Nineteen Races at Sepang, One Shared Table

Malaysia hosted 19 Grands Prix at Sepang, and its food is a meeting of Malay, Chinese and Indian kitchens that every visitor can taste in a single breakfast.

Sepang has been Malaysia's first and only Grand Prix address. The Malaysian Grand Prix opened at the Sepang International Circuit in Selangor in 1999 and stayed on the calendar every year until 2017, 19 editions in all.

Alex Yoong became the first Malaysian to race in the championship, making 14 starts in 2001 and 2002, and he remains the country's only Grand Prix starter in our records. Caterham F1, a team our records place in Malaysia, raced from 2012 to 2014.

Malaysian cooking is a portrait of the people who make it. Malay, Chinese and Indian traditions sit side by side with the food of the Peranakan and Eurasian communities and of the indigenous peoples of Sarawak and Sabah, and centuries of maritime trade brought spices from Arab merchants and new ingredients from Portuguese, Dutch and British traders. Rice is the essential staple, noodles come in endless local versions, and coconut milk, chilies, tamarind and pandan leaves give the food its character. Many dishes are shared with Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand, and each cooks them a little differently.

Eating out is a way of life, from coffee shops to hawker stalls, and a single morning can offer nasi lemak, Chinese noodle soup or Indian flatbread with curry, which makes breakfast less a meal than a decision. A Malaysian race weekend at home might begin with nasi lemak and end with satay hot off the grill.

A taste of Malaysia

• Nasi lemak, Coconut rice with chili sambal and anchovies
• Rendang daging, Slow cooked dry coconut beef curry
• Satay ayam, Grilled chicken skewers with peanut sauce
• Mee goreng mamak, Spicy fried yellow noodles
• Asam pedas ikan, Sour and spicy tamarind fish stew
• Nasi ayam Hainan, Hainanese poached chicken with broth rice
• Jungle Bird, Rum, pineapple and bitter orange cocktail
• Teh tarik, Frothy pulled milk tea
• Sago gula melaka, Sago pudding with palm sugar and coconut

Circuits

• Sepang International Circuit

Drivers

• Alex Yoong
• fairuz fauzy