BMWF1Talk Track Guide :: Sepang, Malaysian GP
By BMWF1Talk April 4 2007
As the Malaysian Grand Prix approaches, BMWF1Talk prepare you for the weekend's action with a must-have track guide! Read on...
As the Malaysian Grand Prix approaches, BMWF1Talk prepare you for the weekend's action with a must-have track guide! Read on...
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BMWF1Talk's
Track Guide |
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Round 2 - Sepang International Circuit, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
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Circuit
Length: 5.54 Km (3.44 miles) |
Turns:
15 |
Lap
Record: 1'34"223 (J.P.Montoya, Williams-BMW, 2004) |
Time
Zone: GMT +8 |
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Circuit Background: |
| The Sepang F1 International
Circuit is the venue used for the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix, A1
Grand Prix as well as the MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix. It is also used
as a venue for many other major motorsport events.
Widely regarded as a benchmark for other Grand Prix venues, the Sepang circuit boasts superb pit garage and media facilities, as well as impressive grandstands and patron amenities. Some complaints have been raised regarding the unevenness of the surface, as the track appears to be slowly sinking. This is possibly due to the fact that Sepang was built on the site of a former swamp. The circuit was designed by renowned German designer Hermann Tilke, who would subsequently design the impressive new facilities in Shanghai, Bahrain and Turkey. First included in the Formula One World Championship in 1999, the Malaysian Grand Prix is held at the hyper-modern Sepang International Circuit at Sepang, Malaysia, near Kuala Lumpur. The seven Malaysian Grands Prix have seen a good deal of action on and off the track, whilst the weather — furnace heat one minute, tropical storm the next — adds extra spice. The most notable Grand Prix at Sepang to date was the inaugural event in 1999. It saw Michael Schumacher return to the sport after his absence due to a broken leg sustained at that year's British Grand Prix, dominating the race and handing the victory to title-hopeful teammate Eddie Irvine, only for both Ferraris to be disqualified due to a technical irregularity, handing the title — until the steward's decision was over-ruled — to Mika Häkkinen. The 2001 event was hit by a heavy rainstorm in the middle of the race which made conditions very difficult. Conditions were so bad that the two Ferraris of Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello spun off almost simultaneously at the same corner. Remarkably, they both recovered to score a Ferrari '1-2'. Since 2001, the Malaysian Grand Prix has moved from the end of the schedule to the beginning, which has seen some topsy-turvy results as teams and drivers get to grips with their new equipment, with many races heavily influenced by the winners and losers of the scramble for position into the tight double hairpin bend at the first corner. |
| Technical Outlook: |
The Sepang Circuit requires a medium downforce setup, and the cars reach their highest speed of around 310 Km/h just before breaking for turn 15. A dry race at Malaysia is usually very, very dry - soaring temperatures make overheating and reliability a key factor in the race outcome. However, when it's wet at Malaysia, things get very, very wet indeed - the tropical rainstorms can flood the track at any moment and in such scenarios, the race outcome is more dependant on the drivers' ability to cope with the slippery conditions than car reliability. |
| 2006
Results: |
| Pole:
Giancarlo Fisichella (view
pole lap), Lap Time: 1'33"840 |
| Fastest
Lap: Fernando Alonso, Lap Time: 1'34"803 (on lap 45 of
56) |
| 2006
Race Results: |
| 1st
Place: Giancarlo Fisichella, Renault |
| 2nd
Place: Fernando Alonso, Renault |
| 3rd
Place: Jenson Button, Honda |
| 4th
Place: Juan Pablo Montoya, McLaren-Mercedes |
| 5th
Place: Felipe Massa, Ferrari |
| 6th
Place: Michael Schumacher, Ferrari |
| 7th
Place: Jacques Villeneuve, BMW Sauber |
| 8th
Place: Ralf Schumacher, Toyota |
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Previous
Winners (since 2000): |
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2005:
F.Alonso, Renault |
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2004:
M.Schumacher, Ferrari |
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2003:
K.Räikkönen, McLaren-Mercedes |
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2002:
R.Schumacher, Williams-BMW |
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2001:
M.Schumacher, Ferrari |
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2000:
M.Schumacher, Ferrari |
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BMWF1Talk Track Comments |
2007 will see Malaysia host its ninth Formula One Grand Prix. We usually get some pretty exciting races in Sepang, and I'm sure this year will be no exception... but one thing always worries me when we come to Malaysia - the heat! We all know that Nick copes pretty well in the heat (Not convinced? Rewind back to the hot hot hot 2005 race in Malaysia - Nick finished third even though his water bottle wasn't working, and he was still the only driver with enough energy left to spray champagne on the podium!). As for Robert, I don't really know how he fairs in hot conditions; time will tell! I'm pretty sure he'll be able to handle it though! What I'm really worried about is the possibility of the cars overheating. A total of 17 engines have failed in the 8 Malaysian Grand Prix races we've seen since 1999. Nick was running fifth in Malaysia last year when his engine let go in the final few laps... So, we'll just have to hope BMW have improved their reliability since last year! Chris, chris@bmwf1talk.com |
The Malaysia Grand Prix is always a great race to watch and so is the qualifying; this is one of those circuits that guarantee excitement and controversy. With the unpredictable weather being another exiting feature of the race, you just don’t know what can happen, and it makes the racing just that bit more unpredictable. I have enjoyed every Grand Prix here, and I always will.
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Sepang is a thrilling circuit, not only for its spectacular layout (beautiful stand design, 15m wide track, high speed corners...), but also for its extreme tropical weather. It’s probably the hardest race for the drivers, as they can lose up to 4 litres of sweat! It's a high demanding circuit aerodynamic efficiency and tyre wear, and is also risky for the engines, as it requires a good cooling configuration that at the same time doesn't increase the aerodynamic drag too much. Drivers enjoy this track a lot; maybe due to its peculiar twin straights (are they to represent Kuala Lumpur's Petronas Twin Towers? Who knows...), or maybe due to the good overtaking opportunities provided by Tilke's great design. So spectators will enjoy this race too, and will experience some surprises in terms of pace of the cars and in terms of the retirements. Jaime, BMWF1Talk Reporter, jaime@bmwf1talk.com |
Although we endeavour to make sure all of the information in this BMWF1Talk track guide is correct, mistakes remain a possibility! Spotted something? Email trackguide@bmwf1talk.com.
*This Track Guide was compiled by the BMWF1Talk web team, with all content being original bar the FIA Track Image and the "Circuit Background" text which is sourced at Wikipedia. *