Suzuka is a little less aggressive on the tires than in the past, but the circuit is still a difficult one for the rubber because of the track layout. It contains a wide variety of fast and flowing corners that place high lateral loads on the tire but there are also some heavy braking areas and tighter corners.
The first half of the lap is essentially a non-stop series of corners, which put plenty of heat through the tires with no significant straights where they can cool down.
