumacher has all but secured his record sixth championship after winning the U.S. Grand Prix. Mclaren's Kimi Raikkonen is the only driver who can stop him but the Finn is nine points behind and needs to win while the German fails to score. Schumacher now has 92 points and needs just one point from Sunday's (October 7) Japanese Grand Prix to overtake the late Juan Manuel Fangio in the Formula One record books and secure a record sixth championship. Ferrari has also regained the lead in the constructor's championship, with 147 points to Williams' 144. Williams' driver Ralf Schumacher remains confident his team can claim the constructor's title. "As we have showed many times we have the winner package, the winning car. Down to my mistake, we couldn't win it in Minneapolis, that was our last chance, now I definitely want to win the race, so does Juan so there is a perfect chance for us. It would be nice to have a one and two finish, that would be great in order to achieve our goal which is the constructors title," he said.


Williams also announced the team would no longer be displaying any tobacco advertising on its race cars. "We changed our strategy in being tobacco free and we are obviously proud of that fact," Schumacher said.


Meanwhile, Japanese driver Takuma Sato was unveiled as BAR's replacement for former world champion Jacques Villeneuve for the 2004 Formula One championship on Tuesday (October 7).

Villeneuve will drive in his last race for BAR at Suzuka. The 26-year-old Sato, raced for Jordan last season but returned to BAR as a test driver for 2003.



Suzuka is the final race for the 2003 Formula One championship this season. It is Honda's test track and has hosted grand prixs since 1987. Shaped in a figure of eight, it offers long and fast courses, 310-kph straights and short and challenging curves.


The circuit is hard on tyres and slightly longer than others, usually producing the highest average engine speed over a lap.


Bridgestone's home circuit should give Schumacher, who has won there for the past three years, an edge over his rivals. Williams have not won there since 1996, the year when Briton Damon Hill took the title.

Bureau Report