Ricciardo: Suzuka lap like a rollercoaster

Daniel Ricciardo is looking forward to tackling the Suzuka track at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, saying the lap plays out “like a rollercoaster”.

Several top stars including Ricciardo, Sebastian Vettel, Charles Leclerc, and Max Verstappen have explained this week why it is one of their favourite tracks on the F1 calendar.

For the Australian, he likens the twisting and turning nature of the corners to a rollercoaster.

"Suzuka has some old school characteristics, which I really enjoy," Ricciardo said in his Renault race preview.

"It’s fast and flowing, while also quite raw and bumpy. I like the corner combinations at Suzuka. It’s up there with one of the best circuits as it has a bit of everything and that’s we love.

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"The first sector climbs uphill and snakes a bit with the left, right, left. Sector two is a little more technical and then the final sector features 130R which is big and brave. It’s almost a rollercoaster lap: back and forth, up and down. I like that feeling."

Vettel agrees, saying it is his favourite track of all.

“Suzuka is probably my favourite circuit of the whole season.” the German said, also previewing the Japanese GP with Ferrari.

“It is the only track in the championship that has a figure of eight layout and, in some ways, it reminds me of the sort of tracks we played on when I was a little kid.

“Except that there’s nothing kid-like about this circuit, given that it features thrilling corners like 130R and that sequence of esses in the first sector.”

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