Formula 1 returns to Sepang this week for the first time in nine years, with the Malaysian circuit hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. The last time F1 raced at Sepang was in 2017, when Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel were fighting for the Drivers’ Championship, Max Verstappen had just turned 20 and several of the drivers on today’s grid had yet to make their debuts.
Hamilton arrived in Malaysia leading the Drivers’ Championship, holding a 28-point advantage over Vettel with six races remaining. The title fight had taken a significant turn at the previous round in Singapore, where Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen and Verstappen were involved in a first-lap collision while Hamilton went on to take victory. Hamilton finished second ahead of Ricciardo, while Vettel recovered from the back of the grid to take fourth. Hamilton left Malaysia with his advantage in the standings increased to 34 points and would go on to secure his fourth Drivers’ Championship later that year.
The grid arriving at Sepang also looked very different to the one returning this week. Verstappen was partnered by Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull, Vettel and Raikkonen formed Ferrari’s line-up, and Fernando Alonso was racing alongside Stoffel Vandoorne at McLaren. Carlos Sainz was driving for Toro Rosso, and Pierre Gasly was making his Formula 1 debut with the team that weekend. Charles Leclerc also appeared in FP1 for Sauber, several months before making his Grand Prix debut in 2018. For Verstappen, there was another reason to remember the weekend, as he turned 20 on the Saturday before passing Hamilton to win the race the following day, taking the second victory of his career.
Away from the track, the world was a vastly different place. Sam Smith’s Too Good at Goodbyes was number one in the UK charts, Dua Lipa was climbing the charts with New Rules, and Harry Styles had released his first solo album. In cinemas, IT and Kingsman: The Golden Circle were among the biggest films, while Stranger Things still had just one season available on television. In sport, Real Madrid won the UEFA Champions League and La Liga with Cristiano Ronaldo claiming the Ballon d'Or, Roger Federer won the Australian Open and Wimbledon, and Usain Bolt brought his competitive career to an end in London.
Technology and fashion were also experiencing major shifts. Apple launched the iPhone X, orders for the Tesla Model 3 far outstripped supply, and the Nintendo Switch arrived on the scene. Meanwhile, Rihanna launched Fenty Beauty with 40 foundation shades, and Crocs surprisingly started to become trendy. Nine years later, some of the drivers, sporting stars, technology, fashion and pop culture may have changed, but one thing will be familiar this week as Formula 1 cars return to Sepang once again.
