Malaysia will finish its nine-year absence from the Method 1 calendar by making a long-awaited return in 2026, changing Bahrain as a result of ongoing Center Jap battle.
This news was announced last Sunday and Sepang will host its first race since 2017 on 2-4 October, although beneath the ‘Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia’ tag.
Regardless of the bizarre circumstances – and occasion identify – it’s nonetheless a grand prix on the extremely common Sepang circuit, which has produced a number of memorable moments over time.
So, here’s a look again at 5 highlights from Kuala Lumpur’s time in F1 between 1999 and 2017.
1999 Malaysian Grand Prix: Ferrari 1-2 controversially reinstated
Eddie Irvine, Ferrari
Picture by: Emmanuel DUNAND / AFP through Getty Photographs
Malaysia made its F1 debut in 1999 because the penultimate spherical that season, which entailed a detailed battle between McLaren and Ferrari for the constructors’ championship, plus Mika Hakkinen and Eddie Irvine for the drivers’ title.
This clearly dominated discussions heading into the race weekend, however so did the return of Michael Schumacher who had simply recovered from a damaged leg he sustained at Silverstone simply three months’ prior.
Though it takes most athletes a very long time to return to their greatest after a prolonged harm, Schumacher isn’t ‘most athletes’ and the then double world champion made the proper return by storming to pole in a Ferrari 1-2, with McLaren 3-4 led by David Coulthard.
Whereas Schumacher might not have needed Irvine to be the person to finish Ferrari’s title drought – its final drivers’ crown coming through Jody Scheckter in 1979 – he actually put his satisfaction apart in Sepang as he let the Northern Irishman by on lap 4 to subsequently maintain up Coulthard and Hakkinen.
Schumacher performing as a ‘quantity two’ – ironic! – actually labored because it enabled a comparatively routine victory for Irvine, who turned his two-point deficit to Hakkinen right into a four-point lead because the McLaren driver took third behind a Scuderia 1-2.
However then the post-race drama unfolded. Right away, each Ferrari vehicles had been disqualified as a consequence of its F399’s bargeboards allegedly being 1mm too vast and with it, Hakkinen and McLaren turned champions by default.
Ferrari protested the choice although, and 6 days later its 1-2 was reinstated, because the FIA’s Worldwide Courtroom of Attraction discovered that race officers didn’t have correct sufficient tools and that the automotive components had been in actual fact authorized.
“A foul day for the game,” is how McLaren boss Ron Dennis summed it up, however he nonetheless had motive to smile on the Suzuka finale as a Hakkinen victory gave the Finn his second title. Ferrari, nevertheless, nonetheless managed to finish its 16-year constructors’ championship drought by ending second and third.
2003 Malaysian Grand Prix: Raikkonen takes his first win
Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren
Picture by: Sutton Photographs through Getty Photographs
F1 2026 will doubtless see teenage sensation (Andrea) Kimi Antonelli declare his maiden world title, however 2003 was the yr the unique ‘Kimi’ burst onto the scene. Kimi Raikkonen that’s, having taken his first grand prix victory at spherical two in Sepang that marketing campaign.
Raikkonen, then in his second season at McLaren, didn’t take pleasure in the perfect qualifying as a slide on the hairpin left him seventh on the grid however success quickly arrived. That’s as a result of the Finn had climbed as much as fourth on lap one due to contact between Renault’s Jarno Trulli and Ferrari’s Schumacher, earlier than taking third from his former Sauber team-mate Nick Heidfeld at Flip 1 on the second tour.
Third quickly turned second when team-mate Coulthard endured {an electrical} downside on lap three, leaving simply Fernando Alonso up forward – the Spaniard having simply develop into F1’s youngest pole sitter as a part of Renault’s first entrance row lockout since France 1983.
However that is the place technique got here into play, as a result of the McLaren began with the next gasoline load than Renault. So whereas Alonso pitted on lap 14, Raikkonen stayed out for 5 further excursions and that is the place the race was received, as a a lot lighter load for that transient stint allowed the Finn to put up a lot faster lap occasions.
So when he lastly pitted, he got here out forward of Alonso and subsequently dominated his technique to victory by 40 seconds over second-placed Rubens Barrichello, who’d additionally jumped forward of the Renault through the pits.
2009 Malaysian Grand Prix: Half factors awarded
Jenson Button, Brawn GP BGP001 Mercedes sits on the grid after the race was stopped
Picture by: Andrew Ferraro / Motorsport Photographs
One factor to keep in mind for the Malaysian Grand Prix is its climate, which is commonly unpredictable and 2009 is the best instance of that. Qualifying was dry and so was the race begin, however groups had been conscious that rain was looming and it made the matter of gaining observe place through the early stint important.
