Button about Sepang track

Designed by Hermann Tilke, the Sepang International Circuit is a visually dramatic and beautifully equipped facility which has been given much praise by teams and drivers alike since joining the FIA Formula One World Championship in 1999.

The demanding 15-turn, 5.543km track features a pair of parallel straights plus a combination of low and medium-speed corners that really test the drivers. The surface is wide and smooth with overtaking most likely to occur under braking for the tight corners at the end of each straight.

“Sepang has some great opportunities for overtaking,” confirms Jenson Button. “Turn one is a good chance, along with the right hander at Langkawi and the left hander at Berjaya Tioman. For a really quick lap, you need a car which is aerodynamically sound but with the least drag possible. Too much front end grip will lose you a lot of time in turns five and six.”

Sepang is also regarded as one of the most physically demanding tracks on the F1 calendar with the extremely high levels of humidity making the race particularly tough. The circuit provides wonderful spectator facilities, including a unique “double-sided” 30,000 seat grandstand with an unusual roof in the shape of a hibiscus – the national flower of Malaysia.