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 Thursday, 15 May 2008 |
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Malaysian Grand Prix - 17-19 March 2006 - Preview |
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Written by Jeff Seabrook
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Thursday, 16 March 2006 |
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Munich/Hinwil, 12 March 2006. After the initial stocktaking at the season opener in Bahrain, there's no opportunity for the Formula One teams to catch their breath. The second of 18 races in the FIA Formula One World Championship - the "PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix" - is lined up for this coming Sunday, 19 March. The BMW Sauber F1 Team is looking forward to the home race of its main sponsor Petronas and bracing itself for the rigours of a race in tropical conditions.
On Tuesday and Wednesday prior to the PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix, drivers Nick Heidfeld and Jacques Villeneuve as well as BMW Motorsport Director Mario Theissen and Peter Sauber will have several PR appearances. For Wednesday, the 15th of March, interview sessions with the media is scheduled for 10:00 am at level 41 of Tower 1 of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. For further information please contact: Farah Aziz, Communication and Resource Management, Petronas Motorsports, phone +60 3 2331 3970 / +60 12 398 1145.
Nick Heidfeld:
"The Malaysian Grand Prix is unusual mainly for its high temperatures and extreme humidity. Basically I don't have a problem with that. Last year I started from tenth place and made it onto the podium - for me it was one of the most exciting races ever. I had some tough duels and a lot of fun. We have experienced some incredible cloudbursts in Sepang, but I can live with that as I basically enjoy driving on a wet track. So far, I've managed quite well in Malaysia whatever the conditions. I also know the country quite well by now. To get acclimatised I have often taken a brief holiday there before the race, and there has also been plenty on the Petronas agenda - that's Malaysia's oil and gas company, who were also our sponsors back in the years when I was driving for Sauber. When you see the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, you get some idea of how important this company is for the country."
Jacques Villeneuve:
"Malaysia will be a very busy grand prix for the BMW Sauber F1 Team because it's the home race of our main sponsor Petronas. The track is quite interesting and physically very demanding because of its long high-speed corners that generate high lateral g-forces. All this takes place in high ambient temperatures with an extreme humidity, which means that you really need to be physically well prepared. I am confident for the race
Robert Kubica:
"Sepang is another circuit I don't yet know, but after the positive experiences in Bahrain I hope I'll have this race track sussed just as quickly. My aim is, of course, to support the team as best I can, and it will be important for me to clock up plenty of laps and run through the planned schedule completely. The Bahrain race weekend has demonstrated very clearly that it is important to gather extensive data already on the Friday. I have never driven in such an extreme climate as in Malaysia, and so I will also gain valuable experience in that respect. I can't wait to see Kuala Lumpur, and especially the Petronas Twin Towers that I've heard so much about. It's going to be another interesting weekend for me in many ways."
Mario Theissen, BMW Motorsport Director:
"Having taken initial stock following the first race of the season, we are now looking forward very much to visiting the home of our main sponsor Petronas. There can't be many cities as closely associated with a company as Kuala Lumpur, watched over as it is by the Petronas Twin Towers. As part of its Asian strategy the BMW Group has raised its involvement in Malaysia, which includes a sales subsidiary, a parts distribution centre and an IT centre. In Sepang the engines have to put up with huge thermal loads, and fuel temperatures also rise to critical levels. Every team prepares for the heat with extra or larger engine air-cooling intakes in the sidepods as well as apertures in the form of slits, flues or exhaust vents. The aerodynamics and engine experts always have to aim for a compromise."
Willy Rampf, Technical Director Chassis:
"Sepang is an interesting track with a good mix of slow corners that require optimum grip and fast sections demanding maximum stability. Turns 9 and 11 in particular are tricky, with drivers braking into the corner with heavy lateral g-forces. It means you have to take great care with the car's set-up, which requires a lot of work on the electronics. As a result of the lower output of the V8 engines, the aerodynamic settings have taken on even greater importance. The two long straights allow an opportunity for overtaking, so you have to find the right compromise between sufficient downforce and an optimal top speed. The combination of fairly abrasive asphalt and high temperatures means the tyres are subject to extreme loads."
History and background:
This is the eighth time that Formula One stops off at the Sepang circuit. The extensive, modern race track designed by German architect Hermann Tilke is about half an hour's drive south of the city of Kuala Lumpur.
Kuala Lumpur was founded in the middle of the jungle by tin miners in 1857. Under British rule, the Malay Sultanates formed the Federation of Malaya in 1896 with Kuala Lumpur as its capital city. In 1957 Kuala Lumpur became the capital of the newly independent country.
Kuala Lumpur translates as "muddy estuary" due to its location at the mouth of the rivers Gombak and Klang. "KL", as the city is generally referred to today, is the pulsating hub of modern Malaysia. The capital is also the country's biggest city with a population of around 1.5 million (52 percent Chinese, 39 percent Malay, 6 percent Indian, plus other minority groups) living in an area of 244 square kilometres. KL offers vibrant Asian culture alongside British colonial architecture and famous high-tech edifices such as the Petronas Twin Towers in the city's "Golden Triangle".
With their 88 storeys, the Petronas Twin Towers soar above the city skyline. They are the tallest twin towers and the seventh-highest structure in the world and home, among others, to the Petronas Philharmonic and Petronas Performing Arts Group.
A week after the start of the Formula One season, Formula BMW Asia also launches into 2006. As part of the support programme of the Formula One event in Sepang, aspiring young racing drivers from Asia and Oceania will measure up against each other in small Formula race cars built by BMW. One young driver in the running to win against his home backdrop is Aaron Lim: the 20-year-old Malayan made it into third place in last season's final Formula BMW race in Shanghai. The first two of 19 Formula BMW Asia races take place on Saturday at 16:45 hrs and Sunday at 11:00 hrs.Only registered users can write comments.
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