Date: Sunday, March 24
Start Time: 4 a.m. (ET)
Site: Sepang International Circuit (1999) -- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Track: 5.543 km (3.444 miles), 15-turn road course
Laps: 56
Miles: 192.887 (310.408 km)
Capacity: 133,000
Total purse:
Payouts:
Year: 15th
On TV: NBC Sports Network
Announcers:
On Radio:
Race record: Giancarlo Fisichella, 2006 (1 hr., 30 mins., 40.529 secs.)
Qualifying record: Fernando Alonso, 2005 (1 min., 32.582 secs.)
2012 Finish
Defending champion: Fernando Alonso
Runner up: Sergio Perez
Pole winner: Lewis Hamilton, 1:36.219
Top 10:
1. Fernando Alonso (Start: 8)
2. Sergio Perez (9)
3. Lewis Hamilton (1)
4. Mark Webber (4)
5. Kimi Raikkonen (10)
6. Bruno Senna (13)
7. Paul di Resta (14)
8. Jean-Eric Vergne (18)
9. Nico Hulkenberg (16)
10. Michael Schumacher (3)
Average speed: 112.969 kph
Time of race: 2 hrs., 44 mins., 51.812 secs. (rain delay)
Margin of victory: 2.263 secs.
Caution flags:
Lead changes:
Past winners
2012 Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 112.969 kph/2:44:51.812
2011 Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Renault, 190.699 kph/1:37.39.832
2010 Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Renault, 198.540 kph/1:33.48.412
2009 Jenson Button, Brawn-Mercedes, 182.919 kph/55:30.622
2008 Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 203.971 kph/1:31:18.555
2007 Fernando Alonso, McLaren, 201.893 kph/1:32.14.930
2006 Giancarlo Fisichella, Renault, 205.397 kph/1:30.40.529
2005 Fernando Alonso, Renault, 203.407 kph/1:31:33.736
2004 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 204.384 kph/1:31:07.490
2003 Kimi Raikkonen, McLaren, 201.629 kph/1:32:22.195
2002 Ralf Schumacher, Williams, 1:34:12.912
2001 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 1:47:34.801
2000 Michael Schumacher, Ferrari, 1:35:54.235
1999 Eddie Irvine, Ferrari, 1.36:38.494
Last race
Race: Australian Grand Prix (March 17)
Site: Albert Park Circuit -- Melbourne, Australia
Miles: 191.110 (307.574 km)
Laps: 58
Finish line order: Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso, Sebastian Vettel, Felipe Massa, Lewis Hamilton
Time of Race: 1 hr., 30 mins., 3.225 secs.
Average speed: 204.926 kph
Margin of victory: 12.451 secs.
Caution flags:
Lead changes:
Lap leaders:
Entry list
#1 Sebastian Vettel (Heppenheim, Germ) Renault/Red Bull
#2 Mark Webber (Queanbeyan, Australia) Renault/Red Bull
#3 * Fernando Alonso (Oviedo, Spain) Ferrari/Scuderia
#4 Felipe Massa (Sao Paulo, Brazil) Ferrari/Scuderia
#5 Jenson Button (Frome, England) Mercedes/McLaren Vodafone
#6 Sergio Perez (Guadalajara, Mexico) Mercedes/McLaren Vodafone
#7 Kimi Raikkonen (Espoo, Finland) Renault/Lotus
#8 Romain Grosjean (Geneva,Switzerland) Renault/Lotus
#9 Nico Rosberg (Wiesbaden, Germany) Mercedes/AMG Petronas
#10 Lewis Hamilton (Stevenage, England) Mercedes/AMG Petronas
#11 Nico Hulkenberg (Emmerich, Germany) Ferrari/Sauber
#12 Esteban Gutierrez (Monterrey, Mexico Ferrari/Sauber
#14 Paul di Resta (Livingston, Scotland) Mercedes/Sahara Force India
#15 Adrian Sutil (Starnberg, Germany) Mercedes/Sahara Force India
#16 Pastor Maldonado (Maracay,Venezuela) Renault/Williams
#17 Valtteri Bottas (Nastola, Finland) Renault/Williams
#18 Jean-Eric Vergne (Pontoise, France) Ferrari/Scuderia Toro Rosso
#19 Daniel Ricciardo (Perth, Australia) Ferrari/Scuderia Toro Rosso
#20 Charles Pic (Montelimar, France) Renault/Caterham
#21 Giedo van der Garde (Rhenen, Nether. Renault/Caterham
#22 Jules Bianchi (Nice, France) Cosworth/Marussia
#23 Max Chilton (Reigate, England) Cosworth/Marussia
Leading contenders
| Name | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernando Alonso | 7 | Won | 2 | Won | 8 | 11 | 13 | 6 | Won |
| Sergio Perez | 21 | 2 | |||||||
| Lewis Hamilton | 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 8 | 3 | |||
| Mark Webber | 20 | 16 | 19 | 10 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 4 |
| Kimi Raikkonen | 17 | 9 | 22 | 3 | Won | 14 | 5 | ||
| Sebastian Vettel | 18 | 15 | Won | Won | 11 | ||||
| Nico Rosberg | 21 | 19 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 12 | 13 | ||
| Jenson Button | 3 | 18 | 3 | 12 | 10 | Won | 8 | 2 | 14 |
| Felipe Massa | 8 | 10 | 5 | 5 | 19 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 15 |
Notes
This will be the 15th running of the Malaysian GP. The race made its F1 debut on October 17th, 1999, which was won by Eddie Irvine from Ferrari.
Fernando Alonso and Michael Schumacher, who retired from F1 for good at the conclusion of the 2012 season, hold the record for most victories in the Malaysian GP with three each. Alonso won this race in 2005, '07 and '12. Schumacher's victories came in 2000, '01 and '04.
Alonso has won this race with three different teams: Renault (2005), McLaren (2007) and Ferrari (2012).
Last year's Malaysian GP was stopped for nearly one hour due to heavy rain. Moments before the start of the 56-lap race, precipitation began falling on the 3.44-mile circuit. All drivers began with intermediate tires. After the fifth lap, race officials deployed the safety car for the torrential downpour. The event then came to a halt a few laps later. Just after pitting for a new set of tires, Alonso took over the lead, while Sergio Perez, who drove for Sauber last year, moved into second by lap 17. Alonso and Perez ran one-two from there on.
The race winner in the Malaysian GP has started on the pole position seven times. Sebastian Vettel most recently did it in 2011.
Jenson Button has competed in the Malaysian GP 13 times, which is more than any other driver. Button has raced in it each year from 2000-12.
Round 3 in the 2013 Formula One world championship is the April 14 Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. Nico Rosberg is the defending race winner.
Indy 500 fans will find track tighter this year
