A former F1 driver, a five time Le Mans 24-hour winner and a FIA Stewart who examines incidents and applies objectively the FIA rules when it comes to safety. This is Emanuele Pirro’s portrait.
In the Japanese weekend that leads up to Sunday’s race the Italian driver kindly took his time to talk about Suzuka, a circuit he has a very special relation with.
His experience as McLaren tester at the end of the 80’s was crucial for his professional growth, having been closed to the likes of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost at the same time.
How did your love story with Japan start?
In 1988 McLaren asked me to move to Japan for their development program. At that time the entrance in F1 was very difficult for me without some sponsors. So I packed-up and I moved there. I spent two years in Japan, two rewarding years of sacrifices. Having Prost and Senna in the same team was such an amazing experience and this gave me a great motivation as a driver. Beyond F1, I really love the country and its culture.
An old school circuit, how should drivers approach Suzuka?
It is indeed an old school circuit and also physically very demanding for drivers. This is why everybody loves it. The new circuits are maybe safer but they are not as challenging as Suzuka. There are fast and slow corners (the chicane and the hairpin corner), so a balanced car is crucial to avoid both oversteering and understeering. A good car balance and low tyres consumption are definitely the keys to make a good result in Japan.
Could Suzuka represent a maturity test for drivers?
In modern tracks, the run-off areas are so huge that drivers do not feel the real danger. When you race in Suzuka you pay for every mistake you make.
Talking about what is new and what is old, is the new F1 going towards the right direction?
With Liberty Media taking over, F1 made definitely a step forward. We have to respect the whole work done by BernieEcclestone though. He rethought the concept of 60’s F1 and made the best out of it. F1 could not ever be the one we know today without him; however, F1 had become over the years too exclusive. With Liberty Media in charge, the spectator is the first man of the show. This reflects the American philosophy of sport.
F1 has embraced the hybrid challenge, important manufacturers have decided to leave the WEC and many of them decided to get into Formula E. What does the future hold for motorsport?
The electric has become very important thinking in consumers’ terms. It is a good thing as long as the electric championship remains a variant of motorsport. I wouldn’t want this to become a tool of propaganda.
As for F1, it is important to be abreast with technology but F1 also must have the courage to take some risk and being unique at the same time. Within an ideal world, I would also like to see F1 redistributing parts of their revenues across other motorsport series, which are struggling to cope financially.
Thinking about the near future, what are your predictions ahead of this Japanese Gp?
I don’t think it is going to be a decisive race. Both Vettel and Hamilton have the same chances and everything could happen. Lewis Hamilton seems to be advantaged though because he appears to be calmer than Sebastian Vettel. This could represent a game changer at the end of the season. Seb was not perfect, inner calm is one factor that could potentially jeopardize his chances to become World Champion this year. Other than this, title contention remains unpredictable. This is what makes F1 great.
Emiliano Maria Savini 
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