Looking back at 10 iconic Formula 1 moments at Sepang Circuit

KUALA LUMPUR: Formula 1 will end a nine-year hiatus from the Sepang International Circuit when the venue plays host to the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia this week.

According to formula1.com, Sepang welcomed Formula 1 annually between 1999 and 2017, and was the location for a spree of iconic moments, including rain-lashed drama, controversy, and critical moments in championship battles. Let's take a look back at 10 of the most memorable moments from the Sepang International Circuit…

1999 — An eventful debut

Formula 1 had striven to add a second Grand Prix in Asia and Sepang's arrival in 1999 marked the first time a circuit outside of Japan had hosted a race.

The state-of-the-art purpose-built circuit immediately captured the attention for its high-speed sweeps, and there was added tension because of its inclusion on the schedule as the penultimate round of the season.

Michael Schumacher returned from injury and duly stamped his authority by scoring pole position by almost a second, but dutifully played the team game in the race to help Ferrari team mate Eddie Irvine triumph – aiding his title push.

Schumacher, in turn, held back Irvine's championship rival Mika Hakkinen, who finished third.

But both Ferrari drivers were excluded due to a bargeboard infringement, provisionally handing the win and title to Hakkinen. However an appeal was held several days later, at which Irvine and Schumacher were reinstated, and the title fight rolled on to Suzuka.

2001 — Chaos in the rain

Sepang's tropical climate means a thunderstorm is always a possibility, and one struck during the early laps of the race in 2001. The leading Ferrari drivers Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello both ran wide exiting Turn 7, bouncing across the grass and gravel, while new leaders Jarno Trulli and David Coulthard then spun when the rain intensified.

Legendary commentator Murray Walker boomed that at Sepang when it rains "it comes down not by the bucketful, but by the oceanful!"

Several other drivers came to grief while Ferrari's day worsened when a double stack pit stop cost them a minute due to a mix-up over the order of their drivers.

There was a chance for others to shine, most notably Arrows' Jos Verstappen, who surged through to run an unlikely second, before the circuit began to dry and normal order was resumed. Schumacher recovered to triumph, with Barrichello second.

2003 — F1's future stars shine

Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen made their Formula 1 debuts in 2001, and two years later Sepang proved to be a landmark event for both drivers.

Alonso, having spent 2002 as Renault's test driver, returned to a race seat in 2003 and marched to his maiden pole position at Sepang. In the process he became Formula 1's youngest ever polesitter at the time, but in race trim it was McLaren's Raikkonen who shone.

After a couple of missed chances to take his maiden win in 2002, Raikkonen grabbed the lead through the early pit stop phase and never looked back, taking his first Grand Prix victory by a margin of almost 40 seconds.

Alonso was leapfrogged too by Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello, but still scored his first podium despite battling a fever.

2009 — Button in the deluge

Formula 1's unpredictable nature in early 2009 was demonstrated in full at Sepang, with an eventful race cut short by a torrential downpour.

Nico Rosberg catapulted his Williams into the lead, but Jenson Button moved his Brawn ahead during the pit stop phase, before the rain arrived. Initially it was light, but it intensified, creating a treacherously slippery surface that caught out several drivers.

The race was suspended, during which time Felipe Massa was unforgettably told to "stay cool, Felipe baby" by engineer Rob Smedley upon requesting a different visor, while Kimi Raikkonen grabbed an ice cream from hospitality.

Looming darkness prompted the race to be called, giving Button the victory, ahead of BMW's Nick Heidfeld and Toyota's Timo Glock. It was later revealed that Button's Brawn had developed a mechanical issue that would have halted his car had the race been resumed.

2011 — Petrov Airways

Vitaly Petrov sprung a surprise at the opening round of 2011 when he scored a podium in Australia, profiting from the strong performance of Renault's early-spec R31.

Sepang was another solid showing, with Petrov running firmly inside the top 10 through Qualifying and the race, but a mistake in the closing laps proved terminal to his prospects. After running wide through the Turn 8 right-hander Petrov remained committed over the tarmac run-off, which became grass, and a bump pitched his R31 into the air.

Such was the force of the landing that the steering column mounting broke in his hands, and a bemused Petrov was left with no choice but to safely bring his car to a halt.

2012 — Checo's charge

Very few anticipated that the leading drivers at Sepang in 2012 would start from eighth and ninth on the grid, but while one was a two-time champion racing for Ferrari (albeit not in a great car) the other was a sophomore in a Sauber.

In a race halted during the early stages due to a torrential storm, Alonso worked his way to the lead, which he maintained through the switch to slick tyres.

But giving chase was Sergio Perez, who starred for Sauber, closing the gap to Alonso before doing it again after losing time through a later switch to slicks.

However, Perez went off on a damp patch, relinquishing critical time, and he had to settle for a still superb second place.

2013 — Multi 2-1

Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber had a tumultuous partnership at Red Bull and it came to a head at Sepang in 2013.

After the pit stops shook out in a wet/dry encounter at Sepang, Webber headed Vettel and Red Bull issued the order of 'Multi 21', instructing Webber and Vettel that they should maintain their positions.

But Vettel instead attacked Webber, running side-by-side along the pit straight, taking the lead before defending next time around. Vettel was warned by his engineer Guillaume Rocquelin, as well as team boss Christian Horner, but stayed ahead and went on to take victory.

"Multi 21, Seb," said an irate Webber prior to the podium ceremony that took place in an atmosphere best described as frosty.

2015 — Vettel's first in red

Ferrari endured an awful campaign in 2014 and for 2015 recruited Vettel, though little in Australia's opener suggested the team would be anything but a distant second-best to the runaway Mercedes squad.

But at Sepang, Vettel claimed a close second in a rain-hit Qualifying session, before profiting from a Safety Car period early in the race to claim a strategic advantage.

While Mercedes ran a three-stop strategy, amid struggles with tyre management, Vettel stopped twice, and it proved to be the superior approach.

The German went on to take victory — his first in red — thus emulating his hero, Michael Schumacher.

Further down the field, a 17-year-old Max Verstappen finished in seventh place, scoring his first F1 points.

2016 — Hamilton's fiery exit

Mercedes' intra-team fight between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg was to decide the title for a third straight year, with Sepang's race shifted back to October for the first time since 2000.

Rosberg led the standings by a mere eight points but Hamilton stormed to pole position and controlled proceedings, while Rosberg was pitched into a spin by Vettel at the first corner.

However, Hamilton suffered a fiery engine failure two-thirds of the way through the race and pulled off the circuit, before crouching despondently next to his stricken Mercedes.

Rosberg recovered to finish third in a race won by Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo.

2017 — A bizarre farewell

Formula 1 visited Sepang for the last time in 2017, and it was an entertaining affair, with Verstappen beating Hamilton to claim his second career victory.

Vettel recovered strongly from a Q1 mechanical failure by rising from 20th to fourth, limiting the damage in his championship battle against Hamilton, but the most striking incident occurred post-race.

Vettel and Williams rookie Lance Stroll collided, the faster Ferrari clouting the front-right of the Williams, causing damage to the left-rear of the four-time champion's car.

Vettel came to a halt and instead hitched a lift back to the pit lane with compatriot Pascal Wehrlein, perched on the side of the Sauber.