vision of Mount Fuji , Japan 's tallest mountain , looming in the distance . Though the move to this picturesque location is not without its controversies . The Suzuka track -- which had held Japanese Grands Prix between 1987 and 2006 -- had been popular with drivers and fans alike , but for this year and the next the Japanese Grand Prix will be held at Fuji . However an announcement by Formula One Management -LRB- FOM -RRB- this month revealed that Suzuka will return to the calendar for 2009 -- on the condition that the circuit makes some approved modifications -- with the location of the Japanese Grand Prix alternating yearly between Fuji and Suzuka after that . Behind the scenes is a political battleground -- both circuits are owned by car manufacturers with F1 connections -- Honda owns Suzuka , Toyota owns Fuji . Toyota is a relative newcomer to F1 but , having this year surpassed General Motors as the world 's number one automobile manufacturer , and reputedly having the best funded team in the paddock -LRB- a position that has n't been reflected in sporting success -RRB- , it is not without clout .
LONDON , England -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- There are some circuits that are cornerstones of the Formula 1 calendar : the Monacos and Silverstones whose every twist and turn are known intimately by the drivers and engineers . Then there are the newer circuits -- Malaysia and Bahrain , for instance -- but even these have become familiar to the drivers and their backroom boffins . Fuji Speedway employees pose behind a scale model of the new circuit and in front of an overhead view . Next week they have something completely new to contend with : a track that has yet to see a single F1 team put in a single lap . The Japan Grand Prix is to return to the Fuji Speedway , a circuit that has n't seen an F1 race since 1977 -LRB- though now with a substantially different track layout -RRB- . The Fuji circuit will be familiar to fans of classic arcade games . The old Fuji Speedway was the setting for the 1982 arcade game Pole Position -LRB- released by Namco in Japan and Atari in the rest of the world -RRB- . The most notable aspect of the circuit is the