Safety changes made to Malaysian F1 circuit
Safety changes made to Malaysian F1 circuit
KUALA LUMPUR (Agencies): Course modifications are under way to
improve safety for drivers in the Malaysian Grand Prix, the
second event of this year's Formula One season, organizers said
on Thursday.
Haji Basir Ismail, chairman of the Sepang International
Circuit, told a news conference ahead of the March 18 race that
curbs were being moved back at turns five and six "to enhance
safety for the drivers."
"We are also pushing back the guard rails at turns seven and
15 by between two and five meters in order to provide larger run-
off areas for the drivers," Basir said.
A half-dozen cars crashed out of the 2000 race, though none of
the drivers was seriously injured. The included veteran Johnny
Herbert of Britain, who was in his last Formula One race, driving
for Jaguar.
The modifications should cost less than 1 million ringgit
(US$260,000) and are considered minor compared to extensive
changes made last year at the circuit, next to Kuala Lumpur
International Airport.
The ultra-modern circuit, which hosted its inaugural Grand
Prix in 1999, is a symbol of avid motorsports enthusiast Prime
Minister Mahathir Mohamad's dream of making Malaysia a fully
developed country by 2020.
This year's race will be held after the Australian Grand Prix
and comes just five months after Sepang hosted the final race of
the 2000 season, won by Ferrari's German ace, Michael Schumacher.
The race completed the Italian racing team's capture of both
the driver and constructor categories for the first time since
1979.
Basir said that the Paris-based International Automobile
Federation, the governing authority of Formula One, had judged
the Sepang circuit the "most beautiful" for 2000.
About 10 percent of the 90,000 tickets that organizers hope to
sell have already been purchased, Basir said. Aggressive
marketing campaigns were under way to attract foreign and
Malaysian fans.
Organizers hope to ease traffic jams that plagued spectators
on race day last year by better publicizing public
transportation.
In Valencia, Spain, McLaren's former world champion Mika
Hakkinen was quickest in testing for the second consecutive day
here Wednesday, leaving Williams' new hotshot Juan Pablo Montoya
in the shade.
The two-time Finnish world champion scorched around the
Ricardo Tormo circuit, clocking a best time of 1min 13.828sec
after 89 laps, well ahead of Montoya's 1:13.421.
Montoya is being touted as the bright new hope of F1 racing
after switching from CART racing.
But it was a black day for Jaguar and star driver Eddie
Irvine. Irvine, the 1999 runner-up in the drivers' championship,
followed up his fourth-fastest performance in Tuesday's test
session by spinning off and damaging his car.
Results
1. Mika Hakkinen (Fin) McLaren-Mercedes 1:13.828 (89 laps)
2. Juan-Pablo Montoya (Col) Williams-BMW 1:14.421 (104)
3. Marc Gene (Spa) Williams-BMW 1:14.907 (57)
4. Giancarlo Fisichella (Ita) Benetton 1:15.197 (50)
5. Ralf Schumacher (Ger) Williams-BMW 1:15.334 (71)
6. Alexander Wurz (Aut) McLaren-Mercedes 1:15.391 (50)
7. Jos Verstappen (Ned) Arrows 1:15.391 (109)
8. Eddie Irvine (Gbr) Jaguar 1:15.661 (59)
9. Jenson Button (Gbr) Benetton 1:16.136 (70)