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First included in the Formula One World Championship in 1999, the current Malaysian Grand Prix is held at the Sepang International Circuit at Sepang, Malaysia. FIA-sanctioned racing in Malaysia has existed since the 1960s. But only from 1999 did Malaysia get a proper world class F1 track with the one built in Sepang.
The Sepang International Circuit is located near Kuala Lumpur International Airport, approximately 60 km south of the capital city Kuala Lumpur. It is the venue used for the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix, Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix and other major motorsport events. The circuit was designed by German designer Hermann Tilke, who would subsequently design the new facilities in Shanghai, Bahrain, Turkey, Valencia, Singapore, Abu Dhabi, Korea, India and Austin, TX.
The main circuit, normally raced in a clockwise direction, is 5.543 kilometres long, and is noted for its sweeping corners and wide straights. The layout is quite unusual, with a very long back straight separated from the pit straight by just one very tight hairpin.
Other configurations of the Sepang circuit can also be used. The north circuit is also raced in a clockwise direction. It is basically the first half of the main circuit. The course turns back towards the pit straight after turn 6 and is 2.71 kilometres long in total.
The south circuit is the other half of the racecourse. The back straight of the main circuit becomes the pit straight when the south circuit is in use, and joins onto turn 8 of the main circuit to form a hairpin turn. Also run clockwise, this circuit is 2.61 km in length.
Tire Choice
Pirelli tire choice for Sepang: Medium (Option) and Hard (Prime) – this is the same choice as in 2012. Pirelli has chosen to bring the medium and hard tires to Sepang, the hardest compounds in the range, to cope with the high temperatures, abrasive surface and faster corners. The opening stint with 150 kilos of fuel on board, likely to be on medium tires for most cars, is very hard on the tires.
DRS
The Sepang circuit will feature two DRS zones for the first time this year and each will have its own detection point. A single DRS zone on the start/finish straight has been used for the last two Malaysian Grands Prix. For this year a second DRS zone has been added on the straight which leads to the last corner.
The detection line for Zone 1 has been placed between Turns 12 and 13, with DRS usage permitted along the penultimate straight. The second zone, preceded by its Turn 15 detection point, runs from the beginning to the end of the start-finish straight.
Track Information
Location : Sepang, Malaysia
Track Length: 5.542 km
Race Distance : 56 laps (310 kilometres)
No. Of Turns : 15 corners in total (Left 5, Right 10), a mixture of slow, medium and fast
No. of Pits : 30 units
Grandstand Capacity : 30,000
General Admission : 80,000
Width : 16m (T1:18m; T2:20m; T15: 25m)
Longest Straight : 928m (T15 toT1)
Lap record 1:34.223 (Juan Pablo Montoya, Williams, 2004)
Aerodynamic setup – Medium/high downforce.
Top speed 312km/h (with Drag Reduction System on rear wing) – 300km/h without.
Full throttle – 70% of the lap. Total fuel needed for race distance: 153 kilos.
Time spent braking: 15% of the lap. 8 braking zones. Brake wear: Medium.
Loss time for a Pit stop = 16.5 seconds
Total time needed for pit stop: 22.5 seconds.
The pit lane speed limit in Sepang is 100km/h, which means faster pit stops than Melbourne.
Fuel effect (cost in lap time per 10kg of fuel carried): 0.36 seconds (average/high)
If you enjoyed this posting, please do share it with your network so more people can enjoy it as well. Also, check out my t-shirt design for Kimi Raikkonen fans below, click on image.
The south circuit is the other half of the racecourse. The back straight of the main circuit becomes the pit straight when the south circuit is in use, and joins onto turn 8 of the main circuit to form a hairpin turn. Also run clockwise, this circuit is 2.61 km in length.
Tire Choice
Pirelli tire choice for Sepang: Medium (Option) and Hard (Prime) – this is the same choice as in 2012. Pirelli has chosen to bring the medium and hard tires to Sepang, the hardest compounds in the range, to cope with the high temperatures, abrasive surface and faster corners. The opening stint with 150 kilos of fuel on board, likely to be on medium tires for most cars, is very hard on the tires.
DRS
The Sepang circuit will feature two DRS zones for the first time this year and each will have its own detection point. A single DRS zone on the start/finish straight has been used for the last two Malaysian Grands Prix. For this year a second DRS zone has been added on the straight which leads to the last corner.
The detection line for Zone 1 has been placed between Turns 12 and 13, with DRS usage permitted along the penultimate straight. The second zone, preceded by its Turn 15 detection point, runs from the beginning to the end of the start-finish straight.
Location : Sepang, Malaysia
Track Length: 5.542 km
Race Distance : 56 laps (310 kilometres)
No. Of Turns : 15 corners in total (Left 5, Right 10), a mixture of slow, medium and fast
No. of Pits : 30 units
Grandstand Capacity : 30,000
General Admission : 80,000
Width : 16m (T1:18m; T2:20m; T15: 25m)
Longest Straight : 928m (T15 toT1)
Lap record 1:34.223 (Juan Pablo Montoya, Williams, 2004)
Aerodynamic setup – Medium/high downforce.
Top speed 312km/h (with Drag Reduction System on rear wing) – 300km/h without.
Full throttle – 70% of the lap. Total fuel needed for race distance: 153 kilos.
Time spent braking: 15% of the lap. 8 braking zones. Brake wear: Medium.
Loss time for a Pit stop = 16.5 seconds
Total time needed for pit stop: 22.5 seconds.
The pit lane speed limit in Sepang is 100km/h, which means faster pit stops than Melbourne.
Fuel effect (cost in lap time per 10kg of fuel carried): 0.36 seconds (average/high)
If you enjoyed this posting, please do share it with your network so more people can enjoy it as well. Also, check out my t-shirt design for Kimi Raikkonen fans below, click on image.
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