The Toyota-owned Fuji International Speedway circuit will stop hosting the Japanese Grand Prix from next year, the race track operators announced today.
Fuji Speedway hosted the Formula One race in 2007 and 2008 while it is set to return to the Honda-owned Suzuka circuit this year.
The two venues were originally due to alternate hosting the Japanese Grand Prix but, due to the current downturn in the global economy, Fuji Speedway have confirmed they will no longer host the event.
‘We decided it would be extremely difficult to continue holding the F1 Japanese Grand Prix in view of sharply deteriorating business conditions and few signs of a rapid economic recovery,’ Fuji International Speedway said in a statement.
Circuit president Hiroaki Kato said: ‘After only announcing barely three years ago, in March 2006, that Fuji Speedway would hold the F1 Japanese Grand Prix, it is heart-wrenching we were unable to avoid the decision to abandon our plans to hold the race from 2010.
‘To the people who attended the event at Fuji Speedway last year and the year before, to those who were looking forward to the event there in the future, and to all those locally and elsewhere who granted us their immense understanding and encouragement, I deeply apologise for a result not commensurate with your expectations.’
The track will now devote itself to other motorsports such as Formula Nippon and Japanese Super GT.
