Only Half of Formula 1 Drivers Have Sepang Racing Experience

Next week, Formula 1 returns to Malaysia's Sepang International Circuit, which will host the Bahrain Grand Prix. This marks the championship's first visit to Kuala Lumpur since the last Malaysian Grand Prix in 2017.

Since then, the grid has changed considerably, with only half of the current Formula 1 drivers having any prior racing experience at the track. Ten of them have competed in the Malaysian Grand Prix, while Charles Leclerc participated in a GP3 Series round at the Malaysian circuit in 2016, securing a third and a fifth place in the feature race and sprint, respectively. A year later, the Monegasque driver took part in the first free practice session in Kuala Lumpur with the Sauber team.

The other current grid drivers who have raced at Sepang include Lewis Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Valtteri Bottas, Esteban Ocon, Nico Hülkenberg, Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll, Carlos Sainz, and Pierre Gasly, who made his Formula 1 debut during the sport's last visit to Malaysia. Among these ten drivers, Hamilton, Verstappen, and Alonso have all claimed victories at Sepang, while Perez secured a podium finish in that memorable 2012 race, where he battled for the win with Sauber.