Sepang International Circuit (SIC)

Introduction



The Sepang International Circuit is 5.5 Km. The Sepang Circuit is the most spectacular race circuit in the Eastern hemisphere. Built at a cost of US$120 million, the Sepang Circuit was fully completed in November 1998. Its first racing event taking place on the 12th December. The circuit actually consist of one circuit within another. The main race track being 5.542km & the other option being 2.805km. Some of the most spectacular features of the circuit are the smooth & sweeping chicane capable of negotiating at speeds in excess of 200kph. The fastest part of the circuit is the straight between T15 and T1 or usually known as the home straight. Speed can reach up to about 350kph. Spectators would be advised to wear ear plugs especially on the grandstands. The pits consist of many spectacular features such as built-in team office & conference area with the latest hi-tech gizmo.

In a typical F1 Grand Prix it runs for a total of 56 laps. The track has almost no gradients and includes two very long straights where speeds are in excess of 180 mph. The track is known as a car breaker and any car with a reliability problem will most probably not see the end of this race. There are many places for overtaking on this circuit and this often leads to very compelling racing. Being the best circuit in the World, its facilities are rated superb by drivers and experts.

The Sepang Circuit is located about 60km from the capital city of Kuala Lumpur and about 15km from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). The circuit is linked to the city & the airport with an excellent highway system. Traveling by road on the expressway will approximately takes about 40 minutes from the city to the circuit. Street signs are clearly visible on the highway.

Full Circuit Details:



Circuit Technical Data:
• Area: 90ha
• Track length: 5.542km (3.443 miles)
• Width: 16.00m
• Width at start- finish line: 16.00m
• Width at turn 1: 18.00m
• Width at turn 2: 20.00m
• Width at turn 15:. 25.00m
• Turns: 15 in total
• Left turns: 5
• Right turns: 10
• Straights: 8
• Longest straight: 927.543m (start - finish)





Gradient:
• Max rise: 6%
• Max fall: 5.625%

Gravel:
• Depth: 0.25m
• Quantity: 115,000 sqm
• Driver's Paddock: 60,000 sqm



Length: 5,542 meters
Min. Width: 16 meters
Surface: Tarmac
Turns: 15
Longest Straight: 927.543 meters
Area: 90 hectars





Pit Building Specifications:

Ground Floor:
• 350m length, 24m to 30m in width
• 30 pit garages each with an area of 8m wide, 24m deep
• 15 team rooms
• Photographers areas with lockers and 3 darkrooms
• 2 prayer rooms
• parc ferme enclosure 155m3
• Scrutineering Bay 155m3
• Storage area
• 2 tunnels for under circuit external access, 6m wide

Mezzanine Floor:
• Race Control Room, 64m2
• Time Keeping Room, 55m2
• 12 Offices, for the FIA and FOA
• 2 Conference Rooms
• Main Office Rooms
• Winners Podium
• Interview Room
• Media Centre (for approximately 600 journalists)
• Hospitality area with freight elevator

Second Floor:
• Royal Lounge and garden
• Further Hospitality area





Other facilities:

Medical Centre:
• A single-storey building equipped:
• X-ray room
• Facilities for patients with burns
• Doping control room
• Observation Room
• Laboratories
• Waiting Room
• Ambulance passage
• Office

Plant Building:
• This building houses all mechanical and electrical centralized monitoring systems for the building and circuit facilities.

Parking Bays:
• Over 18,000 parking bays are provided around the circuit.

Helipad:
• There are helipads at both ends of the Medical Centre and Plant Building.

Welcome Centre:
• The Welcome Centre serves as the main nerve center of the operational activities of the circuit. The two blocks (each 4-storey buildings) consist of a basement to store circuit equipment, first floor which has restaurant, bar, exhibition area and retail outlet facilities. It also contains various offices, classrooms, conference rooms and a mall that serves as a "bridge" to the Grandstand. The roof terrace is designed as a meeting and function area.



Spectator Areas:

Main Grandstand:
• The unique double frontage Main Grandstand, which accommodates 30,000 spectators, is equipped with numbered seats. It is devided into two sections; the North Wing and the South Wing, each with a Lower level and an Upper level.

Lower Level:
• 9 rows of seating
• 18 Corporate Boxes
• 11 retail outlets
• Toilets
• Prayer rooms

Upper Level:
• 5 rows of seating
• 18 Corporate Suites
• 42 Speaker cabins
• The Canopy Tower at the end of the Main Grandstand is a 3-storey tower with capacity for 1,100 spectators.

Natural Stands:
• There are 4 natural Stands situated around the Circuit. They can accommodate 100,000 spectators at any one time. Spectators will enjoy the racing thrills from any vantage point.





Points of interest:
Earthworks have included the movement of approximately 9,000,000m3 of soil approximately 10,000m2 of aluminium cladding was used 10,000 palm trees have been planted around the circuit and parking areas. SIC built their own asphalt and concrete plant plants along with a workers village, up to 2000 workers worked on the circuit at the same time.