Formula One is in Malaysia - 22, 23, 24 March

Well, whaddayaknow, Formula One (F1) season is here again! Kicked off in Australia last week, this week, the circuit hits Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur to be exact. The flagoff at Sepang International Circuit (SIC) is due in about four-and-a-half hours just as I am writing this.

Sebastian Vettel stormed to pole position at the qualifiers yesterday at showery Sepang. Malaysian weather is quite unpredictable, with sunshine one hour, storm the next. F1 had to be halted a few years ago due to extremely bad weather. To be exact, the year was 2009 because of torrential rain, the race was declared over after 31 laps.

F1 attracts tourists wherever it is held. If you are planning to visit Malaysia during the F1 weekend, make your hotel booking early, like months ahead, or suffer the consequences of having to pay something like three times the normal hotel rate or worse, find yourself without accommodation.

If you are collecting merchandise, head on over to the Sepang International Circuit where booths are set up with exclusive merchandise for sale.

For fans, a number of exhibitions are being set up around KL in various malls and shopping complexes.

From The Star..
Meanwhile, Petronas Dagangan Bhd (PDB) is organising the Petronas Xtrack at the SIC open car park from 9am to 3pm today and tomorrow.

The exhilarating Xtrack, which is free for the public, houses activities such as All Terrain Vehicle rides, rally, drift and go-karting. There will be prizes up for grabs too.

At the Concorde Inn KL International Airport’s Melting Pot Cafe, enjoy an F1-themed barbecue dinner.

Closer to the city centre, there are several F1 related activities and promotions taking place.

Race cars used in 2005, 2010, 2011 and 2012 are on display at the Ferrari Roadshow at Mid Valley Megamall.

The roadshow held on the ground floor of the Centre Court will end tomorrow.

Exclusive F1 merchandise from McLaren, Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes AMG Petronas are on sale.

Over at Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, the public can feast their eyes on the latest Spring Summer Collection at the Pitstop fashion runway showcase featuring brands such as Oroton, Bread & Butter, Bebe and Shinju Pearls.

Remember to also check out the Caterham One Team exhibition which is being held until tomorrow at the mall’s Bukit Bintang entrance with race cars and various merchandise on display.

For concert-lovers, American hard rock band Guns N Roses will take to the stage at the SIC helipad area once the 56 laps are over. This is for this evening. The concert is free and open to all grandstand ticket-holders and hillstand ticket-holders who upgrade their tickets.

For those in KL, you can catch a series of live performances at the Twin Towers@Live 2013 concert. The concert will be held at the entrance of the Petronas Philharmonic Hall at 5pm. Yesterday was Day 1 of the concert. Backstreet Boys performed last night so not sure if they'll be performing again tonight.

The concert is free for all in the general public zones.

Next stop: Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai..12-14 April

Btw, here's a look at the results so far, courtesy of Google..

All images (except the last one) are from: formula1.com

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso won the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix

If you were in the city the past week and have noticed that the malls and shopping complexes were rather crowded with foreign visitors, there was a good reason why. Formula One was in Kuala Lumpur over the weekend. All 5-star hotels would have been booked months ahead and Formula One roomrates apply.

SEPANG, (Reuters): Ferrari's Fernando Alonso won the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday ahead of Sauber's Sergio Perez in a race that was stopped for 51 minutes as officials red flagged the race after just eight laps due to torrential rain at the Sepang circuit.

Pole sitter Lewis Hamilton finished third for the second race in a row in his McLaren with Red Bull's Mark Webber behind him in fourth.
More..The Star..Ferrari's Alonso wins Malaysian Grand Prix

Vettel wins Malaysia Formula 1 Grand Prix

SEPANG: Red Bull driver

Sebastian Vettel won the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday, giving the German back-to-back wins to open the season.

The pole sitter led throughout to win by 3.2 seconds from McLaren's Jenson Button, with Renault's Nick Heidfeld hanging on for third.

McLaren Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain , left, and Red Bull Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel of Germany, right, speak during the driver's parade prior to start the Malaysian Formula One Grand Prix in Sepang, Malaysia, Sunday, April 10, 2011. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) - 10 April, 2011

More pictures at The Star Gallery

Source: The Star

Blue skies and Rain of a different kind

Oh good! We are having blue skies today. It hasn't been like this for more than a week or so already. There was a bad electrical storm on Apr 5, followed by the same weather the following day though to a lesser extent. Here is how it is today. Just took this picture a few minutes ago.

I hope the weather stays this way throughout the day. Concert organizers of the Twin towers @LIVE 2011 would wish for this too. The same for concert-goers, I am sure. I was told it was drizzling last night. Were you there?

