motor sports

Sepang was the first F1 circuit to be designed and built by Hermann Tilke. It's a wide racetrack (14m at its widest point); it's undulating and it has a mix of long straights and long, fast corners. A purpose-built facility, Sepang's 5.543km lap provides a blend of medium and high speed corners interspersed with several slow speed sections and blisteringly fast straights. Such a dynamic track poses a particular challenge for the drivers and their engineers as a quick lap depends on a car with a well balanced set-up for the complex mix of corners, plenty of power for the quick straights and sufficient cooling capabilities to counterbalance the extremes of temperature and powerful humidity. With temperatures reaching 40°C, climatic conditions can play a significant role in the outcome of the Malaysian Grand Prix. Coupled with the high humidity levels and the constant threat of heavy downpours, the drivers and their cars will be pushed to thermal limits. As temperatures soar so will the heat in the cockpit, and the driver's physical and mental fitness levels will be severely tested as they lose over a litre of fluid per hour in the race. The combination of a high ambient temperature and 70 percent humidity makes for a harsh working environment. Sepang is not regarded as a power circuit, with the time spent at full throttle relatively low, but containing oil temperatures in the extreme heat, while not compromising aerodynamic efficiency, will be imperative for their reliability. The delayed 4pm start time, once again to satisfy European TV broadcasters, takes the race perilously close to the early evening rainfall that occurs almost daily. In 2009 the race even had to be stopped after 31 laps due to a sudden downpour.