Location Kuala Lumpur Turns 16 Opened 7 August 2015 | Time zone UTC+08:00 Length 3,300 m | |
Lap record 1:25.279 (Todd Kelly, Nissan Motorsport, Nissan Altima L33, 2015, V8 Supercars) Major events Supercars Championship, Formula Masters China, Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters | ||
The Kuala Lumpur Street Circuit is a temporary street circuit located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The track hosted the 2015 Kuala Lumpur City Grand Prix for several categories and is contracted to host V8 Supercars from 2017 to 2019.
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The 3.3 kilometre circuit winds through central Kuala Lumpur and is designed to showcase the city to the world via television broadcasts of the event. It passes several major landmarks including the Petronas Towers, Menara KL and Suria KLCC. One of the major overtaking spots is on Jalan Ampang, one of the main roads in Kuala Lumpur.
The initial reaction to the circuit was positive, however the drivers visiting from the V8 Supercars series noted the track's difficulty. Chaz Mostert described the circuit as like one from a video game, while Todd Kelly described the track as the "craziest" street circuit he had ever been to. Meanwhile, other drivers cited the circuit's bumps, narrow width and camber changes as providing a unique challenge.
The FIA Grade 3 circuit was designed by Apex Circuit Designs, who have previously designed and redeveloped a range of circuits including Dubai Autodrome, Hampton Downs and a street circuit in Bangkok, Thailand.
History
The Kuala Lumpur Street Circuit was opened in August 2015 to host the Kuala Lumpur City Grand Prix. The inaugural event included a variety of action, ranging from GT3 cars in the form of a flagship GT race, the KL GT City Cup, and the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Asia, to open wheelers in the form of Formula Masters China and a touring car demonstration in the form of five cars from the International V8 Supercars Championship. Starting in 2016, the event was due to host a full championship round of V8 Supercars. The 2016 event was later cancelled due to legal issues, however the series is due to return in 2017 pending the resolution of the legal issues.