2010 Malaysian Grand Prix – the F1 Fanatic unofficial race programme

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Last year's Malaysian Grand Prix saw close racing and a huge downpour

Have all the important information for this weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix at your fingertips with the F1 Fanatic unofficial race programme.

It includes a video lap of the Sepang circuit and all the data you need on the track, this weekend’s race and of course the F1 Fanatic Live Blogs.

The race

Malaysian Grand Prix preview – Sepang set for battle of the rain masters

F1 championship points after Australia – Fernando Alonso leads the drivers’ championship with 37 points. Team mate Felipe Massa is on 33 and Jenson Button is on 31. In the constructors’ championship, Ferrari lead McLaren with 70 points to 54.

2010 Malaysian Grand Prix discussion – For fans at the circuit this weekend.

The track: Sepang International Circuit

First used by F1 in 1999, the Sepang International Circuit was the first clean-sheet design by F1’s track designer of choice, Hermann Tilke.

It remains one of his most interesting designs with several high-speed corners in the middle part of the lap – particularly the switchback turns five-six and 12-13. The main start/finish area sees two very long straights connected by wide hairpins which often provide useful spots for overtaking, as does the sharp turn four.

The tricky, curved braking zone for turn 14 often provokes mistakes from drivers which can leave them vulnerable to rivals along the straights and into the final corner.

Sepang International Circuit – track information – The teams will use the hard and soft tyre compounds this year, as they did last year.

2010 Malaysian Grand Prix – Event information, session times, support races and more.

The weather

The weather is likely to be a big story this weekend – just as it was last year. Thunderstorms are forecast throughout all three days and we’ve seen downpours heavy enough to stop races before at Sepang – which is just what happened last year.

Malaysian Grand Prix weather forecast – More rain expected at Sepang.

Following the race live

We will be commenting live during all five sessions of the Malaysian Grand Prix. Here are the times for each session and the television broadcast schedule:

Malaysian Grand Prix TV & live blog times

Fairuz Fauzy

The Malaysian fans have a home driver to cheer for the first time in eight years. Fairuz Fauzy will drive for Lotus in the first practice session this weekend.

Fairuz Fauzy biography – Fauzy was previously a test driver for Spyker and finished second in the World Series by Renault last year.

Fauzy gets Lotus F1 debut on coin toss – He will take Heikki Kovalainen’s seat for the first practice session only.

2009 Malaysian Grand Prix highlights

It all went a bit wrong last year. At FOM’s request the race organisers moved the race start time as late as possible so the broadcast would be on at a more convenient time in F1’s biggest market places.

However that put the rain at greater risk of thunderstorms late in the day – which is exactly what happened. The race was red-flagged after 31 of the scheduled 56 laps and never re-started.

2009 Malaysian Grand Prix: Button wins again but rain stops play at Sepang – Button scored only half pointed for his win and Timo Glock deserved better than third after smart tyre choice in the rain.

F1 victim of own greed as Malaysian GP fails to go the distance after late start – “Local opinion should have been heeded, but it was ignored, because Formula One Management wished to start the race late to suit television audiences better.”

Previous Malaysian Grands Prix

2008 Malaysian Grand Prix – Raikkonen routs the opposition
2007 Malaysian Grand Prix – Alonso wins for McLaren
2006 Malaysian Grand Prix – Fisichella leads Renault one-two
2005 Malaysian Grand Prix – Alonso dominates at Sepang
2001 Malaysian Grand Prix – Downpour fails to stop Schumacher
1999 Malaysian Grand Prix – Controversy as Ferrari score one-two

Predict the pole sitter and top five finishers in the Malaysian Grand Prix for your chance to win F1 tickets, DVDs, books and more

2010 Malaysian Grand Prix

    Video courtesy of Red Bull

    Author information

    Keith Collantine
    Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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    10 comments on “2010 Malaysian Grand Prix – the F1 Fanatic unofficial race programme”

    1. The map shows Turn 14 as critical for overtaking. But I can not remember any overtaking in that corner.
      All overtaking is done in Turn 1 and 15.

      1. Like I wrote in the article (and as it says on the image) turn 14 is important because it can set up overtaking moves if the leading driver makes a mistake in the braking zone.

        But we do see some passes here – like Button on Alonso last year.

      2. The implication is it is critical to get 14 right to overtake on the straight down toward 15. Webber indicates as much on the video.

        1. LOL – late again – my bad

    2. The thing good about this circuit is that when it rains, their is a lot of overtaking because some drivers made the tyre switch at the right time.

    3. you can say whatever u want, but last year’s GP was relly cool and interesting

    4. sorry bob but i don’t think it was interesting at all but each to there own opinion. if i had paid for a ticket i would have been disappointed i was watching on tv and still felt ripped off not seeing a full race. well FOM shot themselves in the foot with the late race start the Malaysian weather patterns don’t change much. We will see this year, sure there is a good chance of it happening again.

      1. those six last laps were last 6 Spain GP worth

        1. I hope this year’s race will go beyond 75%

          1. I hope they will stop race until 75%, but later finish normally :)

    Comments are closed.