After extensive renovations and tarmac resurfacing work at Sepang International Circuit (SIC) from February to May of last year, problems with drainage and water retention emerged at certain sections of the track during MotoGP tyre testing in July. Speaking to gpone.com, member of MotoGP Race Direction and former MotoGP racer Loris Capirossi said despite remedial works, problems arose during the previous MotoGP in October.
“Some work has been done in recent months, with additional drains added among other things, but unfortunately this hasn’t brought the desired results,” said Capirossi. According to the report, SIC already has a plan in place to remedy this issue, despite the renovations being part of an RM1.13 billion masterplan to upgrade the circuit over the next five to seven years.
Capirossi said work will begin in June and July. “First the asphalt will be subjected to a specific treatment already used on the runways at Kuala Lumpur International Airport with positive results,” he said.
“During August Franco Uncini and I will come here to check that the situation has been resolved,” continued Capirossi. Other measures that could be taken include full resurfacing of the track, although this would mean the circuit would not be ready for the Malaysian edition the MotoGP in October.
At the current moment, MotoGP riders and other racers will have to cope with time lost due to the existing situation, which could result in poor testing conditions. “For now there is no plan to make up for this lost time, but we are always ready to evaluate any request received from the teams,” Capirossi said.
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August? No problemo. Gerenti u no rain throughout the month so no drainage & water retention problem.
Ha ha ha john U are really funny. Since when U become the Raja Bomoh Sedunia ?? Some more can Guarantee/Gerenti no rain.
No you are funny, cause you can’t see the true problem of these complaint
He want to race as if that date of the race were on sunny day
Bad luck he choose the month where moonsoon season began
And complaint when it rain or wet
If these were done early like august where it less likely to rain on the day it would be better
But oh no it conflict with our summer race cause i want to see race on our backyard, not some stinking raining jungle 3rd world country
Get the point?
Mr Capirossi, If drainage & water retention is the problem, don’t have a race in the months of our monsoon season.
That will make life easier for Riders & Fans alike. I have a lot of respect for your riding skills & knowledge of our track.
Please have some consideration for us the fans too. Don’t we get to say in this instance. Unless you tell us your hands are tied bcos the Moto GP are run by politician & businessman who only cared/listen to the BIG sponsors who only have the bottom line at stake.
1.13b to be spend and no F1?
Still on until 2018…
You want race? Why not summer? No cause your want race in summer in your backyard? Then you want to race here? But want it like summer like your backyard? But why ask on our moonsoon season? Cause you rich and european can’t stand raining season? What moron complaint when you the one decide the date? When you know yourself every year we had moonsoon season on these date? Stupid old people
Same situation in football where we force to play to your time (for your convenience) and force us to watch your game at late night (at your convenience)
Don’t want wet and rain on track? Change the date
Don’t be a moron
I see this problem as natural because it doesn’t matter how much money you got you can’t just decide you are going to make a circuit and create a big event out of no where.
Sepang and Losail are these kind of projects that were planned just because we have the money too and we call pay mr Tilke and he is going to make it happen.
While this was happening problems were being created in other circuits that were used for decades (specially FIA) and all of the sudden weren’t good enough anymore. I lived in Japan for a year, it rains in august has it rains in October (approx. the same maybe October is even drier). I can’t believe that the Malaysian climate is that different…maybe similar to South Japan!?
Unfortunately for Malaysian tax payers the track is a never ending money hole. 1.3Billion for the next 7 years? I don’t know if this is true, read it in a F1 fan site. I think this might be a number rumoured to impress and not to get into that ackward situation in which everybody bashes the circuit. Specially media parrots that go on to sing every jingle with.
Still the track has drainage problems you can see that clearly on Marc Marquez crash in 2011. I didn’t saw this race and that might had something to do with tires set and everything but on the footage you can clearly see a huge water mirror on the track, that is not supposed to happen.
Just to remember that Simoncelli died on this track and while rain or drainage had absolutelynothing to do with it, the handling of the crash victim was not satisfying either. As a matter of fact it was badly handled otherwise there wouldn’t had been that much concern with the footage.