The 2011 Japanese Grand Prix (officially the 2011 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race that was held on 9 October 2011 at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Japan. It was the fifteenth round of the 2011 Formula One season and the 37th time the Japanese Grand Prix had been held. The 53-lap race was won by McLaren's Jenson Button, after he started from second on the grid. Fernando Alonso finished in second place for Scuderia Ferrari, and Sebastian Vettel completed the podium, with third, for Red Bull Racing.

Vettel had started the race in pole position alongside Button, whom he had marginally outqualified. The two drivers were the only two within mathematical contention for the title. Button attempted to overtake Vettel at the start of the race, yet was pressured towards the grass by Vettel which resulted in him losing his second position to third-placed starter Lewis Hamilton. Vettel was passed by Button in the second pit-stop phase, and was then passed by Alonso in the third. Hamilton slipped back from second to fifth, predominantly in the pit-stops; debris from a collision between himself and Felipe Massa caused a safety car period in the race. The second Red Bull of Mark Webber finished in fourth position.

As a consequence of the race, Vettel secured the World Drivers' Championship for the second year in succession, having only required one point prior to the weekend to be declared World Champion. Button remained in second place on the standings after his victory, extending the gap over third-placed Alonso to eight points. In the World Constructors' Championship, Red Bull's championship lead over McLaren was cut to 130 points, with Ferrari a further 96 points behind in third position.

Sebastian Vettel entered the race knowing that either a points finish or Jenson Button's failure to win, would see him crowned the sport's youngest double World Champion. He led the championship on 309 points, 124 ahead of Button, with only 125 still available. Fernando Alonso and Mark Webber may have been out of the Championship hunt, but were both within 3 points of Button, on 184 and 182 respectively. Lewis Hamilton occupied fifth spot on 168 points. Red Bull led the Constructors' Championship with 491 points, ahead of McLaren on 353, with Ferrari no longer in Championship contention after Singapore.

Prior to the race weekend, it was announced that Button had signed a new multi-year deal with McLaren after recent rumours surrounding his future. Button wore a special helmet for the weekend which featured a design in the style of the Japanese flag; he was to auction the helmet off afterwards to raise money for those caught in unfortunate circumstances during the times of the tsunami earlier that year.

Tyre supplier Pirelli brought its white-banded medium compound tyre as the harder "prime" tyre and the yellow-banded soft compound as the softer "option" compound, as opposed to the previous year where Bridgestone brought the silver-banded hard compound as the prime.

Just like the race in Singapore, a single DRS (Drag Reduction System) Zone was used in the race. The detection point was located at the exit of the high speed turn 15, better known as 130R, while the DRS activation point was 30m after the turn 18. Hence, the DRS was activated from the final turn down the start/finish straight up to turn 1.

1980 World Champion, Alan Jones, was the drivers' representative on the steward's panel for the weekend.