The Sepang International Circuit outside Kuala Lumpur was designed by Hermann Tilke and built to host the first Malaysian Grand Prix in 1999.
The circuit’s main grandstand faces in opposite directions onto two long straights joined by a hairpin which forms the track’s final corner. The combination of long straights and varied low, medium and high-speed turns requires teams to strike a compromise between high downforce for cornering performance and low drag for straight-line speed.
Conditions at the track are reliably hot and humid, and late afternoon thunderstorms are a common occurrence. These have affected several races and qualifying sessions at the track, notably in 2009 when the race was abandoned and half-points awarded following a downpour.
Circuit information
| Lap data | |
| Lap length | 5.543km (3.444 miles) |
| Race laps | 56 |
| Race distance | 310.408km (192.879 miles) |
| Pole position | Right-hand side of the track |
| Lap record* | 1’34.223 (Juan Pablo Montoya, 2004) |
| Fastest lap | 1’32.582 (Fernando Alonso, 2005, qualifying one) |
| Maximum speed | 329kph (204.431 mph) |
| DRS zone/s (race) | Pit straight and final straight |
| Distance from grid to turn one | 683m |
| Car performance | |
| Full throttle | 45% |
| Longest flat-out section | 1029m |
| Downforce level | High |
| Gear changes per lap | 40 |
| Strategy | |
| Pit lane time loss | 18.95s |
| Tyres: | Drivers’ tyre selections |
*Fastest lap set during a Grand Prix
Data sources: FIA, Williams, Mercedes
Video guide to the Sepang International Circuit
Sepang International Circuit track map
Sepang International Circuit aerial map
Sepang International Circuit gallery
Sepang International Circuit articles
Images © Marussia, Mercedes/Hoch Zwei, Caterham/LAT