17 replies to this topic

[HYMS]

Sepang’s Pangkor Laut Chicane Big Moments

Sepang’s Pangkor Laut Chicane (Turn 1 & 2) was named to a small island in West Malaysia. This first section is a bit Mickey Mouse, fiddly and rather pointless, as if the track designer was inspired by one of the snakes that lurks in the nearby jungle.

Since the very first edition of ‘The World’s Hottest Race’, Pangkor Laut Chicane has never failed to claim its victims for first-corner incident on the first lap of the race.

1999 – Giancarlo Fisichella & Damon Hill
Turn Two at Sepang’s Pangkor Laut Chicace claimed the first victims when Benetton’s Fisichella ran into the back of Jordan’s Hill , and as he tried to avoid the spinning Jordon, he hit it again and broke his suspension. He lost four laps in the pitstop but eventually came out to a classified finish at 11th place. Damon Hill was punted into retirement immediately after the incident and became a spectator as early as lap one.

2000 – Pedro Diniz, Nick Heidfeld, Pedro de la Rosa, & Jean Alesi
Prost’s Heidfeld and Arrow’s de la Rosa was an innocent victims of Sauber’s Diniz exuberance on the opening lap which lead them to an immediate retirement as all of their car was heavily damage from the collusion. Prost’s Alesi who was taking an instant action to avoid the collision between Heidfeld and Diniz, moved into the path of de la Rosa, who rode over his wheel and spun him. Fortunately for Alesi, no damage was to his car, he was able to continue and finished at 11th place.

2001 - Ralf Schumacher & Ruben Barrichello
Both drivers are still fresh with their own incident at Albert Park a fortnight before. Approaching to the first turn, Williams Schumacher, Ralf was on the outside of Ferrari’s Barrichello. He darted towards the Ferrari then brake late enough to be ahead as he turned in. But there was little room for manoeuvre and Barrichello was not backing off. He clipped the rear of the Williams and slowly rotated, rejoining at the back of the field. Barrichello went off at the same corner as Michael Schumacher before the rain and after the safety car period, he was at 10th place. He then clawed back to finish second while Ralf eventually finished fifth despite being dead-last after lap 1.

2002 – Juan Pablo Montoya & Michael Schumacher
The mother of all incidents at Pangkor Laut Chicane. The incident between Williams Montoya and Ferrari’s Schumacher, Michael had been a straightforward battle. Montoya forced to the outside and edged alongside & slightly ahead. Montoya turned in with Schumacher still alongside him, in which clipped off Schumacher’s left-front wing. The touched pushed Montoya out onto the dust & marbles. However, his FW-24 was fine, undamaged while Schumacher rejoined at the back of the pack after a 17.5 sec pitstop for a replacement wing. Montoya was awarded a drive- through -penalty for the first time in F1 history by the race stewards for that incident. His comeback was aided by a two-stop strategy that gave a car that could overtake easily. He finish second behind team-mate, Ralf. While Schumacher clinch third, after passing the unlucky Renault’s Jenson Button on the last lap.

2003 – Jarno Trulli & Michael Schumacher; Jos Verstappen, Antonio Pizzonia & Juan Pablo Montoya
Ferrari’s Schumacher aiming to keep Mclaren’s Coulthard at bay when reached at Turn 2. But an error of judgement by him, put his Ferrari on a crash course with Renault’s Jarno Trulli. The contact was made, and send the Renault spinning backwards. Schumacher was left to make an early pit for a new front wing and then penalized by the race stewards with a drive-through-penalty for causing an avoidable accident. Trulli restarted down in 13th as his car was undamaged.

Further back chaos erupted as Minardi’s Jos Verstappen could not avoid the rear of Jaguar’s Antonio Pizzonia who then taking-off the rear wing of Williams Juan Pablo Montoya who seem to have make a quick brake to avoid Schumacher/Trulli. All three were in for repairs and ruined their races. Montoya lost over two laps before rejoining.

Trulli managed to held-off Jenson Button for 5th place on the last lap while Schumacher managed to salvage 6th place. Montoya and Verstappen finished 12th & 13th respectively while Pizzonia failed to finish the race.


So, who will be the next victims at Pangkor Laut Chinace during this year edition of ‘The World’s Hottest Race’?


(Compiled from Autosport, F1 Magazine & F1 Racing)

[Tomecek]

great overview

[HYMS]

Originally posted by Tomecek
great overview

Thanks mate.

