Malaysian GP. Track analysis and Repsol drivers records

The Sepang circuit according to Toni Elias
‘The worst thing here are the high temperatures, making the riders and the bikes suffer a lot’.
 This race is characterised by a fast pace and riding in group. Lapping behind his teammate, Fonsi Nieto, Toni Elias managed to finish runner-up of the Malaysian Grand Prix last year. Due to team orders, Elias did not fight with his teammate for the victory, taking second after a spectacular and unforgettable race. Toni describes the Sepang Circuit as one of the most beautiful circuits of the World Championship and adds: I like this layout a lot and I think that Im very good on it, although well have to wait and see how things work out in this race. Sepang is a circuit with long straights where the power of the motorbike is very important. It also combines some of the slowest corners of the championship with some very fast ones. Its always nice to race on a track like this and I personally consider it very amusing. The worst thing here are the high temperatures, making the riders and the bikes suffer a lot. The track has good asphalt and grip, but the heat makes the tyres slide a lot and thats always a problem. When we race here, its raining almost every afternoon, but the strong heat has the advantage that once it stopped raining the track dries up completely in half an hour. Although the facilities are perfect one of the best of the World Championship with regard to circuit and tribunes – the truth is that there arent many fans around and thats a pity. The venue of the GP in detailLocated around 60 kms from Kuala Lumpur, the modern Sepang circuit is one of the best of the world and also one of the most demanding. Built in 1998 as part of an enormous complex, which also houses a hotel, a golf course, a shopping centre and other sports facilities, the Sepang circuit was built in less than fourteen months and its facilities comply with the highest international standards. Sepang hosted its first Grand Prix in 1999 and its been since then part of the World Championship calendar. With five slow left-hand corners and ten right- hand corners, the 5548 m track includes also a subtle chicane allowing to reach very high speeds. Its eight straights, the longest having a total of 927 m, are particularly favourable to overtaking manoeuvres, thus guaranteeing a great show. The Sepang circuit has a capacity for up to 100,000 spectators, and the double grandstand on the two longest straights of the track allows following the riders evolution on the track. Races on the Sepang circuit, with one of the longest layouts of the championship, are usually held under intense heat and high humidity, usual weather conditions in October, adding extra difficulty to the event. Official website:http://www.malaysiangp.com Repsol drivers in Malaysian GP 2002MotoGP: Valentino Rossi: Practice: (8th) 2´05.188. / Carrera: (2nd) 44´02.134. / Fastest lap: 2´05.116.250: Fonsi Nieto: Pole: 2´08.067. / Race: (1st) 43´28.624. / Fastest lap: 2´08.858. Toni Elías: Practice: (3rd) 2´09.017. / Race: (2nd) 43´29.036. / Fastest lap: 2´09.253.125: Dani Pedrosa: Practice: (3rd) 2´14.075. / Race: (3rd) 40´33.001. / Fastest lap: 2´13.925. 2003 season, all results Repsol driversAll season results and overall standings. Click on ‘Download document’ option on top right side of this page (Pdf format).