SUPER GT has moved this weekend’s Suzuka race to December due to an incoming typhoon in Japan.
Originally supposed to hold the fifth round on 31 August — 1 September, the Suzuka 350km will now serve as the season finale on 7-8 December, organiser GTA announced on Wednesday.
The change to the schedule has been made in response to a massive storm — named Typhoon 10 — that is expected to hit the southern island of Kyushu on Thursday, which could lead to disruptions in several parts of the country until at least Saturday.
“Regarding the SUPER GT Round 5 scheduled to be held on Saturday, August 31st and Sunday, September 1st, we have decided to postpone the event to Saturday, December 7th and Sunday, December 8th, in consideration of the safety of visitors and related parties due to the effects of Typhoon No. 10, as well as the expected impact on public transportation,” a statement read.
“We ask for the understanding of all the fans who were looking forward to watching the game and all those involved.”
According to local reports, a level 5 emergency warning — the highest of its kind — was issued in one particular village in Kagoshima Prefecture, while level 4 evacuation orders were also given in Shizuoka prefecture, where the Suzuka circuit is located.
There is a risk of landslides in three cities of Shizuoka — which is located on the larger Honshu island north of Kyushu — as a result of heavy rainfall.
The typhoon could also disrupt train services across Japan, including the shinkansen (bullet train) line that connects Suzuka to Japan’s capital Tokyo via Nagoya.
With the Suzuka round postponed until December, the next SUPER GT race will take place at Sugo on 21-22 September.