8 Malaysian GP Moments We Won’t Be Forgetting Any Time Soon

1. Race cut short

The 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix was famously cut short due to a torrential rain storm. With it not looking set to calm down anytime soon, the FIA decided to stop the race. Jenson Button won it, but he only scored five points – the race didn’t reach 75% distance, so half points were awarded for only the fifth time in F1 history.

Stopping the race also brought us one of the most iconic moments in recent F1 history as Kimi Raikkonen packed up early and went to grab an ice cream, while most of the other drivers stayed in their cars – getting soaking wet in the rain – to see what was going to happen next.

3. Getting some air

Vitaly Petrov’s airborne moment during the 2010 race when he ran wide and hit a bump makes for a brilliant Gif and has had the meme and photoshop treatement many times over.

The 2012 Malaysian GP almost threw up a surprise winner, with Sergio Perez coming within two seconds of victory in only his second F1 season. Sauber hadn’t been particularly quick but Perez gave Fernando Alonso a run for his money and got within a few tenths of him before a mistake with six laps to go.

Michael Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya went into the first corner in the 2002 race side-by-side. It didn’t end well, that’s for sure. They collided, with both damaging their cars. However, they managed to recover to third and second respectively.

6. Kimi’s first win

It’s hard to believe 2017 will be Kimi “bwoah” Raikkonen’s 15th season in F1. Back in his third year racing in F1, Raikkonen scored his first victory in the series with a dominant display at the 2003 Malaysian GP for McLaren.

Jos Verstappen (yes, father of Mad Max) was the man on the move in the early stages of the 2001 Malaysian GP and was supreme when a rain shower arrived on lap three. He was already up to sixth after a storming start from 18th on the grid. Verstappen moved up to second place at one point but as the track dried out, he couldn’t hold off faster cars and finished seventh.

8. Multi-21

Of course, who could forget “Multi 21, Seb. Multi 21”. The phrase has become famous in the F1 world after Sebastian Vettel ignored Red Bull’s commands to stay behind his team-mate Mark Webber, snatching the lead away from him and ruthlessly taking victory. It was a great battle but made for a frosty atmosphere on the podium.

What other F1 moments from Malaysian GP history will you be remembering for long time? Let us know in the comments!