Sepang International Circuit

From WOI Encyclopedia Italia

Sepang F1 International Circuit

Location	Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia
Events	Formula One; MotoGP; A1GP; Japan GT
Length km	5.54
Length mi	3.44
Turns	15
Record time	1'34.223
Record driver	Juan Pablo Montoya
Record team	Williams-BMW
Record year	2004

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 as regards to 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 leader board at the Sepang F1 Grand Prix circuit

The circuit was designed by renowned German designer Hermann Tilke, who would subsequently design the impressive new facilities in Shanghai, Bahrain and Turkey.

The main circuit, normally raced in a clockwise direction, is 5.54 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.

Sepang International Circuit also features kart racing and motocross facilities.