Malaysian Grand Prix statfile

28 September 2017 12:54

Lewis Hamilton heads to the Malaysian Grand Prix on the back of a hat-trick of wins which have seen him move clear in the Formula One drivers' championship.

The Briton is now 28 points ahead of nearest challenger Sebastian Vettel and will be looking to extend his lead with another victory this time out.

The race in Sepang is likely to be the last in Malaysia as the country ends a 19-year association with F1 and here Press Association Sport looks at the key facts and figures ahead of the 15th round.

* Hamilton retired from the lead of the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix following an engine failure. That remains the Mercedes driver's only retirement from the last 30 races.

* Despite his recent string of successes, Hamilton has only tasted victory once in 10 of the Malaysian Grands Prix he has entered - in his title-winning year of 2014.

* Vettel has won just one of the last eight races following a promising start to the season. His victory in Hungary just about keeps him on the tail of Hamilton but he has also failed to finish on the podium in half of the Grands Prix in that time.

* Pierre Gasly has replaced Daniil Kvyat for the race weekend and the reigning GP2 champion will become the 72nd French driver to compete in an F1 Grand Prix when he takes to the track for Toro Rosso.

* Once the race is completed, only 18 circuits will have hosted more F1 Grands Prix than Sepang - although it is likely to fall down the list when it drops off the calendar from next season onwards.

* Kimi Raikkonen is the only driver to score his first-ever F1 victory at Sepang - it came during his time with McLaren in 2003.

* Ten different drivers have taken victory across the 18 F1 races hosted at Sepang. Vettel is the most successful with four wins.

* Jenson Button won a weather-shortened 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix on his way to the championship and the Briton holds the record for the number of appearances at Sepang having entered 17 races. McLaren's Fernando Alonso has the most of the current field with 15.

Venue: Sepang International Circuit

Circuit length: 5.543km/3.444miles

Laps: 56

Race distance: 310.408km/192.878miles

Lap record: 1min 34.223secs (Juan Pablo Montoya, 2004)

2016 pole position: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1min 32.850secs

2016 winner: Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull)

2016 fastest lap: Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) 1min 36.424secs

Number of corners: 15 (5 left/10 right)

Tyre compounds to be used: supersoft/soft/medium

Bumpiness: low

Overtaking chance: Primarily into turn 15, but also turn one

Engine severity: high

Brake wear severity: medium

Gearbox severity: medium

Winners from pole position since 2004: 9

Number of safety cars deployed since 2004: 3

Schedule

Friday, September 29

Free practice 1: 1100-1230 (UK time: 0400-0530)

Free practice 2: 1500-1630 (UK time: 0800-0930)

Saturday, September 30

Free practice 3: 1400-1500 (UK time: 0700-0800)

Qualifying: 17:00 (UK time: 1000)

Sunday, October 1

Malaysian Grand Prix: 15:00 (UK time: 0800)

Source: PA