Part II of your Stealth Mode mission starts here. After successfully infiltrating the top 10 and the podium at the Singapore Grand Prix, we are back in our OKX Stealth Mode livery for this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix to complete the two-part operation.

This time, we’re at the Suzuka International Racing Course in Japan, one of the Formula 1 calendar most revered venues with a rich history dating back to 1987. Once more, we’ve enlisted the help of storied agents, Lando, Oscar and Team Principal Andrea Stella, who will all discuss the mission below.

We’ve also got your usual pack full of track tips, fascinating facts, a guide to the city and our style recommendations.

Critical info

Round	17
Where	Suzuka International Racing Course
When	22 - 24 September
Lights out	06:00 MTC / 14:00 local
Follow	The website and the McLaren App for LIVE commentary and team radio

"P2 in Singapore! What a fantastic start to this double header. The team have worked really hard to continue improving the car and the upgrades felt good on track. I'm excited to take the MCL60 and the Stealth Mode livery onwards to Japan and see what we can do there.

"The Japanese GP is always one I look forward to. The atmosphere is incredible, and the fans always go all out with their creativity, which I love to see. The Suzuka circuit can be challenging, but the layout is what makes it really enjoyable. Let's bring home the points!"

"I'm really excited for my first Grand Prix in Japan, and it’ll be great to explore the culture. I did learn some Japanese at school, so I'm curious to see how much of it I'll remember. Of course, I look forward to seeing our fans cheering the team on from the grandstands. A great atmosphere always adds to the excitement of a race weekend.

"The circuit looks very cool. Suzuka is definitely a track everyone wants to drive at, so I'm looking forward to experiencing that for the first time this weekend. My car will carry the Stealth Mode livery again, as well as some new parts, which is exciting. I had good pace in Singapore, made up 10 positions, so I'm hoping to improve on that performance and finish in the points again."

A track of two halves

The first half of the track is highly technical and favours those with the best aerodynamics as cars wind through multiple changes of direction, including the iconic ‘S’ curves, and up and down its varying elevation changes.

The second half is a high-speed thrill ride that features the famed 130R corner, which was previously named due to its 130-metre radius before later being tweaked for safety reasons. It remains one of the track’s best overtaking opportunities, with drivers able to put their foot down in the lead-up and make a move under braking. It’s immediately followed by a DRS zone down the pit straight, with passing possible into the opening corner.

Combine it all, and you can get the iconic figure of eight layout, making it the only circuit with a track that crosses over itself.

Equally as important are the fans. The drivers receive a real heroes welcome from the fans at Suzuka, who wear F1-themed hats and even make gifts for the teams.

Last time out

In one of the most exciting races of the season so far, Lando scored the team’s third podium. The British driver began the race in fourth, but gained third from Charles Leclerc in the pits before a late Virtual Safety Car sparked an intense late battle between the top four. Both Mercedes pitted, handing Lando second, but they returned with fresher, faster tyres and began chasing him down. However, the 23-year-old defended brilliantly in the final laps to hold onto second and return to the podium.

On the other side of the garage, Oscar had endured a tough qualifying session, exiting at Q1 after his fast lap was cut short by Lance Stroll’s crash, leaving the Australian in 17th. Thanks to a rapid getaway, Oscar gained three places off the line in the race, before making up a further seven places throughout the 62-lap contest to finish an impressive seventh. We remain fifth in the Constructor’s Standings with 139 points.

Setting the scene

Without a doubt one of our favourite locations on the calendar. The food, of course, is a massive highlight, with dishes such as sushi, tempura, sashimi, ramen and Kobe beef. Or if you’ve got a particularly sweet tooth, then we’d recommend trying dorayaki, dango and matcha cookies.

It’s a little way to travel, but you can catch the famous bullet train – which travels at speeds of up to 200mph – from Suzuka to Tokyo, and it is well worth the journey. Like Singapore, Tokyo is exceptionally clean and packed full of amazing high-rise buildings. And between those stunning buildings are a million and one things to do, from the Senso-Ji Temple to the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and even a robot restaurant.  

"We close the Asian double header in Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend. The atmosphere the fans bring in Japan is unique as they are so passionate. We are always given a wonderful welcome, and it’s a special feeling that you get coming here. The circuit is also one the drivers look forward to each year.

"Off the back of a positive result for us in Singapore, we are now focused on seeing what these latest upgrades can do in Japan across both cars. The conditions in Suzuka can make for a trickier race and so we are keeping a close eye on the weather as we approach the weekend. However, we know that we have made vast improvements since the start of the season, so we will keep looking ahead and do our best to secure another good haul of points for the team.”

Set your alarms 

Free Practice 1	10:30 ET / 03:30 BST / 12:30 AET
Free Practice 2	02:00 ET / 07:00 BST / 16:00 AET
Free Practice 3	10:30 ET / 03:30 BST / 12:30 AET
Qualifying	02:00 ET / 07:00 BST / 16:00 AET
Race	01:00 ET / 06:00 BST / 15:00 AET

Stat pack

• We are the most successful team in the history of the Japanese Grand Prix, with eight wins
• James Hunt won our first Japanese Grand Prix at the Fuji Speedway in 1977
• Hunt was crowned F1 World Champion at the 1976 Japanese Grand Prix
• Jenson Button is our most recent Japanese Grand Prix winner, taking victory in 2011
• Kimi Räikkönen won from 17th for McLaren in the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix
• Ayrton Senna (1988, 1993), Gerhard Berger (1991), and Lewis Hamilton (2007) have also all won for us in Japan
• Mika Häkkinen won both of his F1 World Championships (1998, ’99) at the Japanese Grand Prix
• Prost sealed the 1989 Drivers' Championship following a collision with teammate Senna in the Japanese Grand Prix
• Senna clinched the 1990 F1 title following a collision with Ferrari driver Prost the following year in the 1990 Japanese Grand Prix
• Senna also took the title in Japan in 1988 and 1991
• Lando has finished 11th and 10th in his two races in Japan, whilst Oscar will be making his debut

The Fit: Podium Party

You can’t party without a fresh fit, so as you continue to celebrate our podium in Singapore, we’re offering you £30 off when you spend £80 on the McLaren store.

There’s so much to choose from, but if you want a recommendation from the McLaren stylist, then we’d suggest pairing the matching T-shirt, hoodie and cap from Lando’s seasonal range, with the recently re-stocked Triple Crown jacket and a pair of fresh K-Swiss trainers. The finishing touch of this look? SunGod shades, of course.

Plus One

Tour-ific! That’s right, we are opening the doors of the McLaren Technology Centre this October, where some very lucky winners will be treated to an exclusive behind-the-scenes all-access tour of our home, complete with snacks and refreshments.

Snap a selfie with our Bruce McLaren statue, get up close and personal with some of our greatest championship-winning cars and learn the secrets of the MTC during this unforgettable experience.

For a chance to win, enter here.