# Sepang International Circuit

Sepang International Circuit (Malay: Litar Antarabangsa Sepang) (known as Petronas Sepang International Circuit for commercial reasons) is a motorsport race track in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia. It is located approximately 45-kilometre (28 mi) south of Kuala Lumpur, close to Kuala Lumpur International Airport. It hosted the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix between 1999 and 2017, and is also the venue for the Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix, the Malaysia Merdeka Endurance Race, and other major motorsport events. Previously known as the Sepang F1 Circuit, it was renamed the Sepang International Circuit. On 31 October 2023, it was announced that Petronas has acquired the naming rights to the circuit for three years in an undisclosed fee.

## History

The circuit was designed by German designer Hermann Tilke, who would subsequently design circuits including in Shanghai, Sakhir, Istanbul, Marina Bay, and Yas Marina. As part of a series of major infrastructure projects in the 1990s under Mahathir Mohamad's government, the Sepang International Circuit was constructed between 1997 and 1999 close to Putrajaya, the then-newly founded administrative capital of the country, with the intent of hosting the Malaysian Grand Prix. The Malaysian climate means the circuit is known for its unpredictable humid tropical weather, varying from clear furnace-hot days to tropical rain-storms.
The circuit was officially inaugurated by the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia Mahathir Mohamad on 7 March 1999 at 20:30 MST (UTC+08:00). He subsequently went on to inaugurate the first Moto GP Malaysian Grand Prix on 20 April 1999 (see 1999 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix) and the first Formula One Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix on 17 October 1999 (see 1999 Malaysian Grand Prix).
On 23 October 2011, on the second lap of the MotoGP Shell Advance Malaysian Grand Prix, the Italian motorcycle racer Marco Simoncelli died following a crash in turn 11 on Lap 2, resulting in an abandonment of the race.
The track was completely resurfaced in 2016 with the support of italian designers Dromo, with several corners reprofiled to emphasize mechanical, rather than aerodynamic grip. Notably, the final corner was raised by approximately 1 meter, which officials claimed would force drivers to take a later apex and explore different racing lines through the hairpin.
In October 2016 it was rumored that the Sepang circuit may be dropped from the Formula One calendar due to dwindling ticket sales, and held its nineteenth and last World Championship Grand Prix in 2017.
The race's contract was due to expire in 2018, but its future had been under threat due to rising hosting fees and declining ticket sales.

## Layout

The main circuit, normally raced in a clockwise direction, is 5.543 km (3.444 mi) long, and is noted for its sweeping corners and wide straights from 16–22 m (52–72 ft). The layout is quite unusual, with a 0.927 km (0.576 mi) long back straight separated from the pit straight by just one very tight hairpin.
Other configurations of the Sepang circuit can also be used. The north circuit is also raced in a clockwise direction. It is basically the first half of the main circuit. The course turns back towards the pit straight after turn 6 and is 2.706 km (1.681 mi) long in total.
The south circuit is the other half of the racecourse. The back straight of the main circuit becomes the pit straight when the south circuit is in use, and joins onto turn 8 of the main circuit to form a hairpin turn. Also run clockwise, this circuit is 2.609 km (1.621 mi) in length.
Sepang International Circuit also features kart racing and motocross facilities.

### Track configurations

* Grand Prix Circuit (1999–present)
* North Circuit (1999–present)
* South Circuit (1999–present)
* Kart Circuit (1999–present)

## A lap in a Formula One car

Sepang starts with a long pit straight where the DRS zone exists – crucial for drivers to get a good exit out of the last corner to gain as much speed as possible. Turn 1 is a very long, slow corner taken in second gear. Most drivers brake incredibly late and lose speed gradually as they file round the corner, similar to Shanghai's first turn but slower. Turn 1 leads straight into Turn 2, a tight left hairpin which goes downhill quite significantly. The first two corners are quite bumpy, making it hard to put power onto the track. Turn 3 is a long flat out right hander which leads into Turn 4 – known locally as the Langkawi Curve – a second gear, right-angle right-hander. Turns 5 and 6 make up an incredibly high-speed, long chicane that hurts tyres and puts a lot of stress on drivers due to high G-Force. It is locally known as the Genting Curve. Turns 7 and 8 (the KLIA curve) make up a long, medium-speed, double-apex right hander, and a bump can cause the car to lose balance here. Turn 9 is a very slow left-hand hairpin (the Berjaya Tioman Corner), similar to turn two but uphill. Turn 10 leads into a challenging, medium-speed right hander at turn 11, requiring braking and turning simultaneously. Turn 12 is a flat-out, bumpy left which immediately leads into the flat right at turn 13, then the challenging 'Sunway Lagoon' curve at turn 14. Similar to turn 11, it requires hard-braking and steering at the same time. It is taken in second gear. The long back straight can be a good place for drivers to overtake as they brake hard into turn 15, a left-handed, second-geared hairpin but drivers are advised by experts to be careful not to get re-overtaken as they come into turn 1.

