SEPANG: Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix on Sep 30-Oct2 October at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC) will feature the prestigious GP2 and GP3 series as support races this year.
The Malaysian Grand Prix has been moved from March to October in the first rescheduling for many years. Both the GP2 and GP3 series are FIA-sanctioned talent development series designed to help young talents hone their skills and eventually compete in the Formula One
“We are delighted that our request to have the two prestigious racing series as part of the 2016 F1 race programme was approved by FOM (Formula One Management), the worldwide rights holder for the F1 World Championship Series,” said SIC chief executive officer Datuk Razlan Razali.
“SIC has pushed for inclusion of the GP2 and GP3 races in the F1 programme to inject further excitement to the event especially for local fans, and is also part of its continuous effort to further promote motorsports development in the country.
“We are incorporating the GP2 and GP3 series in the Formula One race for Sepang to emulate the success MotoGP has had with Moto2 and Moto3."
The GP2 series runs with a grid of 26 drivers from 13 teams. Competing in identical cars and using the same tyres as Formula One, GP2 provides close racing amongst the hugely talented drivers, providing unrivalled excitement for the spectators.
Since the start of the GP2 Series, more than 60 drivers have had the opportunity to drive an F1 car as a result of their time in GP2 with some becoming top F1 drivers like multiple world champion Lewis Hamilton and his Mercedes Petronas team-mate, Nico Rosberg.
Other big names include German Nico Hülkenberg, Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela), Sergio Perez, Romain Grosjean (France), Marcus Ericsson (Sweden), Felipe Nasr (Brazil), Alexander Rossi (USA), Scott Speed (USA), Kazuki Nakajima (Japan), Nelson Piquet Jr. (Brazil), Lucas di Grassi (Brazil), Sakon Yamamoto (Japan), Sébastien Buemi (Switzerland), Jerome d’Ambrosio (Belgium), Karun Chandhok (India), Heikki Kovalainen (Finland), Bruno Senna (Brazil), Timo Glock (Germany), Vitaly Petrov (Russia), Max Chilton (Great Britain) and Kamui Kobayashi of Japan.
Like GP2, the GP3 Series™, which was launched in 2010, is also a training ground for aspiring Formula 1 drivers. A stepping stone to the GP2, the series will gather a much younger pool of drivers.
In addition to single-seater, open-wheeled races, the Malaysian Grand Prix will also have its local flavour with the Malaysian Championship Series (MCS) included as a third support race.
Pitting the best of Malaysian drivers against top racers in the region, MCS will be hosting its third round at the F1 race. By this time, competition will be climbing to its climax with the top drivers and teams set to strengthen their position in the championship
SIC is also showcasing a family oriented event with exciting activities off track activities with the SIC Xtrack. This includes the ever popular drifting, karting, rally and ATV activities outside of the mall area which will also showcase an array of motorsport carnival for fans to enjoy.
Early bird tickets are ending 18 April 2016 with discount up to 20%. Ticket starts from as low as RM135.68 and SIC is offering various packages to suit the needs of the fans.