Malaysian GP Facts & Figures

By Andrew Hooper
March 12 2004

	Facts & Figures
	* 2004 marks the sixth Formula One event to be held at the Sepang circuit. It is a modern race track, designed by the architect Hermann Tilke, situated about half an hour's drive south of Kuala Lumpur. * The Malaysian Grand Prix is traditionally considered to be one of the season's hottest races. In 2003, more than 3,000 litres of water and soft drinks were dispensed in the hospitality suite of the BMW WilliamsF1 Team. * One lap of Sepang covers 5.543 km. The race comprises 56 laps, a total distance of 310.408 km. * In 2002, the BMW WilliamsF1 Team celebrated its first one-two victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix, with Ralf Schumacher taking the victory and team- mate Juan Pablo Montoya coming home in second place. The 2003 event, however, was not as successful. In qualifying, Ralf Schumacher could only secure 17th place on the grid. However, his impressive performance during the race saw him cross the finish line in 4th. Team mate, Juan Pablo Montoya, started from 8th place on the grid, but was forced to pit early following a first lap collision. With a lengthy pit-stop for repair work, the Colombian finished the Malaysian Grand Prix in 12th place. * Kimi Raikkonen (McLaren-Mercedes) won last year's race, while pole position was claimed by Fernando Alonso (Renault) with a lap time of 1:37.044 min. Michael Schumacher holds the current lap record of 1:36.412 min. * Kuala Lumpur is the hub of Malaysia. The capital city offers visitors an eclectic mix with vibrant Asian culture sitting alongside British colonial architecture and famous high-tech structures such as the 452 metre Petronas Towers. * Kuala Lumpur is located along the west coast of the Malaysian peninsula, around 35 kilometres inland on the Rivers Klang and Gombek. It is the country's largest city with a population of approximately 1.5 million people. * The Grand Prix starts at 15:00 hrs local time (GMT + 8 hrs) on Sunday 21st March 2004.

Click image for HP F1 Site