Typhoon Hagibis could wreak havoc on Japanese GP!

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Formula 1 is keeping a watchful eye on typhoon Hagibis which has strengthened from a tropical storm to a super typhoon in the past 24 hours and threatens to impact next weekend's Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

The typhoon's winds are currently peaking at 185 km/h, gusting up to 232 km/h but with predictions of increasing to 300 km/h by Tuesday!

Hagibis was located more than 600 km east-northeast of Guam as of Monday morning local time, with models projecting the monster storm to continue a north-westerly path towards Japan where it is expected to make landfall on Saturday morning.

Former F1 meteorologist Steffen Dietz says the storm's potential impact on Japan is high, although it shall have considerably weakened by the time it hits the land of the Rising Sun.

"Generally the system will weaken significantly before reaching Japan, but it will stay powerful," Dietz commented on Twitter.

"Today models see a slightly faster propagation, so main impact on #F1 could be already on Saturday."

The Japanese Grand Prix isn't the only event set to be impacted by Hagibis. Organisers of the Rugby World Cup are also closely monitoring the weather situation in the Western Pacific.

At the very least, it should be a wet and windy weekend at Suzuka.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.