5 memorable moments from now discontinued Malaysian Grand Prix

With Malaysia deciding to discontinue Formula One race, we take a look back in history

KARACHI: On Monday it was announced by Malaysia’s tourism and culture minister that the country would no longer host Formula One race after the current agreement expires in 2018.

The decision came in the wake of declining ticket sales and television viewership, with Malaysia unable to meet the expenses of the Grand Prix.

This marks the end of an era in Formula One and we take a look back in history to share five memorable moments at the Sepang International Circuit.



1. The return of Michael Schumacher [1999]

The 1999 race was Malaysia’s first Formula One event and the return of seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher made it all the more better. Earlier on in the season, Schumacher had suffered from a broken leg during the British Grand Prix. However, even after missing six races, the German showed his prowess over his rivals when he returned to the competition and grabbed the pole position.

Schumacher would have won the race, but with no chance to clinch Driver’s Championship, he willing sacrificed his position in favour of Ferrari teammate Eddie Irvine. He slowed down thrice during the race to allow the Brit to take the lead, whilst blocking McLaren duo David Coulthard and Mika Hakkinen.

Irvine won the race with Schumacher coming second, but the drama continued after the race with both Ferraris disqualified due to an infringement on their bargeboards. Nevertheless, Ferrari appealed against the decision and both drivers were subsequently reinstated.


2. Iceman’s first win [2003]

Kimi Raikkonen won his first Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit in 2003, after making a debut two years earlier. Competing for McLaren, the Finnish racer started the race at seventh position on the grid. Still, his composure allowed him to win the event after he capitalised on the confusions and collisions during the start of the race.

Then McLaren chief Ron Dennis admitted to having to fight back his tears after seeing Raikkonen storm his way from seventh to first. “I can’t tell you how important it is for a driver to win his first Grand Prix and how much weight it takes off their shoulders,” he said after the race. “He really deserves it and it was a faultless drive.”

The race marked the first of 20 Grand Prix wins for the Iceman and he subsequently went on to clinch the Driver’s Championship in 2007 by a single point with Ferrari.




3. A tussle of teammates [2013]

The 2013 event witnessed another scare when four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel ignored team orders and defeated Mark Webber to win the Malaysian Grand Prix. The German was told via a multi 21 radio message to hold station behind his Red Bull teammate as Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg trailed at third and fourth place respectively.

Nevertheless, Vettel battled for first spot, making some aggressive manoeuvres which could have taken both racers out of the race. While Webber was seen flipping the finger to Vettel, Red Bull team principal Christian Horner was heard on the radio saying, “This is silly Sebastian, come on.”

Later, Vettel, in the post-race press conference, said, “I made a mistake, I’m not proud that I made it. If I had the chance to do it again, I would do it differently but it doesn’t count now.”

Another disagreement occurred between Rosberg and his team principal Ross Brawn on refusal to overtake Hamilton. Rosberg had repeatedly asked Mercedes to be allowed to pass his teammate, but Brawn replied, “Negative, Nico, negative.” And when Rosberg stayed close to Hamilton, Brawn ordered him to drop back.


4. ‘Ferrari is back’ [2015]

Vettel yelled “Ferrari is back” over the team radio as he clinched the Scuderia’s first victory in nearly two years in Malaysia in 2015. The race was Ferrari’s first win since the 2013 Spanish Grand Prix, ending a drought of nearly two years for the constructor.

However, in real terms it wasn’t just Ferrari that was back, Vettel was back too. The four-time world champion had failed to register a single victory during his difficult final season with Red Bull in 2014, last winning a race at the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix. Yet, in only his second race for the Scuderia, he claimed his 40^th overall win, and overwhelmed the dominant Mercedes team.

Speaking after the race, Vettel said, “Today is such a special day for me. I don’t really know what to say, I am speechless. It’s not only one childhood dream that comes true, it seems to be many dreams together.”




5. ‘No, no’ to Hamilton’s title hope [2016]

The action-packed 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix will be less known for Daniel Ricciardo celebrating his first win of the season, and more for denting Hamilton’s title hope due to engine failure. The Brit was leading the race with 15 laps to go when his engine exploded at the Sepang International Circuit.

“No, no,” was the cry from Hamilton as flames emerged from the back of his car, leaving Ricciardo to take the lead ahead of Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen.

Hamilton was almost in tears with his head in his hands after the dramatic end to his race, which dealt a severe blow to his chances of securing a third Drivers’ Championship in a row. He was all set to snatch back the lead from Rosberg, who finished third on the podium.

Mercedes non-executive chairman Niki Lauda said the team had “let down” Hamilton. “I am really upset,” he said. “We should not let him down with an engine failure. It was a fairly new engine, and it was not old in the car.”

Meanwhile, Rosberg took a 23 point lead over his teammate in Malaysia, which he extended to 33 points after winning the 2016 Japanese Grand Prix. However, currently his lead is reduced to 12 points with one race remaining.