I have been keeping those story since 1999 and I hope this year the chicane will not claim any more victims.

[Tomecek]

Originally posted by HYMS


Thanks mate.

I have been keeping those story since 1999 and I hope this year the chicane will not claim any more victims.

Well, according to your calculation we can highly expect something interesting in first two corners

[100cc]

Originally posted by HYMS
This first section is a bit Mickey Mouse, fiddly and rather pointless

Nothing pointless about it imo . Like almost every single corner on the track the first section is extremely challenging. The second part(the left hander) is particularly good because of a very quick drop in elevation mid-corner.

[confucius]

I know I'm gonna sound like a dick for saying this, but I hate the first two corners when playing GP4!! I agree that they're "Mickey Mouse, fiddly and rather pointless". I think Sepang has a nice flow about it for most of the track, and the first corners wreck that flow.

That said, as HYMS' overview shows, it does provide for some "exciting" moments, but I can't help wondering if those two corners were put there to increase the chance for a first corner crash (i.e. more for the spectacle than "practical" reasons).

[molive]

I wish for a 2002 style JPMxMS clash, with RB collecting full points...

[eoin]

Originally posted by molive
I wish for a 2002 style JPMxMS clash, with RB collecting full points...

You what to see is RB allowed go for the WDC??
With RB luck he would be leading the final lap of the Brazilian and run out of fuel.... again

[CONOSUR]

Originally posted by HYMS
...I hope this year the chicane will not claim any more victims.

That's what it's there for, and the same goes for T1 in Shanghai and, to a lesser degree, Bahrain.

We no longer have tracks like Imola prior to the great chicaning of Tamburello and Villeneuve where the first real braking zone was Tosa. A full-braking T1 must now be placed at the end of the Start/Finish straight. It's not allowed to be a third of the way into the track anymore.

[fingers]

Originally posted by eoin


You what to see is RB allowed go for the WDC??
With RB luck he would be leading the final lap of the Brazilian and run out of fuel.... again

Oh my word I just tought imagine if Rubens is still in the championship hunt due to circumstances in his favour and he wins Brazil the last race this year and takes the championship !!! He'd never stop bouncing around the place knocking everything over I rekon he'd go insane I mean totally condemend to a mental institution

[100cc]

Originally posted by confucius
I know I'm gonna sound like a dick for saying this, but I hate the first two corners when playing GP4!! I agree that they're "Mickey Mouse, fiddly and rather pointless". I think Sepang has a nice flow about it for most of the track, and the first corners wreck that flow.

thats because you always go off there.

[HP]

Originally posted by confucius
I know I'm gonna sound like a dick for saying this, but I hate the first two corners when playing GP4!! I agree that they're "Mickey Mouse, fiddly and rather pointless". I think Sepang has a nice flow about it for most of the track, and the first corners wreck that flow.

You're right in there with the pros ;) Keep up the effort

[confucius]

I think I've clocked up enough K's on GP4 to qualify for a Superlicence.

(BTW, I never go off there actually. I always go off at the last corner leading onto the back straight ;) )

[The Vulcan]

The Pangkor Laut chicane is there to test the alertness of drivers and their driving ability in avoiding a crash!;) Let's see who the victims are on Sunday!!

[scheivlak]

Originally posted by HYMS

Further back chaos erupted as Minardi’s Jos Verstappen could not avoid the rear of Jaguar’s Antonio Pizzonia who then taking-off the rear wing of Williams Juan Pablo Montoya who seem to have make a quick brake to avoid Schumacher/Trulli. All three were in for repairs and ruined their races. Montoya lost over two laps before rejoining.

To be more precise: at turn 1 Verstappen touched Pizzonia after a rather optimistic attempt to pass on the inside. At the next corner, Pizzonia simply rammed into Montoya when JPM was trying to avoid the Trulli/MS chaos; even after that collision Pizzonia still had so much speed that he rammed Verstappen as well, resulting in rear wing damage for both Montoya and Verstappen.

[HYMS]

Sepang's Pangkor Laut Chicane

Friday, 2.34pm
19 March 2004

[Sir Frank]

I enjoyed your summary and pics very much

[HYMS]

As we seen/watched/read, there was no victims at Pangkor Laut Chinace during this year edition of ‘The World’s Hottest Race’. At last, it broke the records of 5 years consecutives incidents.

Have look at one of my personal favourite photo that I managed to capture during the race weekend.

Sepang's Pangkor Laut Chicane

Sunday, 7.30am
21 March 2004