Malaysian Grand Prix

First included in the Formula One World Championship in 1999. The Malaysian Grand Prix is held at the hyper-modern facility at Sepang, Malaysia, near Kuala Lumpur. The 2003 event was held on the 23rd March. The venue is widely regarded as the standard setter for all other Grand Prix venues with palatial pit and press complexes, and spectacular grandstands. The circuit itself is 3.444 miles long and is noted for its sweeping corners and wide straights. It was designed, in common with other new facilities in Shanghai and Bahrain, by German designer Herman Tilke.

The five Malaysian Grands Prix have seen a good deal of action on and off the track, whilst the weather - furnace heat one minute, tropical storms the next - adds extra spice. The most notable Grand Prix at Sepang to date was the inaugural event in 1999. It saw Michael Schumacher return to the sport after his enforced absence due to the broken leg sustained at that year's British Grand Prix, dominating the race and handing the victory to title-hopeful team-mate Eddie Irvine, only for both Ferraris to be disqualified due to a technical irregularity, handing the title - until the steward's decision was over-ruled - to Mika Hakkinen.

Since 2001, the Malaysian Grand Prix has moved from the end of the schedule to the beginning, which has seen some topsy-turvy results as teams and drivers get to grips with their new equipment, with many races heavily influenced by the winners and losers of the scramble for position into the tight double hairpin bend at the first corner.

Winners

• 1999 - Eddie Irvine, Great Britain
• 2000 - Michael Schumacher, Germany
• 2001 - Michael Schumacher, Germany
• 2002 - Ralf Schumacher, Germany
• 2003 - Kimi Raikkonen, Finland