#StatAttack: MotoGP™ in Malaysia

From Shah Alam to Sepang, check out some stats on racing in Malaysia. It could be useful come race day!

Before we fire up the engines for Sepang, here's a few things to know about racing in Malaysia as the 27th GP to be held in the country gets underway!

- The first Malaysian Grand Prix was held in 1991 and has taken place every year since, with three different venues having been used; Shah Alam, Johor and Sepang.

- The first Malaysian Grand Prix held at the Shah Alam circuit in 1991 saw a debut win in the premier class for John Kocinski riding a Yamaha.  Italian riders dominated the smaller classes with Luca Cadalora (Honda) winning the 250cc race and Loris Capirossi (Honda) the 125cc race.

- The Shah Alam circuit hosted the event for a total of seven years before the Malaysian GP went to Johor for a single year in 1998.  The first Malaysian GP to be held at Sepang was in 1999 and this will be the 19th time that Sepang has hosted the event.

- Honda have had five victories at the Sepang circuit in the MotoGP™ era, including for four successive years from 2012 to 2015 - three wins for Repsol Honda Team's Dani Pedrosa and one for teammate Marc Marquez. The first Honda rider across the line last year in Malaysia was Jack Miller EG 0,0 Marc VDS)  in eighth place.

- Yamaha have also had five MotoGP™ wins at Sepang, the last of which was with Valentino Rossi (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) in 2010.

- Ducati have taken four MotoGP™ victories at Sepang, including last year with Andrea Dovizioso. The win by Dovizioso last year was the first podium at Sepang for Ducati since Casey Stoner won the race in 2009.

- Sepang is Ducati’s equal most successful circuit, with the four wins prior to 2017 - equalling the number of victories for Ducati at Motegi and Phillip Island.

- The best result for Suzuki at Sepang in the MotoGP™ era is fifth in 2010 with Alvaro Bautista. Suzuki won the 500cc race at Sepang in both 1999 and 2000 with Kenny Roberts.

- For the last three years the rider qualifying on pole for the MotoGP™ race at Sepang has gone on to win the race.

- The most successful rider at the Sepang circuit is Valentino Rossi with six GP wins (1 x 500cc, 5 x MotoGP).  The next most successful, with five wins, is Dani Pedrosa (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 3 x MotoGP).

- The seven Moto2™ races that have taken place at Sepang have been won by six different riders: 2010 – Roberto Rolfo, 2011 – Tom Luthi, 2012 – Alex de Angelis, 2013 – Tito Rabat, 2014 – Maverick Viñales, and 2015 & 2016 – Johann Zarco.

- The five Moto3™ races that have taken place at Sepang have been won by five different riders: 2012 – Sandro Cortese, 2013 – Luis Salom, 2014 – Efren Vazquez, 2015 Miguel Oliveira and 2016 – Francesco Bagnaia.