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Malaysian Grand Prix - Sepang International Circuit

Circuit Information

First included in the Formula One World Championship in 1999, the current Malaysian Grand Prix is held at the hyper-modern Sepang International Circuit at Sepang, Malaysia. FIA-sanctioned racing in Malaysia has existed since the 1960s.

The nine World Championship Malaysian Grands Prix have seen a good deal of action on and off the track, whilst the weather — furnace heat one minute, tropical storm the next — adds extra spice. The most notable Grand Prix at Sepang to date was the inaugural event in 1999. It saw Michael Schumacher return to the sport after his absence due to a broken leg sustained at that year's British Grand Prix, dominating the race and handing the victory to title-hopeful team-mate Eddie Irvine, only for both Ferraris to be disqualified due to a technical irregularity, handing the title — until the steward's decision was over-ruled — to Mika Häkkinen.

The 2001 event was hit by a heavy rainstorm in the middle of the race which made conditions very difficult. Conditions were so bad that the two Ferraris of Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello spun off almost simultaneously at the same corner. Remarkably, they both recovered to score a Ferrari "1-2", because for a long time they were nearly 5 seconds faster than anyone else on the field. Elsewhere, the race was even lead by Jos Verstappen, surprisingly. However, as the track begun to dry, he fell back to 7th, but his efforts to keep positions were memorable.

Since 2001, the Malaysian Grand Prix has moved from the end of the schedule to the beginning, which has seen some topsy-turvy results as teams and drivers get to grips with their new equipment, with many races heavily influenced by the winners and losers of the scramble for position into the tight double hairpin bend at the first corner.

On April 8, 2007, shortly before the 2007 Malaysian Grand Prix, Formula One president Bernie Ecclestone was quoted as stating that the circuit was getting "shabby" and "a bit tired" from the lack of care, describing it as "an old house that needs a bit of redecorating". He noted that the circuit itself is not the issue, but rather the surrounding environ; rubbish is said to be littered all over the place, potentially damaging the circuit's good reputation when it was opened in 1999.

The day before, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi had met Ecclestone to discuss an extension of the Formula One contract beyond 2010. While the government had been given an additional extension to host the Grand Prix until 2015, the government was still mulling the offer, as of April 23, 2007. The circuit was given a renewed contract in 2006 to organise the Malaysian Grand Prix for another five years.
(Source Wikipedia)

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