Stat Attack: Malaysia
Michele Merlino investigates the records and compiles the stats ahead of the Malaysian Grand Prix
Malaysia personal scoreboard
• Jenson Button has twice started on the front row in Malaysia (2006 and pole in '09). He scored his first F1 podium at Sepang in '03 claimed his first hat-trick of pole, win and fastest lap in '09. He has outqualified his team-mates 9-2 on this circuit, last losing out to one in 2001 (Giancarlo Fisichella)
• Lewis Hamilton qualified on pole and finished second in his first Malaysian Grand Prix in 2007, but has only started 12th and ninth and finished seventh and fifth since.
• Michael Schumacher holds the record for wins (three) and poles (five) at Sepang. In 2000 he led a Ferrari one-two to seal the constructors' crown for Ferrari. He was outqualified his team-mates 7-1 at Sepang, losing only to Rubens Barrichello in '05.
• Nico Rosberg has only scored one point in Malaysia, last year. He has a best qualifying at Sepang of third - on his first visit - and has always outqualified his team-mate here. He has also outqualified team-mate Schumacher in both races so far this year.
• Sebastian Vettel is yet to reach the finish in Malaysia and 13th on the grid last year - even with his 10-place penalty - is his best starting spot.
• Mark Webber retired from his first five Malaysian GPs, but has finished in the points in the last two. He recorded Jaguar's only front row start at Sepang in '04, which was also his own first front row.
• Felipe Massa has taken two poles in Malaysia (2007 and '08) but let victory slip away both times. He was eliminated in Q1 last year and finished out of the points when Ferrari made the wrong call on tyres. He best result at Sepang remains his fifth place in 2006, from the back of the grid following an engine change.
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Fernando Alonso took his first F1 pole in Malaysia in 2003 © LAT
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• Rubens Barrichello finished in the points last year after a four-year absence. He has finished second twice ('01 and '04) but has been outqualified by his team-mate 10 times out of 11.
• Nico Hulkenberg has raced at Sepang before, in A1GP in 2006, finishing first and second.
• Robert Kubica has retired twice from his three races in Malaysia, but finished second in 2008.
• Vitaly Petrov is another F1 rookie to have raced at Sepang before, winning GP2 Asia races at the circuit in 2008 and '09.
• Adrian Sutil has retired from two of his three Malaysian GPs and finished 17th in the other. He has been outqualified all three times by his team-mate.
• Vitantonio Liuzzi is yet to finish in the top 10 in Malaysia and has been involved in first-lap accidents on both his visits to date.
• Sebastien Buemi retired on his first F1 visit to Sepang last year, and also in both GP2 Asia races in 2008. He is yet to finish a race this year.
• Jarno Trulli has finished nine times out of 11 in Malaysia, though his only podium is a second place in 2005. He has been fourth for the last two years and hasn't been outqualified by a team-mate since 2003 (Alonso)
• Heikki Kovalainen scored his first F1 point at Sepang in 2007 and his maiden podium in '08.
• Karun Chandhok knows the circuit well, having raced at Sepang four times in a single month in Formula V6 Asia in 2006, and two further GP2 Asia outings in 2008.
• Bruno Senna, like team-mate Chandhok, has raced at Sepang in GP2, posting only a retirement and an eighth place.
• Pedro de la Rosa hasn't raced in Malaysia since 2002, which is his only finish at the track. He last drove the track in 2005 as a McLaren Friday tester.
• Kamui Kobayashi is another to have raced in Malaysia in GP2, winning an Asia Series race in 2008 and finishing second in one in '09.
• Timo Glock made his Sepang debut as a Friday tester at Jordan in 2004. He finished third last year, but was second when the red flag was shown before countback.
Team performances in Malaysia
![]() Robert Kubica finished second for BMW in 2008 © LAT
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• Ferrari is the most successful team at Sepang with five wins
• Force India has never finished in the top 10 in qualifying or the race
• McLaren last won at Sepang in 2007 and has never had a pole in Malaysia
• Red Bull's best result in Malaysia is sixth, with fifth its best qualifying showing.
• Renault was won the Malaysia GP twice, in 2005 and '06
• Toro Rosso has never qualified in the top 10 at Sepang. Sebastian Bourdais scored its only top 10 finish last year
• Williams finished in the points in Malaysia last year for the first time since 2005
The last four Malaysia GPs have been won by four different teams
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