2015 Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix Preview

Round two of the 2015 Formula One World Championship takes us to Kuala Lumpur’s Sepang International Circuit, a Hermann Tilke-designed track that was first in the spate of modern tracks in emerging markets for the sport. It opened in March of 1999, and since then it’s been a permanent fixture on the F1 calendar as the venue for the Malaysian Grand Prix.

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It stretches 3.4 miles and is one of the toughest of the year due to harsh weather and track conditions. Ground temperatures can exceed 122 degrees F (50 degrees C) during the hottest part of the day, which combined with a rough track surface and numerous fast corners means tire degradation is quite severe. As a result, Pirelli has nominated its tougher Medium and Hard compounds for the race.

The circuit is also an interesting technical challenge for the engineers, who need to maximize the trade-off between aerodynamic grip through the track’s fast corners and straight-line speed. And then there’s the tropical rain to look out for, with the current forecast predicting scattered thunderstorms for Sunday’s race.