Next weekend, Formula One descends on the Fuji Speedway in Shizuoka Prefecture. In its second visit in as many years, the "F1 circus" touches down at a completely revamped, high-tech circuit — a transformation that closely mirrors recent changes to the sport itself.
When it first visited the Japanese venue back in 1976, F1 was still a European-based pursuit and the Far East was its furthest foray from its traditional heartland.
Nowadays, the planet's most popular spectator sport has reached all corners of the globe, with fewer and fewer events staged in Europe.