Sepang F1 2011
Discussion
No doubt some on here <cough> berw/XJSJohn </cough> have some experience of this, but I'm popping my Sepang cherry this year and need some advice:
Getting there - fly, drive or bus (or train). What are the pros/cons of each?
Accomodation - stay in Sepang/Airport, or in KL. How easy/hard is it to get too/from the circuit by car/train?
Seats - seem cheap, but where is the best place to go for - was thinking of either pit lane or the South Grandstand?
Getting there - fly, drive or bus (or train). What are the pros/cons of each?
Accomodation - stay in Sepang/Airport, or in KL. How easy/hard is it to get too/from the circuit by car/train?
Seats - seem cheap, but where is the best place to go for - was thinking of either pit lane or the South Grandstand?
OK, I write about this every year so,
Where to stay, Sepang is about 5 Km from the nearest Hotels and that 5 Km includes the worst bit of the traffic, so it’s as easy to stay in KL, as near the circuit, so stay in KL, as there is nothing at the circuit hotels. Pan Pacific, Concorde Inn, or Nalai resort at the nearest if you are interested. KL has loads of hotels, the Hilton or Hyat at the station would be good if you do use the train otherwise any of the city hotels. There tends to be a street party around the bars in Jalan P Ramlee (Beach, Jungle Thai bar) so Concorde Shangri-La, Equatorial, Novahotel, Prince Court Mandarin Etc are all concienient.
How to get there, if you take a train then you need a shuttle bus or a taxi from the airport station, and so as above you still get the bad 5KM in the traffic, best bet is to get a KL Taxi for the day if there are a few of you, this is a good cost option, the Taxi will then meet you at the end of the race.
Bus may be a good idea but I’ve never tried it.
Leaving the circuit at the end of the race is a night mare, but no worse than anywhere else, there are no activities at Sepang so the chequered flag is the green light for everyone to drive home at the same time
Seats.
Main North Stand (Pit Side) good view of the pit but the lower seats have no view of the circuit as it is blocked by the pit buildings, so if you are in the west side to center you need to be in the upper level. Towards the round tower end (East) the pit building end and you can see turn 5 and 6 but not a clear view of the pits. There is normally a large screen at the exit end of the pit lane.
South Stands, Good view of turn 9 to 14, again the view is better higher up and towards the east end, but the screen is in the center and normally tilted toward the west end of the stand.
The Rotunda Tower (or whatever is called), good view if either the entry or exit of turn 15 (the hairpin) and turn 5 to 9 (5 to 7 on the North side, 7 to 9 on the South side).
K Stand at the end of the start finish straight, good view of the pit exit and turn 2 and 3 (the S’s at the end of the start straight), I think you need to understand turn 3 to enjoy it, of you go for an early apex it is incredibly steep and you risk locking the brakes, (on a bike it’s like looking down a cliff face).
G stand. Dependent which end you sit you can see down either the front or back straight, and turn 5 to 9.
The Grass C1 cheap but you can only see turn 7 to 9
C2 Cheap and you can see turn 9 to 14.
There is also a grassy area above turn 5 (D I think but I’ve never been there).
So you pays your money and takes your choice, there are no activities in any location other than the mall between the Main stands where there will be a few trade stands, and T shirt shops. And this is the big problem Sepang is about the race there are NO activates, no side shows, you turn up sit in the heat see the race and leave. I live 35 Km away run two cars in the Malaysian race series at Sepang love the place, but I don’t bother to go to the F1 race, better on the TV. Sepang is a great circuit to drive but as a spectator it is frankly awful, remember there is no history or tradition attached to this race it is a corporate event organized for corporate reasons and originates from a political ambition.
I would not recommend any one to travel to the Sepang race from Europe unless it is incidental to a longer holiday.
Where to stay, Sepang is about 5 Km from the nearest Hotels and that 5 Km includes the worst bit of the traffic, so it’s as easy to stay in KL, as near the circuit, so stay in KL, as there is nothing at the circuit hotels. Pan Pacific, Concorde Inn, or Nalai resort at the nearest if you are interested. KL has loads of hotels, the Hilton or Hyat at the station would be good if you do use the train otherwise any of the city hotels. There tends to be a street party around the bars in Jalan P Ramlee (Beach, Jungle Thai bar) so Concorde Shangri-La, Equatorial, Novahotel, Prince Court Mandarin Etc are all concienient.
How to get there, if you take a train then you need a shuttle bus or a taxi from the airport station, and so as above you still get the bad 5KM in the traffic, best bet is to get a KL Taxi for the day if there are a few of you, this is a good cost option, the Taxi will then meet you at the end of the race.
