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Tourism Malaysia

Motorsport month in Malaysia

By Lloyd Green

 

  • F1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix
  • Shell Malaysia MotoGP

 

Buckle up and start your engines for motorsport heaven this October. With the F1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix and Shell Malaysia MotoGP both held at Sepang International Circuit (SIC) this month, we’ve provided a non-stop guide of what to expect at both events.

The grid coming out of the first corner at Sepang — f1destinations.com

The grid coming out of the first corner at Sepang — f1destinations.com

With an exciting cluster of events throughout the race week, including a demo run, auto carnival, fan engagement programmes with the drivers and a spectacular post-race concert, the newly redefined F1 Malaysia GP is not to be missed.

Since its entry to the F1 race calendar in 1999, the Malaysian GP has evolved into the most anticipated races of the year. Moving from it’s traditional home of March to October to form a unique Southeast Asia F1 double-header with the Singapore GP in mid-September, the Malaysian GP now holds a key role in deciding the championship.

Families looking forward to soaking up the thrills at SIC can enjoy an improved family friendly activity at the circuit with the ever popular X-track returning on popular demand, showcasing motorsports themed thrills such as drifting, rallying, go-karting, ATV rides and more, for fans of all ages.

2015 Malaysia GP winner Sebastian Vettel — www.formula1.com

2015 Malaysia GP winner Sebastian Vettel — www.formula1.com

Track:

  • The Sepang Circuit is infamous for its unpredictable weather ranging from burning hot days to full-blown tropical rainstorms which result in tough races and edge of your seat moments.
  • The track design is unique and challenging as it has seven clear straights and many narrow turns making it one of the most technical circuits on the calendar. The relatively wider track also affords drivers overtaking opportunities that are rarely seen elsewhere.

Schedule:

  • Friday, 30th Sept — Free Practice
  • Saturday, 1st Oct — Qualifying
  • Sunday, 2nd Oct — F1 Malaysia GP After-Race Concert with Usher

Race:

  • The dominance by Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team has continued in 2016 with Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg dominating standings.
  • A win for either driver in Malaysia could prove vital heading into the last five races.
  • Defending Malaysian GP champion, Germany’s Sebastian Vettel will be hoping to spoil the party again.

Usher returns to Malaysia for the first time since 2010

Usher returns to Malaysia for the first time since 2010

Entertainment:

  • Multi-Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Usher will be performing at the After-Race Concert.
  • Past performers to grace the After-Race stage at Sepang include Jamiroquai and Lenny Kravitz.
  • Raceday activities also include classic car convoy, supercar convoy and airshow.

Tickets:

  • There are various ticket packages for the F1 Malaysia GP on offer. Click Here
  • You can buy a transportation add-on that will take you to and from SIC to KL Sentral.

Great vantage point from Sepang’s iconic stands

Great vantage point from Sepang’s iconic stands

Shell Malaysia MotoGP

Held just four weeks later is the Shell Malaysia MotoGP. Fans can expect an even bigger and better event in 2016, with off-track entertainment, fan engagement with riders and other exciting activities. Tickets are selling through the roof with local interest firmly on young gun Khairul Idham Pawi who has won trice in his rookie season in the Moto3 championship. Also flying the Malaysian flag will be Adam Norrodin (Moto3) and Hafizh Syahrin (Moto2).

 Track:

  • With four slow corners following two long straights and ten medium to high-speed corners. Particularly favourable to overtaking manoeuvres and plenty of open throttle.
  • Has one of the longest laps in MotoGP and is made all the more gruelling for riders by intense heat and humidity.

Schedule:

  • Friday, 28th Oct — Moto3, Moto2, MotoGP Free Practice
  • Saturday, 29th Oct— Moto3, Moto2, MotoGP Qualifying

Sunday, 30th Oct — Moto3, Moto2, MotoGP

All eyes will by on Malaysia’s Khairul Idham Pawi — http://i-moto.com.my/

All eyes will by on Malaysia’s Khairul Idham Pawi — http://i-moto.com.my/

Tickets:

  • There are various ticket packages for the F1 Malaysia GP on offer. Click Here
  • You can buy a transportation add-on that will take you to and from SIC to KL Sentral.

Getting to Sepang International Circuit is relatively easy. It’s located about 15km from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA and KLIA2) and about 50km south from the Kuala Lumpur City Centre. SIC has a hotel, shopping centre and golf course. There will also be shuttle buses operating from KL Sentral to Sepang on both Sept 30 to Oct 1 and Oct 28 to Oct 30.

