MALAYSIA: KUALA LUMPA PREPARES FOR FORMULA ONE MOTOR RACING ON ITS SEPANG RACE TRACK
Record ID:
647208
MALAYSIA: KUALA LUMPA PREPARES FOR FORMULA ONE MOTOR RACING ON ITS SEPANG RACE TRACK
- Title: MALAYSIA: KUALA LUMPA PREPARES FOR FORMULA ONE MOTOR RACING ON ITS SEPANG RACE TRACK
- Date: 13th March 2001
- Summary: KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA (MARCH 13, 2001) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. FORMULA ONE BANNER IN FRONT OF KUALA LUMPUR CITY CENTRE'S PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS 2. PULLOUT VIDEO GAME SIMULATION OF THE SEPANG F1 CIRCUIT 3. WIDE REDBULL SAUBER PETRONAS TEAM BOOTH AT KUALA LUMPUR CITY CENTRE SHOPPING MALL 4. PAN REDBULL SAUBER PETRONAS F1 CAR 5. WIDE TOURISTS ADMIRING REDBULL SAUBER PETRONAS F1 CAR 6. PEOPLE BUYING TICKETS FOR PETRONAS MALAYSIAN F1 GRAND PRIX 7. PETRONAS MALAYSIAN F1 GRAND PRIX BILLBOARD 8. ENTRANCE TO SEPANG F1 CIRCUIT 9. WORKERS UNLOADING EQUIPMENT FOR PETRONAS MALAYSIAN F1 GRAND PRIX 10. VARIOUS WORKERS FIXING BOOTHS FOR GRAND PRIX 11. WIDE WORKERS AT SEPANG F1 CIRCUIT 12. WORKERS MOVING IN FLOATS AT F1 CIRCUIT 13. WIDE WORKERS IN FLOATS AROUND F1 CIRCUIT 14. WIDE SEPANG F1 CIRCUIT CORNER 15. ZOOM SEPANG F1 CIRCUIT MARSHAL OUTPOST 16. TYRE BARRIERS AT F1 CIRCUIT 17. MARSHAL OUTPOST 18. FENCING AND BARRIERS AT F1 CIRCUIT 19. WIDE SEPANG F1 CIRCUIT 20. PAN RACE MARSHALS BRIEFING 21. LOCAL RACE MARSHALS AT BRIEFING 22. PORTUGUESE MARSHAL BRIEFING LOCAL MARSHALS 23. MARSHALS AT BRIEFING 24. CUTAWAY 25. (SOUNDBITE) (Bahasa Malaysia) RACE MARSHAL SHARIDAN OSMAN SAYING: "The safety aspects around the circuit include high barriers and armco railings. The distance between the track and the position of the marshals is another safety feature as it is about 50 metres away from the track." 26. SEPANG F1 CIRCUIT OFFICIAL DISPLAYING CIRCUIT MAP 27. SEPANG F1 CIRCUIT MAP 28. WIDE SEPANG F1 CIRCUIT GENERAL MANAGER AZMI MURAD SPEAKING TO PRESS 29. REPORTERS AT PRESS CONFERENCE 30. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SEPANG F1 CIRCUIT GENERAL MANAGER AZMI MURAD SAYING: "We have marshals here and we also have very professional marshals to help us in managing the race and we have experienced local marshals as well to assist so plus the training that is given to them, we hope things will go on smoothly and there are no untoward incidents." 31. PEOPLE BUYING F1 TICKETS FROM BOOTH 32. WIDE TICKET COUNTER AT SEPANG F1 CIRCUIT 33. SEPANG F1 CIRCUIT BILLBOARD Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 28th March 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
- Country: Malaysia
- Reuters ID: LVA75O3OPG7VCMXOIOG8SX01S19B
- Story Text: Malaysia's Sepang F1 circuit is faced with close
scrutiny of it's safety measures following the death of a race
marshal at the Australian Grand Prix and a fall in ticket
sales, as it prepares for the race this weekend.
Following the accident in Melbourne at the first race
of the season, Sunday's (March 14) Malaysian Grand Prix is
under pressure to ensure safety for officials and spectators.
The accident in Australia involved Jacque Villeneuve's car
in the fifth lap at high speed hitting into a concrete wall.
Safety fencing and the impact ripped off all the wheels and
showered debris across the track.
One wheel, which broke free of the tethers that link it to
the chassis, punched through a small window in the fence and
hit 52-year-old marshal Graham Beveridge in the chest.
He was the second Formula One marshal to die in five
races. Both men were hit by debris from accidents.
Malaysia is hosting Grand Prix for the third year and is
also contending with a fall in sales of tickets.
With only a few days to go before the race, the Malaysian
promoters have sold less than one-third of the 94,000 tickets
printed. The enthusiasm of corporate sponsors also seems to
have waned over the past two years, and the event's organizers
are bracing for a huge loss.
Racing teams and sponsors are revving up the interest by
setting booths and displaying the awesome racing machines in
shopping malls across capital Kuala Lumpur.
Fans are crowding the booths to have a feel of the F1 cars
and try out the Sepang F1 circuit simulation to win raceday
tickets and other prizes.
Preparations are taking place at the track for safety
checks to fencing, tyre barriers, chicanes and gravel track to
ensure they are good order, and the circuit management have
put up marshal outposts in secure and safe areas.
Race marshal Sharidan Osman explained that the marshals
are ready and safety features are adequate.
"The safety aspects around the circuit include high
barriers and armco railings. The distance between the track
and the position of the marshals is another safety feature as
it is about 50 metres away from the track," Sharidan said.
In briefings to the press, Sepang F1 Circuit general
manager Azmi Murad has stressed that they have taken all
precautions for the race.
"We have marshals here and we also have very professional
marshals to help us in managing the race and we have
experienced local marshals as well to assist so plus the
training that is given to them, we hope things will go on
smoothly and there are no untoward incidents," he said.
The FIA are expected to approve a move this month to raise
safety fences by a metre at all Formula One circuits. A new
electronic warning system, to replace flag marshals, is due in
2002.
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