Bus may be a good idea but I’ve never tried it.
Leaving the circuit at the end of the race is a night mare, but no worse than anywhere else, there are no activities at Sepang so the chequered flag is the green light for everyone to drive home at the same time
Seats.
Main North Stand (Pit Side) good view of the pit but the lower seats have no view of the circuit as it is blocked by the pit buildings, so if you are in the west side to center you need to be in the upper level. Towards the round tower end (East) the pit building end and you can see turn 5 and 6 but not a clear view of the pits. There is normally a large screen at the exit end of the pit lane.
South Stands, Good view of turn 9 to 14, again the view is better higher up and towards the east end, but the screen is in the center and normally tilted toward the west end of the stand.
The Rotunda Tower (or whatever is called), good view if either the entry or exit of turn 15 (the hairpin) and turn 5 to 9 (5 to 7 on the North side, 7 to 9 on the South side).
K Stand at the end of the start finish straight, good view of the pit exit and turn 2 and 3 (the S’s at the end of the start straight), I think you need to understand turn 3 to enjoy it, of you go for an early apex it is incredibly steep and you risk locking the brakes, (on a bike it’s like looking down a cliff face).
G stand. Dependent which end you sit you can see down either the front or back straight, and turn 5 to 9.
The Grass C1 cheap but you can only see turn 7 to 9
C2 Cheap and you can see turn 9 to 14.
There is also a grassy area above turn 5 (D I think but I’ve never been there).
So you pays your money and takes your choice, there are no activities in any location other than the mall between the Main stands where there will be a few trade stands, and T shirt shops. And this is the big problem Sepang is about the race there are NO activates, no side shows, you turn up sit in the heat see the race and leave. I live 35 Km away run two cars in the Malaysian race series at Sepang love the place, but I don’t bother to go to the F1 race, better on the TV. Sepang is a great circuit to drive but as a spectator it is frankly awful, remember there is no history or tradition attached to this race it is a corporate event organized for corporate reasons and originates from a political ambition.
I would not recommend any one to travel to the Sepang race from Europe unless it is incidental to a longer holiday.
was planning on heading up myself, meant to last year and year before but was travelling each time, this year i should be OK.
Will drive up and suspect that SWMBO will not be interested so could be a spare seat there if you interested.
So the only dilemma is seats, I have been spoilt by the last 2 Singa GP's in that i have watched the racing in air con with free flow champers .... suspect that Sepang may be an exercise in Sunburn and dehydration!!!
I think we need to meet up for a few beers to plan this one out carefully
Will drive up and suspect that SWMBO will not be interested so could be a spare seat there if you interested.
So the only dilemma is seats, I have been spoilt by the last 2 Singa GP's in that i have watched the racing in air con with free flow champers .... suspect that Sepang may be an exercise in Sunburn and dehydration!!!
I think we need to meet up for a few beers to plan this one out carefully
From Sing it is OK and if you haven't been before it's worth it, but I would not come from Europe, like say I used to go to Germany just for the race weekend, there is no atmposphere at Sepang, and no suppot events.
If you fly make sure you allow plenty of time for the return to the airport after the race.
The support races are awfull, the problem is Sepang is so big and wide, that anything less than an F1 car just looks so slow, even things like the Porsches and AM's, so support racing is not worth watching and you just turn up, sit down see the FI car 54 times and leave.
There are no side shows, they used to have a few 'villeges' around the ground the stands with bars and trade stands, but they all pulled out as they could not sell enought to cover the rent charged by the F1 organisation.
Then they used to have a good drivers parde in vintage cars, but now they use a bus, so that a none event, and there was an air show, which did not have the European restrictions on flying over the crowd, so you had Migg really low overhead, but that stopped 3 years ago.
In KL the idea of an FI party is to hang up a poster in the bar.
If you fly make sure you allow plenty of time for the return to the airport after the race.
The support races are awfull, the problem is Sepang is so big and wide, that anything less than an F1 car just looks so slow, even things like the Porsches and AM's, so support racing is not worth watching and you just turn up, sit down see the FI car 54 times and leave.
There are no side shows, they used to have a few 'villeges' around the ground the stands with bars and trade stands, but they all pulled out as they could not sell enought to cover the rent charged by the F1 organisation.
Then they used to have a good drivers parde in vintage cars, but now they use a bus, so that a none event, and there was an air show, which did not have the European restrictions on flying over the crowd, so you had Migg really low overhead, but that stopped 3 years ago.
In KL the idea of an FI party is to hang up a poster in the bar.
Gassing Station | Asia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff