Malaysian F1 Grand Prix 2017: preview, timings and how to watch it on television

The 2017 Formula 1 World Championship arrives in Malaysia, for the last-ever running of a Grand Prix that has been held continuously since 1999. That was the year the Sepang Circuit was inaugurated, a track where the driver with the most wins has been Sebastian Vettel and where the German, Ferrari, hopes to start his comeback in the fight for the title.

Vettel, 28 points behind championship leader Lewis Hamilton, knows all about coming back from adverse situations, as in 2010 when he won his first world title after being as much as 31 points behind the leader (Hamilton too, curiously enough), or in 2012, when he cut 37 points from an Alonso who was then driving for Ferrari. A third comeback, however, looks complicated given Hamilton’s reliability (zero retirements) and the circuits still to come, all very much suited to Mercedes.

Malaysia leaves the F1 calendar after this 2017 GP

And the characteristics of Sepang suit the German team better than the Italian one. The Malaysian circuit, 5.5 kilometres long and over which drivers will have to complete 56 laps, is characterised by two long parallel straights and fast corners, where the Mercedes start with an advantage. Hamilton, however, has had no luck at this circuit in the last two years: in 2015 Vettel beat him to win his first victory with Ferrari, and in 2016 he retired with an engine problem that practically handed the title to Rosberg.

Ferrari, to counter the theoretical advantage of Mercedes, will bet on a more aggressive strategy, something that can be deduced from each team’s tyre choice. Another factor that could change the logical course of the race is the weather, always unpredictable, with heat and humidity guaranteed but the possibility of torrential storms that can come and go.

As for the Spaniards, there won’t be many novelties, since Carlos Sainz will continue as a Toro Rosso driver for this race, and not at Renault. Perhaps by the next one or the following GP we’ll see the Madrid native with his new team. Fernando Alonso, for his part, arrives without great prospects at a circuit where little can be expected from McLaren Honda, so his goal will be to steer clear of accidents and pray to finish a race without any mechanical problem.

Timings for the 2017 Sepang F1 GP

Because of the time difference, this weekend will mean getting up early to follow this Grand Prix. The last race, until further notice, at Sepang in Formula 1 has the following timings:

Friday 29 September

• 05:00 hours -> Free Practice 1
• 09:00 hours -> Free Practice 2

Saturday 30 September

• 08:00 hours -> Free Practice 3
• 11:00 hours -> Qualifying

Sunday 1 October

• 09:00 hours -> Race

You already know these are the timings for Spain, and that in our country you can watch Formula 1 on television on Movistar Plus or on Vodafone TV, with offers from 10 euros a month.