FIA has Sepang grid repainted after pole-position marking error

The FIA instructed Sepang to restore pole position to the right-hand side of the start-finish straight after it was initially marked on the left, RacingNews365 reports. The circuit covered the original markings and repainted the grid: the slot first labelled second became pole position, and the remaining slots were renumbered.

The start line was moved as well. The misplaced pole slot had been ahead of the original line, raising potential concerns about the distance to the first grid position and the timing system. RacingNews365 says a mix-up in documentation is thought to have caused the error, and that track workers followed the instructions they had received.

The work was completed on Thursday, after which Sepang passed its circuit inspection ahead of the weekend’s running.