Malaysia - Round 2

[J.Clark]

It is hard to believe that we have had a race here for more than 15 years.

Malaysia is interesting as country in terms of geography, as there is an East and a West.  The East is on an island and the West is on a peninsula of Thailand.  The circuit is in West Malaysia.  Sepang is something of a suburb to the south of Kuala Lumpur on the west coast.  The weather has always been rough due to the heat if nothing else.  This could also be a wet race as PM thunderstorms are forecast for the week and on into the weekend.

The circuit is 5.543km = 3.5 miles (give or take), with two long straights, both with DRS zones and they are separated only by turn 15.  The track record of 1:34.223 was set by Juan Pablo back in 2004.  The race is 56 laps in length, for a distance of 310 km = 193 miles.

My one question going into the weekend is fairly straight forward.  Since Williams, and even Ferrari were faster in the speed trap in Australia, will that help them close a bit on the Mercedes in this race on a circuit with two long straights?

Of course, there remains some concern over the health and readiness of Alonso and Bottas.

[Scott]

I had actually started an intro for this week's race, but you beat me to the punch...

I'll just add:

Originally a late morning race, in 2009 they moved it to an afternoon race, and as a result landed the race right when the tropical rainstorms most often roll through Malaysia, late afternoon.

Title sponsored by Petronas, also last years WCC and WDC title sponsor will be expecting great things out of the Mercedes team this time, and who are we to suppose they won’t get it.  Rosberg will be hungry, but rain could spoil both their plans.

The hairpin splitting the two DRS zones is probably the best passing zone on the track.

(I had planned to add more, but you beat me to it).

I hope both Bottas and Alonso will be in their respective race seats this weekend, and that somehow somebody at Mclaren realized they left some plastic disguise from the introduction photos on the car in Oz and have now removed them and found 5seconds a lap.

[J.Clark]

By all means Scott - go ahead and add all you want. 
I certainly didn't mean to step on any toes.

[Scott]

No no, no hard feelings.  I thought I had said I would do the next race, but you just beat me to the punch.  I would have put something up tomorrow anyhow, but probably wouldn't have gotten into the Malaysian geography, which was enlightening to me too...thanks.

[lkjohnson1950]

On a slight tangent, Honda apparently turned the power down on Button's car to make the engine last the distance. Which is probably why they finished when they never lasted in testing.

[J.Clark]

DVRing again.   

NBCSports had Saturday Free Practice covered as well as FFP-2.  It looks like they may be doing that again.  It will be wonderful (at least in my opinion) if they continue this trend throughout the season.  I well remember the pre-qualifying practices of yesteryear; although, in those days the team put a "qualifying only" engine in the car.

In any case, we should see how teams have progressed late tonight.

Alonso has been deemed fit to race, as has Bottas.

[J.Clark]

FFP results:
1. Hamilton   Mercedes   1m 39.790
2. Raikkonen   Ferrari   1m 40.163
3.  Rosberg      Mercedes   1m 40.218s* (fastest in FFP-1 @ 1m 40.124)
4.  Kvyat      Red Bull   1m 40.346
5.  Bottas      Williams   1m 40.450
6.  Massa      Williams   1m 40.560
7.  Vettel      Ferrari   1m 40.652
8.  Verstappen    Toro Rosso   1m 41.220
9.  Ericsson      Sauber   1m 41.261
10. Ricciardo   Red Bull   1m 41.799* (1m 41.787)
11. Maldonado   Lotus    1m 41.877
12. Nasr      Sauber   1m 41.988
13. Perez      Force India   1m 42.242
14. Sainz Jr      Toro Rosso   1m 42.291* (1m 41.596)
15. Hulkenberg   Force India   1m 42.330
16. Alonso      McLaren   1m 42.506
17. Button      McLaren   1m 42.637
18. Grosjean   Lotus    1m 42.948* (1m 41.543)
19. Stevens   Manor Marussia   1m 45.704
20. Merhi      Manor Marussia   1m 47.229

* denotes slower in FP2

It is practice and so what teams are doing throughout the sessions is unclear and therefore not completely indicative of actual pace, of course.  Saturday practice will be a better measuring stick as to what progress teams have made relative to their rivals.  That said, it is obvious that either due to the circuit make-up, or the out-right progress, both Ferrari and Williams are going to be closer to the Mercs in Malaysia than they were in Melbourne.

Hamilton did suffer problems, mainly it seems simply not having telemetry and so he missed much of practice, came out and set the quickest time and straight back into the garage - still with telemetry out of commission.

