Alex makes history as only Malaysian to start home Grand Prix
ALEX Yoong remains the only Malaysian to have started a home Grand Prix.
Driving for Minardi in 2002, he qualified in 22nd spot but was up in 14th position when he was forced to retire with gearbox issues.
With him starting on the grid, the attendance at the 2002 Malaysian Grand Prix rose from 80,000 the previous year to 92,000 spectators.
Even without Alex, the 2004 edition was just as well attended despite being held on March 21 – the day that Malaysians went to the polls for the 11th general election.
Over 84,000 spectators turned up on race day despite initial concerns that the election would affect turnout.
Michael Schumacher again won the race for Ferrari, with Juan Pablo Montoya coming in second for Williams-BMW. Jenson Button finished third for BAR-Honda.
The 2007 edition saw Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone sounding the alarm bells for the first time, saying that the Sepang International Circuit looked shabby and in dire need of a facelift.
“It’s difficult to maintain as it’s very big. It’s starting to get a little shabby and looks a bit tired,” he had said at that time, adding that the state of the circuit would affect the country’s reputation if it wasn’t improved.
Reigning world champion Fernando Alonso won the race from second on the grid with McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton finishing second. This marked McLaren’s first one-two finish since the 2005 Brazilian Grand Prix.
The Malaysian race was the first venue which saw two different tyre types used during a race. The softer tyre had a white stripe painted into its tread, thus helping spectators to better understand the race strategy of each driver.
The 2008 edition also attracted the highest number of spectators, with 126,690 present on race day.