Malaysia’s Formula One homecoming is here, and Alex Yoong isn’t worried about drivers adapting to a circuit they haven’t seen in nine years. The country’s only F1 racer reckons the professionals will have Sepang figured out before they’ve even completed their first practice lap.

Formula One returns to Kuala Lumpur this weekend for the first time since 2017, hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix in a one-off arrangement between the Malaysian government and Bahrain race organisers after the original April event was cancelled due to conflict in the Middle East.

Watch: F1 Going Off Track: Baku Aftermath

About half of this season’s grid will arrive without having raced at the famed 15-corner circuit since it was dropped from the calendar. But Yoong, who competed in F1 during the 2001 and 2002 seasons, dismissed concerns that the lack of recent experience would hinder modern drivers.

“The boys won’t have many problems. In my day you had to learn a track within five, 10 laps, and we didn’t even have simulators,” Yoong said.

“These drivers these days, they do so much sim. I expect them to be on it on the first lap of practice. People think: Oh my gosh, they’re going to take a long time to learn. It’s a lot of nonsense. These are professional drivers, they’ll be up to scratch, they’ll be up to speed by lap one.”

Four million reasons to be ready

Sepang has undergone extensive upgrades and repairs costing up to $4 million ahead of Sunday’s race, ensuring the circuit meets modern F1 standards after nearly a decade without hosting the championship.

The 50-year-old Yoong, whose best F1 result was seventh place with Italian team Minardi at the 2002 Australian Grand Prix, identified the circuit’s unique challenges that will separate the championship contenders.

Also read: At 45, Alonso commits to another year with Aston Martin

“Turns five and six are probably the best part of the track, especially in a Formula One car, as these are super-fast corners,” he said. “Then you have two massive long straights, the back and front straights. Both are more than a kilometre long and we will see plenty of overtaking.”

But it’s the tropical conditions that could prove decisive. “The heat is going to be an issue. This is Malaysia, so tyre wear is very high. With a lot of high-energy corners at Sepang, that does not help tyre wear at all.”

The possibility of rain adds another unpredictable element, Malaysia’s notorious afternoon thunderstorms have delivered some of the most dramatic F1 races in history.

Shaken up

Yoong, who now mentors young drivers through his grassroots racing team Axle Sports, predicts the Malaysia race will shake up the championship battle between Mercedes and McLaren.

“I think we’re going to see some really interesting performances. Because we haven’t been to Sepang for a while, things will get shaken up a bit,” he said.

“Mercedes is winning everything at the moment, but we’ve seen McLaren take a big upturn in fortune, so McLaren might be able to challenge Mercedes here.”

Mercedes’ Italian driver Kimi Antonelli leads the championship and is on course for his maiden drivers’ title, but teammate George Russell sits second and is hunting victories in all seven remaining race weekends after Malaysia to snatch the crown.

A windfall for Malaysia

Whatever unfolds on Sunday, Yoong believes it will be a memorable occasion for his homeland.

“It’s like a windfall, right? Getting this chance to host Formula One. That’s great,” he said. “It’s been a while since we’ve had Formula One here, so everyone’s excited. I think we’re going to have a great race.”

The roar of F1 engines returns to Kuala Lumpur on Sunday. It’s been far too long.