There was a lot of discussion about RBR/Renault relationship.  One of the team of commentators reminded us that there have almost always been years (nearly eras) when a team would for a few years, completely dominate - Williams, McLaren, Ferrari - for a period of time.  There was also a mention that there are teams for sale, and that Renault apparently has been making some noise about becoming a factory team again.

I almost forgot Manor's appearance.  It was good to see first of all.  It was also good to see the pace looking like it will make the 107% cut.  McLaren beware - they are only 3 seconds behind your fastest and it is their first running of the car.   

[cosworth151]

I watched FP1 and was just glad to everybody (Alonso, Bottas, Manor) present & accounted for. Sorry to see Hamilton's car pack it in so early on.

[Monty]

I know Hamilton bounced back and topped the times in FP2 but he has really missed out on some race distance runs which will compromise his set-up.
Red Bulls look plenty fast enough (Kvyat just half a second behind Hamilton and a couple of tenths behind the Ferraris).
McLarens might struggle to beat the Manor boys!

[Scott]

Nice going Kimi...wouldn't it be great to have him on the podium? 

[J.Clark]

The fastest seven separated by less than a full second!

That was basically the story in Melbourne, except it was the fastest seven from P-3 on back since the Mercs were a second and a half up on everyone else.

[cosworth151]

Seb - P2
Kimi - P11

Vettel shows that he is the real deal, especially in the wet.

[J.Clark]

Sad that Manor didn't make the cut, but they were there and close.

The grid is set:

1.  Hamilton   Mercedes   1m 49.834
2.  Vettel      Ferrari   1m 49.908
3.  Rosberg      Mercedes   1m 50.299
4.  Ricciardo   Red Bull   1m 51.541
5.  Kvyat      Red Bull   1m 51.951
6.  Verstappen    Toro Rosso   1m 51.981
7.  Massa      Williams   1m 52.473
8.  Grosjean   Lotus    1m 52.981
9.  Bottas      Williams   1m 53.179
10. Ericsson   Sauber   1m 53.261

11. Raikkonen   Ferrari   1m 42.173
12. Maldonado   Lotus           1m 42.198 
13. Hulkenberg   Force India   1m 43.023
14. Perez      Force India   1m 43.469
15. Sainz Jr      Toro Rosso   1m 43.701
16. Nasr      Sauber   1m 41.308
17. Button      McLaren   1m 41.636
18. Alonso      McLaren   1m 41.746

Dnq. Merhi      Manor Marussia   1m 46.677
Dnq. Stevens   Manor Marussia   no time

107% time: 1m 46.217 

Wow -  Massive thunderstorm rolled through during Q2, red-lighting the session and it happened all at once, not coming in slow enough for cars to even make it back to the pits before it was completely unsafe.

Top ten is about right, but within the top ten, there is a rather jumbled mess from P4 back.

Great job in the wet by Vettel separating the two Mercs.  Kimi, it appeared got stuck by the fast moving storm.  Ferrari have the pace however, that should allow him to move up through the pack to be racing with those at the front.

Williams - seems it was all about timing and being the last one out.  I don't like it that both are behind the Red Bulls though.

Based upon Saturday's morning practice, usually the most clear indication of potential race pace/results, I think if the weather is good tomorrow that it will very tight in the top seven or eight slots.  Red Bull, Ferrari and Williams are all very close.
3. Kimi    Ferrari   1m 40.245
4. Seb       Ferrari   1m 40.266
5. Felipe    Williams   1m 40.391
6. Valtteri    Williams   1m 40.406
7. Daniel    Red Bull   1m 40.590
Both STRs were right behind this group, less than .5 behind them.
Rosberg and Hamilton were only about .4 up on Kimi's time as well.

[Scott]

Gutted that Kimi was held up in Q2.  I think he could have had Vettel today.  Great to see the RBR's up there and Grossjean too.  Not sure what happened to the Williams, but at least they are in the top 10. 

I loved the Team Principal Press Conference when Robert Fernley (Force India) said that things started to go bad in F1 when RBR killed FOTA by taking their '40 Silver Coins' and going away.  You could see the hair go up on Horner's neck and then he spent the next part of it trying desperately to justify them taking Bernie's deal to kill FOTA.      Especially after Horner thought he was going to be the one giving Cyril a hard time about the Renault engines.  Hilarious.

[J.Clark]

Yep - definitely agree about Kimi getting held up.

Update to the grid for tomorrow. 
Manor will be allowed to race (and from what timing/scoring indicates - both cars), which is good for them and perhaps bad for McLaren 
Gojean will drop to P10 for a "pit lane infraction" that went without comment during qualifying, or at least I missed it if it was there.