2006 MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX, SEPANG, PREVIEW
Hot on the heels of an encouraging start to the season in
Bahrain last Sunday, the Honda Racing F1 Team heads east across
the Indian Ocean to Malaysia for the second round of the Formula
One World Championship in Kuala Lumpur this weekend. Although
the season-opener may not have yielded the results the team
had hoped for, it did confirm the competitiveness of the Honda
package versus the competition, which leaves the team feeling
positive that there are better things to come in Kuala Lumpur
on Sunday.
The drivers' rigorous pre-season fitness training will certainly
pay dividends here as they contend with the fierce heat and
humidity. With track temperatures likely to reach 50°c,
and even hotter in the cockpit, the conditions are far from
ideal for the drivers but well suited to the team's RA106
race car and Michelin tyres.
Rubens Barrichello
"My first race for the team was disappointing so I hope
that Malaysia will be where my season really gets started.
The track is one of the best in terms of layout and I think
it will suit our package well. There are also some good overtaking
opportunities. Obviously it's one of the most physically demanding
races because of the heat and humidity but we're well prepared
for that. I think we will have a much better race here."
Jenson Button
"Having finished fourth at the Bahrain Grand Prix, which
is the highest position we've finished in at the first race
of a season, I am really looking forward to showing what we
can do at the next race. It's reassuring that we come away
from Bahrain knowing that we genuinely have the pace to compete
with the other top teams. Our car should work well at every
circuit this year but particularly at hot races like Malaysia
where the conditions are very well suited to our tyres.
"The Malaysian Grand Prix holds fond memories for me
because it is where I achieved my first podium in Formula
One. I enjoy racing there as it has a lot of quick, flowing
corners as well as some really fast straights. I think we
can expect another exciting race this weekend."
Gil de Ferran, Sporting Director
"After an encouraging start to the season in Bahrain,
we are hopeful of a good performance in Malaysia this weekend.
Certainly the Sepang circuit presents many challenges, this
being the second race on our new engines and with the very
high track and air temperatures we will encounter. However,
we believe that our car and tyres are suited to conditions
and we expect to be fighting at the sharp end of the field.
After a frantic first taste of the new qualifying format,
there is no reason to expect this next session to be any less
exciting, but we will definitely be applying lessons learnt
in Bahrain."
Shuhei Nakamoto, Engineering Director, Honda Racing
Development "The season-opener in Bahrain gave
us a clearer idea of our level of competitiveness compared
to the other teams. As we thought, the top teams are very
closely matched, and we will need to keep up a high rate of
development throughout the season. We will be targeting a
better result in Malaysia, to capitalise on the good race
pace Jenson showed in Bahrain."
The Sepang Circuit, Kuala Lumpur
Race Distance 56 laps
Circuit Length 3.444 miles (5.543 kms)
Designed by Hermann Tilke, the Sepang circuit is a visually
dramatic and beautifully equipped facility which has been
given much praise by teams and drivers alike since joining
the World Championship in 1999.
The demanding 15-turn, 5.543km track features a pair of parallel
straights plus a combination of low and medium-speed corners
that really test drivers. The surface is wide and smooth with
overtaking most likely to occur under braking for the tight
corners at the end of each straight. Sepang is regarded as
one of the most physically demanding tracks on the F1 calendar,
with the extremely high levels of humidity making the race
particularly demanding for drivers.
Sepang also provides wonderful spectator facilities, including
a unique "double-sided" 30,000-seat grandstand with
an unusual roof in the shape of a hibiscus - the national
flower of Malaysia.
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