For more information on both events go to www.sepangcircuit.com

Categories
Tourism Malaysia

Race the Best at the Malaysian Formula 1 Grand Prix

Race the Best at the Malaysian Formula 1 Grand Prix

The Malaysian Formula 1 Grand Prix race is the highlight of the international car racing circuit. Thousands of loyal fans are attracted annually to the race which has been held at the Sepang International Circuit since 1999, owing to the continuing popularity of the 56 lap 192.878 mile race.

The predecessor to the Malaysian Formula 1 Grand Prix was the Formula 2 which was held from 1962 – 65, but it was held in Singapore who later gained independence from the Malaysian Federation, so during the break-up of the Federation Malaysia held four lower impact races at the Shah Alam circuit from 1968 until 1995 when the current race track was opened in Sepang. These were the Tasman Series, Formula Pacific, Formula Atlantic, and the Formula Holden.

Formula 1 action at Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia. Pic: Craig, WikiMedia Commons.

Formula 1 action at Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia. Pic: Craig, WikiMedia Commons.

The Sepang International Circuit, where the Formula 1 race is held, is located just 60 kilometres from the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, and is situated only 10 minutes from Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Selangor State. The circuit was designed by a German named Hermann Tilke in 1995, who also designed the Shanghai, Turkish, Bahrain, India, Korea, Valencia, and Singapore circuits which are also in the Formula 1 race calendar. The Sepang circuit is famous for its short and tight hairpin and unusually long back straight.

Crowds arrive at Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia, on race day. Pic: Craig, WikiMedia Commons.

Crowds arrive at Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia, on race day. Pic: Craig, WikiMedia Commons.

Petronas (Malaysian: Petroliam Nasional Berhad), the Malaysian national oil and gas company, has sponsored the Malaysian Grand Prix since its inauguration into the racing calendar since 1999. The energy company finances the upkeep of the track and the spectator stands, they supply the oil and petroleum for the racing cars, and they are responsible for the security of the race.

The most famous racer at the Malaysian Grand Prix of all time was John MacDonald who won races in the years of 1970, 1971, 1973, and 1975. John was English born but moved to live in Hong Kong during his national service, where he continued to live and set up a garage business which made him successful and allowed him to become a successful racer also.

The most successful racing team to compete in the Malaysian Grand Prix is Ferrari thanks to the successes of Michael Schumacher in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2008, and 2012.

Michael Schumacher pictured at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix. Pic: Whiz Kris, Flickr.

Michael Schumacher pictured at the 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix. Pic: Whiz Kris, Flickr.

The annual race, held every year towards the end of March, attracts approximately 50,000 spectators from all around the world, some just to see their favourite racing star, but others to feel the excitement and exhilaration of the head to head race between man and man, country and country, sponsor and sponsor.

Most Formula 1 racers unanimously agree that the Malaysian Grand Prix is by far the most stress inducing and physically demanding race in the whole Formula 1 calendar. Temperatures are torturous and regularly reach 30 degrees Celsius and when combined with the humidity, which is rarely lower than 75%, the climate alone drains all drivers of energy even before putting in any effort to race. Malaysia, but Kuala Lumpur in particular, is famous for its unexpected heavy rain downpours which often disrupt the car racing, causing crashes and severe car damage.

The actual race track has been called “the most environmentally friendly race track in the world” by various commentators because of its abundance of palm trees. The track was built on a former 260 hectare palm oil plantation, so to compensate for the loss of plants the owners planted hundreds of palm trees around the race track, spectator’s stands, and spectator’s recreation areas.

In the latest Malaysian Grand Prix, the 2012 season, which was held on 25th March, the leader of the driver’s championship, Fernando Alonso with his Ferrari team, came first after a breathtaking and sometimes risky race. Just 2.2 seconds behind Alonso was the less well known Sergio Perez with his Sauber team, and then came the former world champion Lewis Hamilton and the McLaren-Mercedes not long after. It made for an unforgettable race in the beautiful country of Malaysia.

Many people, especially those coming from Europe and the Americas combine watching the Malaysia Formula 1 Grand Prix with a relaxing holiday elsewhere in the country. The Malaysian Government praises this as it brings in much needed tourism income in the form of taxes, shop purchases, transport income, and accommodation income. Kuala Lumpur International Airport as the country’s main airport is also kept busy during the races. The Malaysian Formula 1 Grand Prix could be an unforgettable experience, so why not give it a try and book your tickets in time for the next race?