Before MotoGP became more about egos and politics than anything else (the entire sordid affair is explained here by David Emmett), photographers were in the heat, humidity and haze documenting the event as they would any other race weekend. Tony Goldsmith was one of those, though of course he was doing so in his own special way, and we’re pleased to present a look back at the fateful weekend via Tony’s perspective.

Above, Dani Pedrosa, the weekend’s star both of results and of composure, charges around Sepang with one of the circuit’s distinctive architectural features in the background.

Stefan Bradl rides through a haze “caused by thick smoke created from the burning of forest and peat fires on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo to clear old crops and new land for the production of pulp, paper and palm oil.” (CNN)

Sepang is a tropical wilderness where the photographers must watch out for snakes and lizards as well as Jorge Lorenzo.

A week before Sepang MotoGP was bundled up for the brisk mornings of Phillip Island, but in Malaysia the air was warm and moist as you can see on the face of Danilo Petrucci.

Sepang’s Turn 3 is the season’s best opportunity to photograph riders like Cal Crutchlow sliding around a corner.

Dani Pedrosa destroyed the previous lap record to claim pole position.

Until the race, Rossi and Marquez fans managed to coexist.

With the off-track conflict between Marquez and title rival Rossi, Lorenzo played it cool. At first.

More from Sepang on the next page: