Sepang International Circuit facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sepang International Circuit

Circuit logo (November 2023–present)
Grand Prix Circuit (1999–present)
Location	Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia
Time zone	UTC+08:00
Coordinates	2°45′38″N 101°44′15″E / 2.76056°N 101.73750°E / 2.76056; 101.73750
Capacity	130,000
FIA Grade	1 (GP) 2 (North)
Broke ground	1 November 1997; 27 years ago (1997-11-01)
Opened	7 March 1999; 26 years ago (1999-03-07)
Architect	Hermann Tilke
Former names	Sepang International Circuit (March 1999–October 2023)
Major events	Current: Grand Prix motorcycle racing Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix (1999–2019, 2022–present) Asian Le Mans Series 4 Hours of Sepang (2013–2020, 2023–present) GT World Challenge Asia (2017–2019, 2022–present) TCR Asia Series (2015–2019, 2024–present) Super GT (2002, 2004–2013, 2025) Sepang 12 Hours (2000–2016, 2023–present) Asia Road Racing Championship (2003–2015, 2019–2020, 2022–present) Former: Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix (1999–2017) WTCR Race of Malaysia (2019) World SBK (2014–2016) FIM EWC (2019)
Grand Prix Circuit (1999–present)
Length	5.543 km (3.445 mi)
Turns	15
Race lap record	1:34.080 ( Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF70H, 2017, F1)
North Circuit (1999–present)
Length	2.706 km (1.681 mi)
Turns	9
Race lap record	0:59.761 ( Earl Bamber, Tatuus FRV6, 2008, FR 3.5)
South Circuit (1999–present)
Length	2.609 km (1.621 mi)
Turns	8

The Sepang International Circuit is a famous race track in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia. It's also known as the Petronas Sepang International Circuit because of a sponsorship deal. This track is about 45 kilometers (28 miles) south of Kuala Lumpur, near the main airport. It used to host the exciting Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix from 1999 to 2017. Today, it's still a major venue for the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix and other big motorsport events.

History of the Sepang Circuit

Sepang International Circuit grandstand, with its iconic umbrella shade.

The Sepang International Circuit was designed by a German architect named Hermann Tilke. He also designed many other famous race tracks around the world. The circuit was built between 1997 and 1999. This was part of a big plan by the Malaysian government at the time, led by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. The goal was to create a world-class venue for the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Malaysia's weather can be very hot and sunny, but also have sudden, heavy tropical rainstorms. This makes racing at Sepang very exciting and unpredictable!

Petronas sponsored the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix since its first race in 1999.

The circuit officially opened on March 7, 1999. The first MotoGP Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix was held there on April 20, 1999. Later that year, on October 17, 1999, the first Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix took place.

In 2011, during the 2011 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix, a sad event occurred. A motorcycle racer named Marco Simoncelli had a serious accident, which led to the race being stopped.

In 2016, the track was completely redone. Some corners were changed to make racing more challenging and exciting. For example, the last corner was raised to encourage drivers to try different racing lines.

After 2017, the Sepang circuit stopped hosting Formula One races. This was partly because fewer people were buying tickets and the costs to host the race were very high.

Understanding the Track Layout

View from the Mall Area, Main Grandstand North, Lower Tier.

The main circuit at Sepang is 5.543 kilometers (3.445 miles) long. Racers usually drive around it in a clockwise direction. It's known for its wide turns and long straight sections. One unique part is a very long straight section at the back of the track. It's separated from the pit straight (where the race starts) by just one very tight turn.

Sepang also has other ways to set up the track for different races:

North Circuit Layout

The North Circuit is like the first half of the main track. It's 2.706 kilometers (1.681 miles) long. After turn 6, the track turns back towards the pit straight.

South Circuit Layout

The South Circuit is the other half of the main track. It's 2.609 kilometers (1.621 miles) long. On this layout, the back straight of the main circuit becomes the pit straight.

Besides the main track, Sepang International Circuit also has special areas for kart racing (like go-karts) and motocross (off-road motorcycle racing).

Track configurations

A Lap in a Formula One Car

Lewis Hamilton during the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix.