By the way, Rain will be performing at the F1 post-race concert at Sepang on April 10. It will be open for free for all Grandstand ticket holders of the 2011 Formula 1 PETRONAS Malaysian Grand Prix; but those with Hillstand tickets will need to top up by RM138 to catch the superstar’s performance. For more details, check out v4tickets.com.

Have a wonderful day ahead, everyone!

Related article:
F1: 50,000 tickets snapped up

Formula One Red Bull demo along Jalan Bukit Bintang tomorrow

If you happen to be in the city tomorrow afternoon, you may want to head on over to Jalan Bukit Bintang for a never-before Formula One street demonstration by David Coulthard of Red Bull, i.e., if you are an F1 enthusiast, enjoys loud noise and don't mind being in a crowd of 50,000 (the expected number of people).

The performance area will be along the stretch of Jalan Bukit Bintang, starting from The Westin hotel and Pavilion to the Jalan Sultan Ismail junction after Lot 10.

In conjunction with this event, Jalan Bukit Bintang from Jalan Raja Chulan junction to Jalan Sultan Ismail turnoff will be closed to traffic from 2.30pm to 4.30pm. You can either go to the city early to secure parking or park way off and walk to the site. Just don't get caught in the jam of cars detouring.

Btw, the Malaysian Grand Prix will be from April 8 to 10 in Sepang. For visitors, if you haven't got hotel reservations yet, you would have a hard time securing one and that too at three times the usual rate.



Source: The Star

Of Blue skies and Malaysia Formula One Grand Prix Results

Today promises to be another glorious sunshiny day, that is, if you enjoy days of blue skies and hot, hot sun. Here, see what I mean.. clear blue sky with just a smattering of white clouds that look like wisps of candy floss floating by.

Yes, the weather in Kuala Lumpur can be like this at best.

Yesterday was just as nice, probably more suited for Formula One races as the sun was milder thus cooler for an outdoor sport like F1 racing, I read that under hot conditions, drivers endure cockpit temperatures above 40°C. In the process, they could even lose about 3kg in weight.

Okay, who won in the Malaysian F1 Grand Prix in Sepang? It's a 1-2 finish for Red Bull with Sebastian Vettel (Ger) taking first place, his first win of the season after disappointing finishes in the previous two races.

Mark Webber (Aus) came in second while Nico Rosberg (Ger) of Mercedes made it to the podium on third. Lotus made it to 17th with Jarno Trulli while his partner, Heikki Kovalainen, was not classified being 10 laps behind. Michael Schumacher was also not classified, retiring at lap 9.

Next race: Shanghai (Apr 16 - 18).

For pictures, go to 2010 FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX

Formula One Malaysia - Sepang, Apr 2 - 4

I wondered if it rained at Sepang during the Formula One practice session this afternoon. It was dry. At last year's Formula One, the races had to be called off one hour after it started and by the time the rain stopped, it was too late to resume.

Lesson learned, this year's Formula One has been scheduled to begin at 4pm instead of the usual 5pm just so that it will still be bright enough to resume should there be a repeat of the heavy downpour of last year.

McLaren's Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in Friday's opening practice for the Malaysian F1 GP. Clocking in a time of one minute, 34.921 seconds, he was the quickest around the Sepang circuit, just under two-tenths of a second faster than Nico Rosberg of Mercedes, who set his best time on his last lap.

Their respective teammates, Jenson Button of McLaren and Mercedes' Michael Schumacher, were third and fourth fastest in the qualifying session.

Malaysia's own Lotus Racing's Fairuz Fauzy (picture below) was 22nd while his teammate Jarno Trulli was 19th.



You can read more about the F1 qualifying round on The Star but let's just take a look at the standings at the end of today's session:

Practice results Friday for Sunday's Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix at the 5.543-kilometer (3.444-mile) Sepang circuit with driver, country, car, fastest lap time and laps completed:

