Bumper crowd expected this year because of two teams with Malaysian links
KUALA LUMPUR: This year’s Malaysian Grand Prix will start an hour earlier than the 2009 race, which was cut short by a tropical storm with a restart made impossible because of fading evening light at the Sepang circuit.
A MORE SUITABLE TIME: Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek (second left) launches the Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix 2010 in Kuala Lumpur. Also seen are former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad (second right), Petronas chairman Tan Sri Mohd Hassan Marican (right) and Sepang International Circuit chairman Datuk Mokhzani Tun Mahathir. The Mercedes GP Petronas Formula One Team car was also presented during Thursday’s ceremony. — Bernama photo
Last year’s start at 5pm local time was two hours later than the previous version, a move made to better serve the large television audience for Formula One in Europe.
Organisers and fans were left frustrated when a torrential downpour forced the race to be red-flagged after 32 of the 56 laps with Jenson Button awarded the win with half points.
Circuit chief executive Razlan Razali demanded a “more suitable time” for the race and he seems to have at least partly got his way with a start time of 4pm local announced at the official launch ceremony for the April 4 race.
Organisers are expecting a bumper crowd of 100,000 for race day because of the participation of two teams with Malaysian links — the new locally-backed Lotus and the Petronas-sponsored Mercedes teams.
With Mercedes having persuaded seven-time world champion Michael Schumacher to come out of retirement and drive for them, organisers expect a 40,000 rise in spectator numbers from last year.
“I expect a turnout of nearly 100,000 on the last day on Sunday. In the last edition, nearly 60,000 spectators turned up on the last day,” Sepang International Circuit chairman Datuk Mokhzani Tun Mahathir told Berna-ma.
The Sepang circuit has a capacity of 130,000. A total of 120,000 fans turned out over the three days of the Grand Prix last year, organisers said. — Reuters