Villeneuve's car rocketed into a side wall and debris from his car hit the marshal, who later died in hospital. Villeneuve walked away unhurt. Azmi Murad, boss of the Sepang circuit, where the Malaysian Grand Prix will be hosted for the third consecutive year since its inception in 1999, said training programmes had been put in place for all marshals and medical staff for the coming race. The way we operate this race is of world standard. In fact we have been voted twice the best track in the world.
People are very passionate about motor racing.
They know there are risks, even though we try to make the risks absolutely minimal. That's the way it is. Walker said the Queenslander had died because safety cables connecting the wheels to the body of the car had broken. The race was won by Michael Schumacher, who was joined on the podium by McLaren's David Coulthard and Schumacher's Ferrari team-mate Rubens Barrichello. But there was little post-race celebration as a mark of respect for the marshal.