Motorsports hub FASTrack Iskandar unveiled the design of its motorsports city on Tuesday (December 6th), which features a top-grade track suitable for Formula One racing. The ceremony to unveil the design, held in Johor's Pinewood Iskandar Malaysia Studios, was officiated by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. The facility has a targeted completion date of 2019.
At the heart of the motorsports city, a 10-minute drive from the Tuas Second Link, is the 4.45km track. It has received a Grade 1 rating from the Federation Internationale Automobile (FIA), motor sport's world governing body. That is the highest grading, meaning the track can stage F1 races.
The track takes advantage of the natural undulating terrain, with a 60m elevation differential, to give racers an extra challenge. The circuit also features lighting so that races can also be held at night, like at the Singapore Grand Prix, which is currently the sport's only full night race.
The FIA Grade 1 track was designed by Hermann Tilke, whose body of work includes Malaysia's Sepang, Germany's Nurburgring and Hockenheimring circuits as well as Singapore's Marina Bay Street Circuit.
The German said, "This is one of the most exciting motorsports concepts I have ever been invited to work with. I truly believe we can build a unique track for motorsports entertainment."
Apart from hosting the pinnacle of motorsports, Fastrackcity will be promoted as a motorsports hub. A 1.5km Commission Internationale De Karting kart circuit, a hill climb track, a 4x4 park with obstacles for off-road, four-wheel drive vehicles, an advanced handling park for road-safety training ensures that a wide spectrum of motorsports is catered for.
The well-heeled can also park their supercars in the high-security premises. Food and beverage outlets, a cluster of garage and hospitality facilities, a four-star hotel, family recreational facilities and a park with a lake aim to make Fastrackcity a self-sustaining automotive eco-system that will complement the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur High-Speed Rail and Johor's Iskandar Malaysia vision to become a bustling metropolis.
The motorsports city is a joint venture between FASTrack Autosports, majority-owned by Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim with the Johor royal family as partner, and Malaysia's state-owned UEM Land. The joint venture, costing RM3.5 billion (S$1.1 billion) was first announced in 2012.
Barry Kan, Director of FASTrack Iskandar, said, "It has taken FASTrack Iskandar much time and effort to arrive at the finalised design and concept of this lifestyle development. We are excited that we are one step closer to developing Asia's premier fully-integrated motorsports facility, which will be the go-to destination for the region's motorsports enthusiasts."