First Session

1. Lewis Hamilton, Britain, McLaren, 1 minute, 34.921 seconds, 19 laps.

2. Nico Rosberg, Germany, Mercedes, 1:35.106, 19.

3. Jenson Button, Britain, McLaren, 1:35.207, 25.

4. Michael Schumacher, Germany, Mercedes, 1:35.225, 14.

5. Robert Kubica, Poland, Renault, 1:35.402, 22.

6. Mark Webber, Australia, Red Bull, 1:35.479, 22.

7. Adrian Sutil, Germany, Force India, 1:35.955, 20.

8. Fernando Alonso, Spain, Ferrari, 1:35.959, 20.

9. Sebastian Vettel, Germany, Red Bull, 1:36.043, 19.

10. Sebastien Buemi, Switzerland, Toro Rosso, 1:36.100, 20.

11. Felipe Massa, Brazil, Ferrari, 1:36.451, 22.

12. Kamui Kobayashi, Japan, Sauber, 1:36.503, 28.

13. Jaime Alguersuari, Spain, Toro Rosso, 1:36.645, 18.

14. Vitaly Petrov, Russia, Renault, 1:36.712, 9.

15. Paul di Resta, Britain, Force India, 1:36.891, 25.

16. Pedro de la Rosa, Spain, Sauber, 1:36.899, 24.

17. Nico Hulkenberg, Germany, Williams, 1:37.802, 27.

18. Rubens Barrichello, Brazil, Williams, 1:38.278, 18.

19. Jarno Trulli, Italy, Lotus, 1:39.460, 21.

20. Timo Glock, Germany, Virgin, 1:39.755, 17.

21. Lucas di Grassi, Brazil, Virgin, 1:40.159, 25.

22. Fairuz Fauzy, Malaysia, Lotus, 1:40.721, 19.

23. Bruno Senna, Brazil, Hispania, 1:41.832, 27.

24. Karun Chandhok, India, Hispania, 1:41.966, 24.


So, will you be there on Sunday?


Source: The Star

Fever Pitch - Formula One & Grand Malaysia Sale

As Kuala Lumpur revs up with preparations for the Formula One races from April 3 to 5, department stores in Malaysia are singing a similar hot tune.

The Grand Malaysia Sale is back and promises to be as attractive as the Mega Sale (in July) if not more. Until April 5, major department stores are offering up to 70% discounts.

Here is a rundown of department stores as borrowed from The Star:

Tangs
Coming from the south of the border, Tangs is really big in Singapore and has received a similar welcome on our shores. Their “Sale or Nothing” is bound to set hearts aflutter and wallets a-flapping with great discounts at its store in the Pavilion.

Metrojaya
Somerset Bay, Living Quarters and East India Company are some of the house brands that Metrojaya offers. It’s latest outlet is at The Curve in Mutiara Damansara.

Debenhams
Coming onto our shores the second time around, Debenhams is now housed at The Curve and is set to bring in the best of England’s fashion and products. It retails Red Herring and Maine New England, which are Debenhams’ popular housebrands and this is a good season to get items on your wish list at great discounts.

Isetan
This department store operates only in the capital city and offers many quality items for less during the sale. Its stores are at Suria KLCC, Jalan Ampang; Lot 10, Bukit Bintang; and at The Gardens, Mid Valley City, off Jalan Syed Putra.

Parkson
During this grand sale, there will be pockets of promotions targetting several departments within the store, namely the Home Fair on March 12-22; and The Leather Mania sale, which ends on March 15. Their stores are located at all major cities and towns nationwide.

Sogo
Having just celebrated their 15th Anniversary, Sogo is the favourite department store for middle class families with their good sales and strategic location on Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, right in the heart of the capital city.

The Store
The Store is appealing to many, especially those in rural areas as their outlets are more readily found outside big cities and towns. Always giving their customers the best deals, The Store never fails to deliver during sales such as these with their drop-dead pricing.

Jusco
This is another hot Malaysian favourite that is celebrating its silver anniversary this year with lots of sales and good buys, which began on Jan 27 and has continued to usher the GP nationwide sale. For homemakers, this is one of the best department stores to buy your kitchen utensils at great discounts now!

Marks & Spencers
For many in the Generation Y and before, Marks & Spencers is a name they know and value and have been on our shores, at One Utama, Sunway Pyramid. Suria KLCC and The Gardens, for sometime. Check out their good deals and stock up on the good, old English biscuits that are available at their specialty stores.

Robinson
Bringing a new concept in fashion is what Robinsons has offered Malaysians since its debut at The Gardens, Mid Valley City, off Jalan Syed Putra in Kuala Lumpur. Among their star brands are Casualist, Blend and Martinique for men; Coast, Trucco, Fenn Wright Mason, In Wear, and Episode for women.

By the way, this is how the race track in Malaysia (Sepang) look like.

Some statistics for race in Kuala Lumpur:

Race Date: 05 Apr 2009
Number of Laps: 56
Circuit Length: 5.543 km
Race Distance: 310.408 km
Lap Record: 1:34.223 - JP Montoya (2004)

Interested to see the races? You can purchase tickets, hotel or book a package online.

Party with Earth, Wind and Fire

Have you ever attended a seminar where singing was part of the curriculum? I remember one time we were all shrieking to an Earth, Wind and Fire number. That was quite fun and energising. Talk about Earth, Wind and Fire, I didn't know they were in town recently.



They were here to perform at the F1 Gala dinner on Friday, April 6. That must have been some party. It was held at the KL Convention Centre and just look at that floor space.

Party with Earth, Wind and Fire..the Star

Formula One

Malaysia is back again to hosting the Formula One. The event is slated to be from April 6 to 8. As usual, hotels in the city are fully-booked and the rates for the F1 weekend is more than double the usual rate. Would I bother going to an Formula One race? Nah.....