Imagine you're driving a Formula One car around Sepang!

• The lap starts on a long straight section called the pit straight. This is where drivers can use their DRS to go even faster.
• Turn 1 is a very long, slow corner. Drivers brake late and slowly reduce speed as they go around.
• Turn 2 is a tight left turn that goes downhill. The first two corners can be bumpy, making it tricky to control the car's power.
• Turn 3 is a fast right turn that leads into Turn 4, also known as the Langkawi Curve. This is a sharp right-angle turn.
• Turns 5 and 6 form a very fast chicane (a series of tight turns). This puts a lot of stress on the tires and the drivers due to high G-forces. It's called the Genting Curve.
• Turns 7 and 8 (the KLIA curve) are a long, medium-speed double right turn. A bump here can make the car lose balance.
• Turn 9 (the Berjaya Tioman Corner) is a very slow left turn that goes uphill.
• Turn 10 leads into Turn 11, a challenging medium-speed right turn where drivers have to brake and steer at the same time.
• Turn 12 is a fast, bumpy left turn, immediately followed by the fast right at Turn 13.
• Then comes the challenging Sunway Lagoon Curve at Turn 14. Like Turn 11, it needs hard braking and steering together.
• Finally, the long back straight is a good spot for overtaking. Drivers brake hard into Turn 15, a left-handed hairpin. They need to be careful not to be overtaken back as they head into Turn 1 again!

Exciting Events at Sepang

The Sepang International Circuit hosts many thrilling races and events throughout the year.

Current Events

• March: Sepang 12 Hours
• April: GT World Challenge Asia, Porsche Sprint Challenge Indonesia
• May: Formula 4 South East Asia Championship, Porsche Sprint Challenge Indonesia
• June: Super GT, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia, Asia Road Racing Championship
• July: TCR Asia Series
• August: Asia Talent Cup, Thailand Super Series
• September: Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia, Formula 4 South East Asia Championship, Thailand Super Series, Asia Road Racing Championship
• October: Grand Prix motorcycle racing Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix, Asia Talent Cup
• December: Asian Le Mans Series 4 Hours of Sepang, 24H Series Middle East Trophy 12H Malaysia

Past Events

• A1 Grand Prix (2005–2008)
• Asian Formula Renault (2004–2008, 2014–2015, 2017–2019)
• Asian Touring Car Series (2000–2011)
• Aston Martin Asia Cup (2008–2009)
• Audi R8 LMS Cup (2013–2019)
• F3 Asian Championship (2018–2020)
• Ferrari Challenge Asia-Pacific (2011–2017, 2019)
• FIM Endurance World Championship
  • 8 Hours of Sepang (2019)
• Formula 4 Australian Championship (2024)
• Formula Asia (2000–2001)
• Formula Masters China (2011–2017)
• Formula Nippon (2004)
• Formula One
  • Malaysian Grand Prix (1999–2017)
• Formula Regional Asian Championship (2018–2020)
• GP2 Asia Series (2008–2009)
• GP2 Series
  • Sepang GP2 round (2012–2013, 2016)
• GP3 Series (2016)
• Intercontinental GT Challenge
  • Sepang 12 Hours (2016)
• JK Racing Asia Series (2006–2012)
• Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Final (2014)
• Porsche Carrera Cup Australia (2017)
• Sepang 1000 km (2009–2019, 2021–2024)
• Speedcar Series (2008)
• Superbike World Championship (2014–2016)
• Supersport World Championship (2014–2016)
• TCR International Series (2015–2016)
• TCR Malaysia Touring Car Championship (2019–2020)
• World Touring Car Cup
  • FIA WTCR Race of Malaysia (2019)

Fastest Lap Records

The fastest official lap record for the Sepang International Circuit is 1 minute, 34.080 seconds. This record was set by Sebastian Vettel in a Ferrari SF70H car during the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix. Here are some of the fastest official race lap records at Sepang:

See also

In Spanish: Circuito Internacional de Sepang para niños

• List of Formula One circuits
• List of sporting venues with a highest attendance of 100,000 or more