That yr’s world champion Jenson Button in the end prevailed, having reclaimed the lead after a poor lap one the place he dropped to fourth, simply as Ferrari turned the primary group to make that slicks-to-wet gamble through Raikkonen.
However on this event it backfired, as a result of with no indicators of standing water, his Bridgestone tyres shortly pale away. That didn’t cease different groups from quickly following swimsuit although as lap 19 noticed extra drivers dive in for wets, but the intermediates had been greatest suited at this crossover stage.
Those that nailed the technique had been rewarded and the intermediate runners of Button, Heidfeld and Timo Glock led the way in which on lap 31, when rain lastly reached the entire observe. Come this level although, there was no stopping it and situations turned torrential with thunderstorms current.
So the Sepang race continued till the thirty third lap, at which level it was deemed too harmful to race leading to half factors being awarded for the primary time since Australia 1991. There would then be one other 12 years – Belgium 2021 – till F1 confronted the same situation.
2013 Malaysian Grand Prix: “Multi 21”
Mark Webber, Sebastian Vettel, Pink Bull Racing
Picture by: Sutton Photographs
Again within the day, Pink Bull was not as a lot of a ‘one-driver group’ as it’s at the moment, as a result of Mark Webber was able to bringing the battle to Sebastian Vettel from time to time. At occasions, there’d even be friction between the pair from 2009 to 2013 – with Malaysia in that last yr being a main instance.
A lot so, it brought on the now notorious “Multi 21”.
It began with Vettel being on pole, however Webber had made a terrific begin from fifth and led a Pink Bull 1-2 by lap 15 due to nailing the timing to modify onto slick tyres. Clearly the soon-to-be four-time world champion had missed out, however the Austrian outfit nonetheless instructed its vehicles to carry place.
“Sebastian, multi-map 2-1, multi-map 2-1, and take care of your tyres please,” was race engineer Guillaume Rocquelin’s message to Vettel on lap 25.
However 18 excursions later, with 13 nonetheless to play, the German defied the order by attacking Webber with an unsuccessful lunge down the within of Flip 1. “That is foolish, Seb,” was Christian Horner’s response, however Vettel saved going with repeated makes an attempt.
“Yeah, that’s good teamwork,” stated Webber, earlier than being knowledgeable, “OK Mark, he was advised – he was advised”!
Vettel ultimately bought the transfer achieved and took victory by 4 seconds with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton finishing the rostrum. Webber, nonetheless visibly pissed off, took his anger to the cooldown room by saying, “Multi-21 Seb, yeah, Multi-21” whereas shrugging his shoulders.
“In the long run Seb made his personal resolution at the moment and may have safety as traditional and that’s the way in which it goes,” Webber added within the podium interviews, with Vettel later apologising.
2016 Malaysian Grand Prix: Hamilton’s title possibilities blow up
Daniel Ricciardo, Pink Bull, Nico Rosberg, Mercedes
Picture by: Clive Rose/Getty Photographs
Malaysia was the turning level within the bitter title battle between Hamilton and Nico Rosberg through the 2016 marketing campaign. The Briton arrived with an eight-point deficit, was set to show that right into a five-point benefit and finish Rosberg’s run of three, straight wins, solely to depart South East Asia 23 factors behind with solely 5 grands prix remaining.
The Briton had achieved all the pieces proper, beginning with qualifying as he took pole in a Mercedes 1-2 by 4 tenths earlier than having fun with a clear getaway whereas chaos descended behind. That ‘chaos’ involved Rosberg, who spun to the again after being tagged by Vettel’s lunging Ferrari on the within of Flip 1.
So, whereas his title rival was pressured right into a restoration drive, reigning champion Hamilton managed the way in which out entrance and it gave the impression to be a type of days the place no one might cease him. Besides, for his energy unit, which dramatically failed with solely 15 laps remaining inflicting his Mercedes to grind to a halt.
“One thing, or somebody, doesn’t need me to win this yr,” was the response from a really dejected Hamilton, who’d endured a number of reliability woes that yr. What made issues worse is that it handed a podium spot to Rosberg behind a Pink Bull 1-2, the German having additionally overcome a contentious 10s penalty for contact with Raikkonen at Flip 2.
It however gave the title prerogative to the #6 Silver Arrows. A win on the following race in Japan, earlier than 4 consecutive runner-up finishes to Hamilton gave Rosberg his maiden crown…after which retirement.
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