JPM's lap of Sepang
Almost time to race again! The F1 teams are making ready in Malaysia for the Malaysian Grand Prix this weekend. Juan Pablo Montoya of the McLaren Mercedes Team took us for a ride on the Sepang International Circuit that will host this weekends Malaysian GP.
Juan Pablo Montoya "Crossing the start line at the Sepang circuit, you reach a speed of 306km/h in sixth gear on the long pit straight before braking dramatically for the tight complex, which incorporates a downhill gradient. The right-hander is taken at 78km/h in first, with your speed dropping slightly for the left turn that follows immediately.
As the track is fairly wide at this point of the track there are often good opportunities for overtaking under braking. Accelerating out, the track leads to the long right-hander of turn three that sweeps you round onto a short straight.
Pushing hard on the throttle, you reach some 251km/h in fifth gear before braking sharply, dropping down to 110km/h in second for the tight right-hander of turn four. On the exit, you quickly flick up through the gears as you approach the flowing left of turn five, which is negotiated at 232km/h in fifth gear.
The tighter right of turn six follows and requires a slight touch on the brakes, bringing your speed down to 216km/h in fourth.
Another quick sprint along a short straight comes next, at speeds of 275km/h, on the approach to the two right-handers of turns seven and eight.
Turn seven is taken at 180km/h, the slightly more open turn of eight sees your speed increase by 10km/h. As you exit the corner, you continue to push hard on the throttle along the straight that leads to the very tight turn nine.
Braking hard as you enter the complex at the back of the circuit, the left-hander, is negotiated in first gear at 76km/h.
On the throttle as you exit, you build and maintain your speed through the long, right-hander of turn ten, reaching some 193km/h in third gear.
Turn eleven, a 90-degree right-hander is taken at 139km/h. Another short burst of power takes you to turn twelve. Keeping your speed through the corner, you then dab the brakes, dropping to 222km/h in fourth for the slower right hand of turn thirteen. Flicking down 2 gears, the sharp right of turn fourteen swings you round almost 180-degrees at some 107km/h onto the straight that runs parallel to the start-finish straight, separated by the massive grandstand.
Powering along the straight and 310km/h in sixth, you then brake sharply to negotiate the hairpin of turn fifteen, at 85km/h in second, which flips you back onto the start-finish straight to begin another lap."
