BMWF1Talk Track Guide :: Malaysia

The Sepang International Circuit is just under an hour’s drive south of the vibrant downtown area of Kuala Lumpur. This year the race track celebrates its 10th anniversary along with the 10th appearance of Formula One here. The name Kuala Lumpur translates as “muddy estuary” after its location at the mouth of the rivers Gombak and Klang. KL, as the city is popularly known today, is the heartbeat of modern Malaysia. With a population of around 1.5 million, more than half of them Chinese, the capital is also the country’s largest city. Extending over an area of 244 square kilometres, KL offers a thriving Asian culture alongside British colonial buildings and landmark high-tech edifices such as the 88-storey PETRONAS Twin Towers that rise to a height of 452 metres. Kuala Lumpur was founded in the middle of the jungle by tin miners in 1857. In 1896, under British rule, the Malay Sultanates formed the Federation of Malaya with Kuala Lumpur as its capital. In 1957 Kuala Lumpur became the capital of the newly independent country. The PETRONAS (Petroliam Nasional Berhad) company, which is the premium partner of the BMW Sauber F1 Team, was founded on 17th August 1974. PETRONAS, with its head office in Kuala Lumpur’s Twin Towers, is a multinational gas and petroleum group operating in more than 30 countries. The group is engaged at a local and global level. Its activities include upstream exploration and production as well as downstream oil refining, marketing and distribution of petroleum products, trading, gas processing and liquefaction, gas pipeline network operations, marketing of liquefied natural gas, manufacturing and marketing of petrochemical products, maritime logistics and property investment.

Winner 2007: Fernando Alonso, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, 1 hr 32:14.930 min

Pole position 2007: Felipe Massa, Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro, 1:35.043 min

Fastest lap 2007: Lewis Hamilton, Vodafone McLaren Mercedes, 1:36.701 min

Current lap record: Juan Pablo Montoya, BMW WilliamsF1 Team, 1:34.223 min (2004)

Data (2007 race):

Full-throttle percentage: 65%

Top speed: 297 km/h

Longest full-throttle section: 12 sec / 830 m

Gearshifts per lap: 60

Tyre wear: medium to high

Brake wear: medium

Downforce level: high