## Events
### Current

* 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, TCR Asia Series, Asia Road Racing Championship
* August: Asia Talent Cup, Thailand Super Series
* September: Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia, Formula 4 South East Asia Championship, Thailand Super Series
* October: Grand Prix motorcycle racing Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix, Asia Talent Cup
* December: Asian Le Mans Series 4 Hours of Sepang

### Former

* 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)

## Lap records

The official lap record for the Sepang International Circuit is 1:34.080, set by Sebastian Vettel during the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix. As of November 2024, the fastest official race lap records at the Sepang International Circuit are listed as:
| Category | Time | Driver | Vehicle | Event |
| Grand Prix Circuit (1999–present): 5.543 km |||||
| Formula One | 1:34.080 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari SF70H | 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix |
| GP2 | 1:45.066 | Sergio Canamasas | Dallara GP2/11 | 2016 Sepang GP2 Series round |
| GP2 Asia | 1:46.405 | Romain Grosjean | Dallara GP2/05 | 2008 Malaysian GP2 Asia Series round |
| A1GP | 1:48.550 | Neel Jani | A1GP Powered by Ferrari | 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Malaysia |
| GP3 | 1:51.520 | Antonio Fuoco | Dallara GP3/16 | 2016 Sepang GP3 Series round |
| LMP2 | 1:52.991 | Louis Delétraz | Oreca 07 | 2023 4 Hours of Sepang |
| Super GT (GT500) | 1:57.031 | Michael Krumm | Nissan GT-R GT500 | 2008 Super GT International Series Malaysia |
| MotoGP | 1:58.979 | Álex Márquez | Ducati Desmosedici GP22 | 2023 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix |
| Formula Renault 3.5 | 1:59.153 | James Grunwell | Tatuus FRV6 | 2008 Sepang Formula V6 Asia round |
| LMP3 | 2:00.525 | Josh Burdon | Ligier JS P3 | 2018 4 Hours of Sepang |
| Formula Regional | 2:01.151 | Yifei Ye | Tatuus F3 T-318 | 2019 2nd Sepang F3 Asia Winter Series round |
| World SBK | 2:03.637 | Tom Sykes | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 2016 Sepang Superbike World Championship round |
| GT3 | 2:03.659 | Christopher Haase | Audi R8 LMS GT3 EVO II | 2024 Sepang 12 Hours |
| Formula Renault 2.0 | 2:03.747 | Bruno Carneiro | Tatuus FR2.0/13 | 2019 1st Sepang Asian Formula Renault round |
| Lamborghini Super Trofeo | 2:04.695 | Afiq Ikhwan Yazid | Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo | 2017 Sepang Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia round |
| Formula Abarth | 2:05.765 | Taylor Cockerton | Tatuus FA010 | 2017 1st Sepang Formula Masters China round |
| Moto2 | 2:05.860 | Álex Márquez | Kalex Moto2 | 2019 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix |
| Super GT (GT300) | 2:06.594 | Kota Sasaki | Subaru BRZ GT300 | 2013 Super GT International Series Malaysia |
| 500cc | 2:06.618 | Valentino Rossi | Honda NSR500 | 2001 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix |
| CN | 2:07.113 | Kurt Hill | Ligier JS53 | 2017 2nd Sepang Asian Le Mans Sprint Cup round |
| Porsche Carrera Cup | 2:07.595 | Martin Ragginger [de] | Porsche 911 (991 II) GT3 Cup | 2019 Sepang Porsche Carrera Cup Asia round |
| 250cc | 2:07.597 | Hiroshi Aoyama | Honda RS250RW | 2009 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix |
| Formula 4 | 2:08.301 | Rashid Al Dhaheri | Tatuus F4-T421 | 2023 2nd Sepang F4 SEA round |
| World SSP | 2:09.178 | Kev Coghlan | Yamaha YZF-R6 | 2014 Sepang World SSP round |
| Formula Nippon | 2:09.302 | Richard Lyons | Lola B03/51 | 2004 Sepang Formula Nippon round |
| Ferrari Challenge | 2:09.394 | Philippe Prette [de] | Ferrari 488 Challenge | 2017 Sepang Ferrari Challenge Asia–Pacific round |
| LM GTE | 2:09.990 | Akira Iida | Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 | 2013 3 Hours of Sepang |
| Moto3 | 2:11.047 | David Alonso | CFMoto Moto3 | 2024 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix |
| Formula BMW | 2:11.139 | Richard Bradley | Mygale FB02 | 2010 1st Sepang Formula BMW Pacific round |
| Stock car racing | 2:12.234 | Jean Alesi | Speedcar V8 | 2008 Malaysian Speedcar Series round |
| 125cc | 2:13.118 | Álvaro Bautista | Aprilia RS125R | 2006 Malaysian motorcycle Grand Prix |
| Asian Formula 2000 | 2:14.410 | Parthiva Sureshwaren | Argo Formula Asia | 2000 Sepang Asian Formula 2000 round |
| N-GT | 2:14.461 | Hideo Fukuyama | Porsche 911 (996) GT3 R | 2000 TMTouch Japan GT Championship Malaysia |
| TCR Touring Car | 2:16.338 | Daniel Lloyd | Honda Civic Type R TCR (FK8) | 2020 3rd Sepang TCR Malaysia round |
| GT4 | 2:16.458 | Seita Nonaka | Toyota GR Supra GT4 Evo | 2023 Sepang GT World Challenge Asia round |
| Asia Productions 250 | 2:22.443 | Rheza Danica Ahrens | Honda CBR250RR | 2023 Sepang ARRC round |
| Super 2000 | 2:27.381 | Charoensukawattana Nattavude | Peugeot 306 GTi | 2000 Sepang ATCC round |
| Asia Underbone 150 | 2:32.953 | Syafiq Rosli | Yamaha Y15 ZR | 2024 Sepang ARRC round |

## Fatalities

* Marco Simoncelli – 2011 Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix
* Afridza Munandar – 2019 Sepang Asia Talent Cup round