New f1 circuit planned for Malaysia

A second Formula One-standard circuit will be built in Malaysia and will include a driving school aimed at nurturing regional racing talent, developers of the project said.

The track in southern Malaysia is being built by Singapore billionaire investor Peter Lim, a director of UK-based sports car maker McLaren Automotive, whose sister company McLaren Racing competes in F1.
Malaysia already has a grand prix track at Sepang outside the capital Kuala Lumpur, which has hosted 14 F1 races since first being included in the racing calendar in 1999.

The developers of the new track mentioned no plans to become part of the F1 calendar.

The planned 4.5-kilometre (2.8-mile) test track is part of a $1.2 billion Motorsport City in the Iskandar development zone in the southern state of Johor, UEM Land Holdings said in a statement sent to AFP Wednesday.

The Malaysian developer holds a 30 percent share in the joint project, with Lim's FASTrack Autosports owning the rest.

The 109-hectare development will include an advanced driving school targeting regional racing talents and a 1.5-km go-kart circuit.

"The region is fast becoming a hub for motor sports," Lim said in the statement, while UEM called the track the "Nurburgring of Iskandar Malaysia", a reference to the famed circuit in Nurburg, Germany.
Singapore, which is just over Malaysia's southern border from Johor, hosts F1's only night race.

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Rally champ Loeb set to race three-five rallies in 2013

Nine-time world rally champion Sebastien Loeb confirmed on Thursday that he will race between three and five races during the 2013 season, including Monte Carlo, Sweden and his home race in the Alsace region.

The Frenchman announced at the end of his title-winning season last month that he would lighten his schedule next year.

 

Argentina has been tipped as another potential race for Loeb, with the possibility of an unconfirmed fifth race. Citroen driver Loeb has won just once in Sweden back in 2004 among his 76 victories in 10 seasons on the WRC circuit and feels he has unfinished business in the Scandinavian country. 

 

"It is a rally, I really want to win on a regular basis," said Loeb, who will have the number one on his car as defending champion, despite not making a 10th world crown his priority.

 

He will complete his season with several GT races before moving into the World Touring Car Championship in 2014 as long as Citroen go ahead with plans to build a more powerful car for the gruelling circuit.

 

The two main drivers for the French team will be Finland's Mikko Hirvoen, who finished runner-up behind Loeb last season and will race 13 rallies, while Spaniard Dani Sordo returns to the team and will take part in at least 11 races.

 

"It is an immense pleasure to come back to the team," beamed Sordo. "The first tests went really well and I am ready to help Citroen in their quest for new titles.    "My personal objective is to win my first race in WRC," added the 29-year-old, who has finished more than 30 times on the podium without tasting victory.

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