A Lap of Sepang with Eddie Irvine

When Eddie Irvine visited the Sepang circuit back in March of this year, he took a number of journalists around the circuit in a Ferrari F50 road car. These were his initial impressions of the circuit:

"The straights are very wide, so I think it's going to be possible to overtake down into this first corner, which is a very tight hairpin and you're going to see overtaking for sure into it. It keeps very tight.

"That's followed by quite a tricky little left hander. It's very very tight, which leads out onto a long sweeping right hander which, if you get a good exit on that, should mean that you could get a run up on another competitor round here, the right hander, into the next corner. There's not too much to it to be honest.

"The next left hander is very very fast, very long, there's a huge run-off there, so there's no problem with safety but it's going to be a neck-breaker because of the G-forces. Then there's a fast right hander and a short straight up to the double right hander which will become one corner, a long hairpin in effect.

"Then there's another short straight down into a tight right-hander which is very slow, then hard on acceleration up to a long right hander. It's a very very tricky circuit because one corner leads immediately into another, so it's going to be quite difficult to get the right line.

"Then we have a fast left hander leading into a right hander which initially fast but which tightens - that's going to be very tricky, but it will give the drivers an opportunity to have a run at someone out of that corner into the hairpin at the end of the straight.

"The straight is very very wide, and it gives one an opportunity to have a go at overtaking someone into the hairpin. It's very wide, fairly basic and straightforward but you can chose many different lines, which in turn could give one the opportunity to have a run at someone down the pit straight."

The Star of the East

It's unheard of for a new circuit to be accorded the title 'Best in the World' before it's even hosted a top class motor race, and it's certainly unheard of in a country with precious little motor sport background. But that was the honour heaped on the Sepang Circuit which this weekend hosts the first ever Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix.

When the track opened this year on March 9, visitors such as World Champion Mika Hakkinen, World Championship contender Eddie Irvine and Sauber drivers Jean Alesi and Pedro Diniz were thoroughly impressed. Three time World Champion Jackie Stewart was also full of praise for the circuit, suggesting that "the sport has a new waterline for everybody now to try and match."

The 3.443 mile/5.542 kms track itself is constructed on a 260 hectare former palm oil plantation. The inspiration for Malaysia's first Grand Prix circuit came from the top, the Prime Minister, YAB Dato' Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad who appropriately enough, performed the opening ceremony in March. When he visited the Portuguese Grand Prix in 1996, he recognised the publicity to be gained world-wide from hosting a Grand Prix and began negotiations with Formula One Supremo Bernie Ecclestone who emphasised the need for a track. An area for a track was identified near the airport, and the idea took off from there.

The Cabinet requested Malaysia Airports Sdn Bhd to obtain the rights to host a Grand Prix, and subsequently, Malaysia Airports was also asked to build the circuit. A taskforce was then formed to ensure that the circuit project would run smoothly. Members of the taskforce went to Formula One circuits around the world to learn about the layout and organisation of a Grand Prix. They came back with new, dynamic ideas and concepts for the Sepang circuit.

The circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke of Tilke Engineering in Aachen, Germany. Tilke is an amateur racing driver himself, so he mixes that with his engineering expertise to design racing circuits. He formerly worked on the Nurburgring, scene of the most recent Grand Prix on this year's Formula One calendar, and the A1-Ring in Austria, scene of the Austrian Grand Prix. He is currently updating both the circuits of Brands Hatch in England, and Xhuhai in China. He has been assisted by the local company Iktisas Ingenieurs.

In December 1996, a master-plan was presented to the Prime Minister and soon after, work began. The entire construction of the circuit took 14 months, costing RM286 million. At times, there were well over 1,000 people working on the site.

In December 1998, the circuit opened with its first race meeting, the Proton 300 kms Merdeka. At the same time, the track was inspected by FIA Race Director Charlie Whiting who passed it to be used for FIA sanctioned events. Two months later, it was also awarded a two year licence for motorcycle racing, which culminated in the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix held earlier this year.

At the same time, Bernie Ecclestone awarded the Sepang F1 Circuit the right to incorporate the official Formula One logo in its name and henceforth, the track was to be known as Sepang F1 Circuit. This was a massive boost to the circuit, the first time that such an honour had been accorded to a circuit.

What makes the Sepang circuit so special? Firstly, the architecture blends with modern technology and the Malaysian culture. It is both user-friendly and spectator-friendly. In total, the track can accommodate some 130,000 spectators, with 30,000 in the unique double-fronted main grandstand whose roof resembles a banana leaf.

As the track has been built in a stadium-type location, with the track recessed in the valley, you can see half of it from no matter where you sit. The Hill Stand, for instance, is a man-made hill to give fans an optimum view. The Canopy Tower, nestling at the tip of the V-shaped double grandstand has a roof similar to the Malaysian national flower, the hibiscus. Seats here give a view of 70 per cent of the circuit.

The track features 15 corners and eight straights with a minimum width of 16 meters but rising to 20 meters in some areas, giving tremendous overtaking opportunities. The circuit is covered by 27 closed circuit TV cameras via fibre optic cabling and includes on-line, real time tracking of race cars, combined with electronic marshal posts which will flash coloured lights to the drivers instead of flags.

The two storey pit building is one of the largest in the world, housing all the main facilities. There are 30 pits, including an office, kitchen area and a conference area. Upstairs are 12 offices for the FIA and administration, plus race control, time keeping, media centre and interview room plus photographers' room. There is also a medical centre including a small operating theatre to handle minor surgery.

The circuit has been designed to be environmentally friendly. There are 18,000 parking places and access is via 26 gates. Spectators will feel the freshness and greenery of the circuit thanks to the planting of a total of 5,000 palm oil trees and 4,000 coconut trees.

The aims of the Sepang circuit do not end with the track itself. The idea was to make Sepang a one-stop entre for the motor sports industry. Near the main entrance there is a kart circuit built to international standards, and a permanent 4x4 off-road track nearly 10 kilometres long which can also be used a rally stage.

In the months and years to come, Sepang F1 Circuit has numerous other plans for the circuit and its facilities. It is not difficult for Sepang International Circuit to plan its projects, for its goal is to make Malaysia "The Motorsport Hub in Asia."