Sepang Circuit History

The state-of-the-art circuit, Sepang International Circuit was officially opened on March 9, 1999 by former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad. It was completed in a record 14 months and with the recognition of its ultramodern facilities, it was given the honour to incorporate the F1 logo in its name.

Situated 85km from the Kuala Lumpur city centre, it is accessible via modern North-South Expressway, Railway Links and a network of Highways. Being closely situated to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport makes it an ideal place for world-class international events.

With a length of 5.543 km, the track features 15 turns and 8 straights with access speeds of more than 300km/h. The track allows ample opportunities for overtaking, to ensure a race full of suspense and thrill.
Sepang International Circuit however, isn’t solely a physical facility for Motorsports. In this place called ‘Home of Motorsports’ lies the aspiration of making Malaysia the hub for motor racing activities in the region and a catalyst to spark a new beginning for Malaysia’s motorsports industry.

In all, the track can accommodate up to 130,000 spectators at a time. The Main Grandstands and 18 air-conditioned Corporate Suites have a capacity of 32,000. While Grandstands K and F can fill up to 18,500 spectators facing, turns 1 and 7 respectively.

The 1.3 km long double frontage Main Grandstand presents a view of the circuit’s longest straight. The Main Grandstand is constructed along the east-west alignment to ensure shade from the sun’s glare at all times.
The heart of the circuit and focal point is the three-storey Pit Building, facing the Main Grandstand. All the main facilities are housed here with 33 Pits, Race Control Room, Time Keeping Room, luxurious Paddock Clubs and Management Offices.

The administrative block for Sepang International Circuit is the Welcome Centre, which also serves as the gateway to the Main Grandstand. Apart from the offices, it also houses the Sepang Circuit Shoppe, an Automotive Museum and restaurant.The track is electronically linked through a network of fiber optic cabling systems along the track to 27 closed circuit TV cameras, which is centrally monitored at the Race Control Room. Every incident along the 5.543km circuit is recorded by the cameras and will be closely watched by the clerk of the course during events.

Safety is the utmost importance, and for that, Sepang International Circuit has a special block dedicated for its Medical Centre. It is situated next to the Pit Building and during major events, this block will be transformed into a fully equipped miniature hospital.






 - MalaysiaGP.my.com