A flat tyre on an Airbus and a WEC official who couldn’t make his sat-nav work caused more issues for our arrival in Japan than the now departed Typhoon, RIP to those who perished in the storm but there was no damage at Fuji Speedway, very heavy rain was the major symptom of the passing weather front on Tuesday and Wednesday, DSC hoping that our Toyota Noah hire car wasn’t an omen!
There was still a little rain in the air and Mount Fuji wasn’t visible at all in the low cloud, we’re expecting the weather to be brighter on Friday but there is some rain forecast for the weekend.
We called at the circuit briefly yesterday evening and did our habitual/ traditional wander down the pitlane to catch up with any news.
The welcome here to teams, media and spectators is exemplary, a real pleasure and, frankly, it shows how doing things well is no harder than doing them badly, or not at all!
The teams are all present and correct with the expected additions of KCMG and Gainer International both ready to go.
Both Toyotas are prepped too, the #7 crew all smiles yesterday for the return to the scene of their race win here last year.
All four factory Aston Martins are now back in Gulf livery of course though Keiko Ihara who used to be isn’t! She shares the #45 ‘Art Car’ Oak Morgan Nissan with Jacques Nicolet.
With the cars just un-crated there’s a few bits and pieces still required before we’re ready for what’s expected to be a very big crowd, the IMSA Performance Porsche still featured Christophe Bourret’s name rather than the expected Markus Palttala.
Rebellion’s #12 Lola Toyota sits at pit in with a tight-knit crew in attendance, several familiar faces aren’t here though with the team the only ones doing double duty at Fuji and Road Atlanta.
Shinji Nakano is another local addition to the grid in the #25 Delta ADR car, the ex F1 man contesting this race for the second consecutive season.
Most of the drivers were track walking last night with some even doing it at a jog – Looks like Allan McNish was indicating to David Lord that he’d just completed a second lap!
We’ll have a revised FIA WEC calendar this afternoon, tweaks only we understand, but there will be one minor surprise!
