F1's return to Sepang International Circuit has been confirmed, with the venue set to host the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia from 2 to 4 October, forming a triple header with Azerbaijan and Singapore.
It will be the first time the sport has raced at Sepang since the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix, the final round of a contract that had been in place since 1999.
That farewell weekend in October 2017 produced one of the most memorable races of the season. Max Verstappen took a dominant victory for Red Bull, Lewis Hamilton secured second to extend his championship lead ahead of Daniel Ricciardo, and Sebastian Vettel charged from last to fourth before a bizarre cooldown-lap collision with Lance Stroll.
Nine years on, the championship will look and feel radically different when the cars fire up in Malaysia again. New regulations, new power units, new teams.
But remarkably, 10 drivers on the current grid were also on the grid at Sepang in 2017.
Charles Leclerc, too, was on track that weekend. The Monegasque driver, still a few months from his F1 debut, drove Marcus Ericsson's Sauber in FP1, setting the 16th-fastest time in the session and outpacing regular driver Pascal Wehrlein.
It was one of four Friday practice outings Leclerc completed with Sauber that year before securing a full-time race seat for 2018.
Pierre Gasly, meanwhile, made his F1 debut at that very race. The Frenchman had been drafted in by Toro Rosso to replace the struggling Daniil Kvyat, fresh from winning the 2016 GP2 Series title and racing in Super Formula in Japan. He qualified P15 and finished P14 on his maiden outing, the beginning of a career that now spans nearly a decade.
Check out all 10 drivers who raced in the last Malaysian Grand Prix below!
The 10 drivers who raced when F1 last visited Malaysia
| Driver | Current team | Team at 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix | Finishing position in that race |
|---|---|---|---|
| Max Verstappen | Red Bull | Red Bull | P1 |
| Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | Mercedes | P2 |
| Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | Mercedes | P5 |
| Sergio Perez | Cadillac | Force India | P6 |
| Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | Williams | P8 |
| Esteban Ocon | Haas | Force India | P10 |
| Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | McLaren | P11 |
| Pierre Gasly | Alpine | Toro Rosso | P14 |
| Nico Hülkenberg | Audi | Renault | DNF (Lap 31) |
| Carlos Sainz | Williams | Toro Rosso | DNF (Lap 29) |
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