Sepang International Circuit Preview

therookiereporters

1 day ago

2 min read

Formula One travels from Azerbaijan to Malaysia to go racing at the Sepang International Circuit. This is the replacement location for the Bahrain Grand Prix due to current conflict in the Middle East, but what should you know before the lights go out?

Track Facts

The first Grand Prix on the 5.543km track was held in 1999 and provided 56 laps (310.398km) of high speed action. The fastest lap is held by 4 time World Champion, Sebastian Vettel, with a 1:34.080 set the last time we raced here in 2017. With 15 iconic turns, this track is known for its high speed layout. The dual long straights connecting by the tight hairpin of turn 14 is a key feature of the track. Not only is Sepang brutal on tyres (due to the abrasive surface and the mix of heavy-braking zones and sweeping high-speed corners) but also it is a challenge for the drivers with a humid climate and temperatures reaching 50 degrees celsius in the cockpit.

2026 Expectations

This year has been a Mercedes domination and with George Russell going into this weekend after a win in Baku to boost his confidence, he will be hoping to repeat his success in Sepang. Antonelli remains the championship leader with a 66 point lead but ultimately will be hoping to get back on the podium proceeding a difficult qualifying in Azerbaijan that saw him start P16 on the grid.

The second team we should keep an eye on is McLaren, who are a Mercedes engine customer, as they are known for their strengths at high-speed tracks. Malaysia rewards teams with high aerodynamic efficiency and stability which is exactly the strength the Woking based team have carried this season. The McLaren drivers, particularly Lando Norris, will be expected to challenge for the front row and podium this weekend, however following the damage to the Briton’s car in Baku, we may not get to see the true strength and power of the reigning world champion.

We then have Ferrari, who should perform better than they did in Baku as the technical layout of Sepang helps mask the weaknesses of the SF26 and instead highlights its flexibility and developed energy deployment.

The Azerbaijan Grand Prix saw Franco Colapinto receive a 10 second time penalty for the incident between himself, his teammate Pierre Gasly and Lando Norris. Due to his retirement he was unable to serve the penalty and it has been converted into a five place grid drop for the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Weekend Schedule in MYT (GMT +8)

Free Practice One: