What was happening in the world the last time F1 raced in Malaysia?

Formula 1 returns to Sepang this week for the first time in nine years, with the Malaysian circuit hosting the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

The last time F1 raced at Sepang was in 2017, when Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel were fighting for the Drivers’ Championship, Max Verstappen had just turned 20 and several of the drivers on today’s grid had yet to make their debuts.

Away from the track, Dua Lipa was climbing the charts with New Rules, and Harry Styles had released his first solo album, while IT and Kingsman: The Golden Circle were among the biggest films in cinemas.

As F1 prepares to return to Malaysia, here is a look back at what was happening the last time Formula 1 visited Sepang.

A very different Formula 1 grid

Hamilton arrived in Malaysia leading the Drivers’ Championship, holding a 28-point advantage over Vettel with six races remaining.

The title fight had taken a significant turn at the previous round in Singapore, where Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen and Verstappen were involved in a first-lap collision while Hamilton went on to take victory.

The grid arriving at Sepang also looked very different to the one returning this week. Verstappen was partnered by Daniel Ricciardo at Red Bull, Vettel and Raikkonen formed Ferrari’s line-up, and Fernando Alonso was racing alongside Stoffel Vandoorne at McLaren.

Carlos Sainz was driving for Toro Rosso [now Racing Bulls], and Pierre Gasly was making his Formula 1 debut with the team that weekend. Charles Leclerc also appeared in FP1 for Sauber, several months before making his Grand Prix debut in 2018.

For Verstappen, there was another reason to remember the weekend. He turned 20 on the Saturday before passing Hamilton to win the race the following day, taking the second victory of his career.

Hamilton finished second ahead of Ricciardo, while Vettel recovered from the back of the grid to take fourth. Hamilton left Malaysia with his advantage in the standings increased to 34 points and would go on to secure his fourth Drivers’ Championship later that year.

Who was topping the charts?

The music charts offer another snapshot of just how long ago 2017 now feels. On the weekend of the Malaysian Grand Prix, Sam Smith’s Too Good at Goodbyes was number one in the UK, with Post Malone and 21 Savage’s rockstar just behind. Dua Lipa’s New Rules sat at number three, while Camila Cabello and Young Thug’s Havana was fourth.

Elsewhere, Taylor Swift was at the beginning of her Reputation era after releasing Look What You Made Me Do in August, while Luis Fonsi and Daddy Yankee’s Despacito had spent much of the year dominating charts around the world.

Harry Styles had also released his first solo album earlier that year, while Lorde’s Melodrama became one of the defining albums of 2017. The race weekend had its own soundtrack too. Sepang hosted the F1NALE Concert across Saturday and Sunday, with Malaysian artists including M. Nasir, Jaclyn Victor and Akim & The Majistret performing.

What was everyone watching?

Anyone heading to the cinema over the same weekend could have watched Kingsman: The Golden Circle, which was number one at the UK box office between September 29 and October 1. The horror film IT, starring Bill Skarsgård as Pennywise, was in second place.

Several of the films that would become synonymous with 2017 had already arrived by then. Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast was released in March, followed later in the year by Wonder Woman, Spider-Man: Homecoming, Baby Driver and Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk. Jordan Peele’s Get Out had also reached cinemas earlier in the year, while The Greatest Showman was still a few months away.

On television, Stranger Things still had just one season available, with its second about to arrive later in October. Game of Thrones had only recently finished its seventh and penultimate season, while Riverdale and The Handmaid’s Tale had both made their debuts earlier in 2017.

Who was winning trophies elsewhere?

In football, Real Madrid won both the UEFA Champions League and La Liga, with Cristiano Ronaldo claiming another Ballon d'Or – his fifth and final one – alongside the FIFA Best Men's Player award‌. The Portuguese legend has been a frequent spectator at F1 events over the years.

Hosts the Netherlands won the 2017 Women’s Euros, with Vivianne Miedema – now of Manchester City – scoring twice in the final for a 4-2 win over Denmark.

In tennis, Roger Federer was enjoying a remarkable renaissance, winning the Australian Open and Wimbledon, the latter for a record eighth time. The Swiss superstar has since returned to SW19 as a spectator – and this year he sat beside Kimi Antonelli, giving him some advice on how to handle the pressure of elite sport.

Rafael Nadal underlined his credentials as the king of clay when he extended his record to ten French Open triumphs, helping him to the year-end No. 1 spot. Serena Williams was also breaking records on court, winning in Melbourne for her 23rd Grand Slam title, the most in the women’s game during the Open Era.

Elsewhere, in athletics, Usain Bolt’s competitive career came to an emotional end as he finished third in the 100m and suffered an injury in the 4x100m relay at the World Championships in London. Incidentally, the Jamaican is a big F1 fan, and a huge supporter of Hamilton.

And in golf, Sergio Garcia finally won his first major championship at The Masters. It was his 74th attempt, and came in a sudden-death play-off against Justin Rose.

What was changing in the world of tech?

It was also a landmark year for electric cars, mobile phones, and even drones. Some of those milestone product launches proved to be game-changers: 2017 marked the beginning of the end for home-screen buttons as Apple launched the iPhone X, while orders for the newly-launched Tesla Model 3 far outstripped supply. Other products such as Jibo – the pet robot who featured on the cover of Time Magazine – failed to stick around.

It was the year of the Nintendo Switch, the dawn of 3D-printed Adidas trainers and saw the arrival of relatively affordable drones, sparking the craze for bird’s eye-view ‘dronies’ captured at exotic locations.

And six-second video app Vine was fading from memory having been officially shut down on 17 January 2017.

What were we wearing?

Fashion and cosmetics also experienced sea-change moments in 2017. Rihanna played a central consulting role in her Fenty Beauty make-up range, with its 40 foundation shades celebrated for the diverse palette of skin tones, saying, “It was important that every woman felt included.”

Crocs started to become ‘trendy’ – a word used lightly – after they had previously only been used in the garden or for taking out the bins. They were now appearing in a variety of colours, designs and offered fun personalisation through their expanding range of Jibbitz.

Platform clogs were even a thing, and other varieties appeared at London Fashion Week.

Tights being exposed through jeans was also a look, and so were boots that are also like socks.

Corsets also started to appear more through social media stars, as well as in music videos like Little Mix's Touch where they opted to layer it over a jumper.

Nine years later, (some of) the drivers, sporting stars, technology, fashion and pop culture may have changed, but one thing will be familiar this week as Formula 1 cars return to Sepang once again.