As Formula 1 prepares to return to the Sepang International Circuit for the Bahrain GP after a nine-year hiatus, McLaren’s Lando Norris expects a chaotic weekend shaped by high-speed straights and demanding battery management strategies.
Formula 1 returns to Malaysia this weekend after a nine-year absence. The sport now visits the Sepang International Circuit under the Bahrain Grand Prix title.
Formula 1 looks very different since its last trip to the track, with the sport now in the first year of a new regulation cycle.
Battery deployment plays a massive role in wheel-to-wheel racing this season. Energy-hungry tracks have delivered action-packed overtakes, and Norris expects more of the same at Sepang.
He sees strong parallels to the high-speed drama at Monza.
“Honestly, I think next weekend [in Malaysia] will be pretty chaotic in terms of racing because of the straights and corner setup that you have there,” Norris said.
“So next weekend you’ll see, in some ways, a similar vibe to Monza in some ways.”
More than half of the current grid did not race at Sepang during its last F1 appearance in 2017.
Norris joined the grid two years later, but the circuit is not entirely unfamiliar to him.
“I’m excited for it,” he said. “I’ve seen many races of it when I was younger.
“I remember doing sim support for Fernando and Stoffel when they raced there many years ago. I remember going into the factory at midnight, or whatever stupid time it was, and driving until 7 AM just to support the guys.
“So it’s not like I’d say completely new to me, but it’ll be a first time going to the circuit itself, which is exciting.”
Despite his eagerness, the McLaren driver admitted the new energy management rules could dull some of Sepang’s legendary flow.
“The only thing that’s not exciting is because you have no battery. The two high-speed corners that should be high-speed, you run out of battery,” Norris explained.
“That takes away a little bit of the character that I think you should have at such an incredible track.
“Otherwise, it’s a new place, and I’m looking forward to another new challenge.”
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