The sweltering heat and humidity of the topics provide the gruelling backdrop to the Malaysian Grand Prix, round two of the 2014 FIA Formula 1 World Championship. The drivers have to endure cockpit temperatures in excess of 50 degrees, but there’s no let-up on-track as Sepang’s fast corners and open spaces encourage overtaking and hard racing. Add the high probability of a rainstorm into the mix and you’re left with a tantalisingly unpredictable weekend.
Sepang facts & stats
Sepang was the first grand prix circuit to be built by German architects Tilke GmbH. It was commissioned in the mid-’90s by former Malaysian Prime Minister Tun Doktor Mahathir Bin Mohamad, who viewed it as an integral part of Malaysia’s quest to become a fully industrialised nation by 2020. The circuit is located 5km from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and 60km from downtown KL.
The track hosted its first grand prix in 1999, since when it’s become a firm favourite of the drivers, who enjoy its undulations, fast corners and numerous passing places. However, the combination of high-g corners and extreme cockpit temperatures makes this race one of the toughest of the year for the drivers.
The 5.543km track has several features that make it stand out. It’s very wide – 22m in places – and has the second longest run of the year from the grid to Turn One. To be quick at Sepang, a car needs good high-speed balance, a trait that prompts the usual trade-off between downforce and straight-line speed, which is particularly useful along the circuit’s two main straights, each more than 1km long.
As was the case last year, Pirelli are taking their orange Hard (prime) and white Medium (option) tyres to the race. These are the two hardest compounds in their dry-weather range. However, as was the case in Melbourne two weeks ago, the teams can expect to use the intermediate and wet-weather tyres as well – such is the unpredictable nature of Malaysia’s tropical climate.
McLaren has a good record at Sepang, the highlight coming in 2007 when Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton finished first and second in the 56-lap race. Jenson Button scored the first of his 50 podiums at Sepang in 2004 and he has won the race once, in 2009. Kevin Magnussen will be tackling the circuit for the first time.
“Australia was a really motivational race for the entire team – even though we still have work to do, it feels like we’ve turned a corner, and that we have a racecar we can definitely work with this year.
“It’s important that we keep pushing hard on the development front – we brought some useful upgrades to Melbourne, and it was encouraging that they worked straight out of the box, but it’s essential that we keep pushing new items through the development pipeline, especially at these flyaway races, where it’s harder to bring new parts to the circuit.
“Sepang is a great driver’s circuit, and even if we don’t have the overall downforce we want, we should have the balance and driveability to make the car work. And that’s really encouraging, because it means we go into a race weekend knowing that we can usually get the maximum from the car during the sessions and the race. Even if we don’t yet have the pace to take the fight to the frontrunners, we should have a car that’s decent in every sector, and which we’ll be able to hustle through the race – and that definitely counts for something.”
“There’s been no chance for a break since our encouraging result in Australia. Jenson and I both went back to Europe and spent a couple of days at the MTC to assess our performance in Melbourne and to work on our preparations for Malaysia.
“Equally, the designers and engineers have been working hard. We showed in Australia that we can score good points if our car is reliable, and we need to consolidate that over the next few races – and one of the ways to do that is to make sure that we’re bringing new parts to the track as fast as, if not faster, than our chief rivals.
“Sepang is a very different type of track from Albert Park: Melbourne was all about slow-speed corners and mechanical balance, whereas Malaysia is a real high-speed circuit, the corners are much faster and there’ll be more of an emphasis on aerodynamic performance.
“I think it’ll be a tougher test than Australia – the ambient temperatures will make it tougher for the drivers; and the track temperatures will be higher too, which will make it harder on the tyres. My aim will be to score more points – consistency is going to be very important for the championship – and to keep learning, especially in such a different environment.
“I’m really looking forward to it – the car feels fantastic to drive, and I hope we’ll have another good weekend.”
2014 drivers’ championship
| 1 | Nico Rosberg | 25 |
| 2 | Kevin Magnussen | 18 |
| 3 | Jenson Button | 15 |
| 4 | Fernando Alonso | 12 |
| 5 | Valtteri Bottas | 10 |
| 6 | Nico Hulkenberg | 8 |
| 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | 6 |
| 8 | Jean-Eric Vergne | 4 |
| 9 | Daniil Kvyat | 2 |
| 10 | Sergio Perez | 1 |
Constructors’ championship
| 1 | McLaren | 33 |
| 2 | Mercedes | 25 |
| 3 | Ferrari | 18 |
| 4 | Williams | 10 |
| 5 | Force India | 9 |
| 6 | Scuderia Toro Rosso | 6 |
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