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Author Topic: Hot n sticky in Malaysia  (Read 2753 times)

Offline Andy B

Hot n sticky in Malaysia
« on: September 29, 2017, 01:38:03 PM »
Arrived this morning as P1 started in a downpour which the cabbie said was typical for mornings this time of year  and has been dry all afternoon but very hot and humid this evening. Potential thunder storms for Saturday and Sunday but forecasting here is going to be tricky.
I'm due to meet up with Robem64 while but typically my UK sim card is running out but they'll not let me top it up as my accounts are addressed in NZ even though its a UK account. Make you wonder if they want my money?
Only small amounts of evidence that the race is on here whereas going into Singapore or Aussie their airports and malls are full of it maybe that why they've not been getting bums on seats.
I'll try to report back tomorrow as long as the drains stay down.


Once you have retired every day is a Saturday!

Offline cosworth151

Re: Hot n sticky in Malaysia
« Reply #1 on: September 29, 2017, 04:24:47 PM »
Thaks for the report, Andy! Glad you made it there.  :good:

I saw the rain on the FP1 broadcast. It looked like quite a storm.

Hope you & Robem have a great time.
“You can search the world over for the finer things, but you won't find a match for the American road and the creatures that live on it.”
― Bob Dylan

Offline Robem64

Re: Hot n sticky in Malaysia
« Reply #2 on: September 30, 2017, 04:14:36 PM »
We managed to meet up......what a gent you are Andy and loved grabbing a chat. Sorry it was a little curtailed but given there's no numbered seating I needed to make sure I got a good vantage point.

Wonder if any rain might shake it up a bit tomorrow - Hamilton front and Vettel at the back. I guess Vettel needs a Singapore type miracle tomorrow.

Amazing what a "this is the last race" announcement does to attendance - I was here last year too and its so much busier. Race day could be manic!
"I'm not a pessimist, I'm an optimist with experience"

Offline Andy B

Re: Hot n sticky in Malaysia
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2017, 04:16:05 PM »
I didn't see Vettel's problems coming and applied common sense which has back fired on me, I should have realised when Ricciardo said he could see fuel coming out of Lewis's car that he had been running heavy.
If this race had been continuing its not one I would return to as its transport infrastructure is horrendous!
To get there I got the train to get the train to get the bus for the bus but returning was far worse as I got the last bus first which then spent 40 minutes going around the outside of the circuit trying to pick up more people on an overflowing bus. Then the bus to get to the train which is 35 minutes away had a queue of a 1000 people and no busses which did sporadically turn up so they crammed people on and it was only when the doors closed that I realised there were not enough seats so stood for 50 minutes to get to the train. The train was not so bad or the second train but it still took me 3.5 hours to get back when only 1.5 to get there and all due to lack of organisation.
I have a cunning plan for tomorrow!
I met Rob after P3 and we chatted for awhile till he had to go off to secure his seat. As expected with the GP Wiz a very nice chap and we came to the conclusion that we should all plan to meet up at some time perhaps go to a GP but all stay in the same hotel and add a day or two on the end.
The forecast for tomorrow is indecisive and could bring out some rain but then it might not! Its hot and sticky so a storm maybe brewing but who knows if it'll turn up while the race is on. Sorry not much help there.
The Merc's looked good as did the RB's with Kimi in the mix and Vettel cannot be ignored for a few points if he can get around the first turn without being taken out.
I wonder if anyone is still waiting for a bus because as I got on mine there was more than a 1000 people behind me.
Once you have retired every day is a Saturday!

Offline Robem64

Re: Hot n sticky in Malaysia
« Reply #4 on: October 01, 2017, 01:01:21 PM »
As I write this, I believe both Andy and I are back in our respective hotels with a better journey back than Quali Day. Having been to this track last year to the exact same thing happened then - Quali day getting back was awful but race day it was far better organised. Perhaps they have struggled to gauge the numbers who turn up for Quali as opposed to the race - with it being so cheap here I think many buy a three day ticket but only turn up for the race.Kind of irrelevant now I guess as this was, as is plastered all round the track, the F1nale!

I'm personally disappointed to see this one go.....I like the track, it's always served up entertainment and I don't think it disappointed today. Certainly some thrills and spills where I was at Turn 1 and 2.

If I can be so bold with some Heroes & Zeroes for me

Heroes
1. The track marshals for giving us some entertainment (unseen on TV I guess - posing with a banner to say farewell). I will post a photo when I'm back home
2. Max - I know he has his critics on here but I think he drove an exemplary race today. Maybe he's hit 20 and matured!
3. Vettel - a really solid controlled drive to limit points damage as much as possible

Zeroes
1. Stroll - for seemingly driving into Seb on the drive in after the race. Can you get a penalty for causing a collision after the race? (incidentally, I'm only going on what the footage was at the track - I haven't seen replays so forgive me if it was different to how it looked)
2. Ferrari - for messing both cars up at different but critical times
3. Whoever did the fuel calculation for one of the support races on Saturday - when every car ran out of fuel out on track. A real zero but it gave everyone a massive laugh so maybe they should be a hero!

I'll post some photos up to the gallery when I get back, sadly Andy and I were so deep in chat we didn't capture the moment that 2 GPwizard members met at the Sepang Circuit!



"I'm not a pessimist, I'm an optimist with experience"

Offline Andy B

Re: Hot n sticky in Malaysia
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2017, 02:23:24 PM »
Rob has just about summed it up although getting back to the hotel at a reasonable time has its drawbacks as I was told "we have time for shopping" so expensive too.
Being at the race has done me no good at all although Rob faired better which is a down side to being at a GP in that its difficult to keep up with what is going on. I saw Kimi had the engine cover off on the grid but had no idea why!
Rob's location was much better than mine and in hind sight I would choose a different location but as Rob said its immaterial now.
Having just seen the Vettel/Stroll clash it looked to me that Vettel cut across him?
Home on Thursday in time for Japan and I'll see if any of my pictures are worth posting.
Once you have retired every day is a Saturday!

Offline cosworth151

Re: Hot n sticky in Malaysia
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2017, 03:32:09 PM »
Sounds like you both had a good week-end. I'm looking forward to your pictures!

Heroes:

Vettel - His last -to-P4 drive was fantastic. Equally impressive was his behavior at the end of Q1. His crew worked frantically to get the car out but couldn't quite make it. Seb walked through the garage, shaking hands & thanking each mechanic. A very classy thing to do.

Max - He made the best of his birthday weekend.

As of right not, a few hours after the race, I haven't seen a video that really shows what happened between Seb & Stroll. I'm going to withhold judgement until I do.

I hope that Liberty Media & the race promoters at Sepang can come to terms so that this track can return to the schedule in the near future.
“You can search the world over for the finer things, but you won't find a match for the American road and the creatures that live on it.”
― Bob Dylan

Offline Scott

Re: Hot n sticky in Malaysia
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2017, 04:53:54 PM »
Fantastic to hear both your experiences Robem & Andy!  My brother-in-law was married last week in Kuala Lampur and I was so frustrated to not be able to make it to the race Wedding  ::) because we were so busy at the hotel.  It’s also too bad it is apparently the last race, because now I would have a place to stay in KL to go another time.  Maybe they will re-sign in the next year or so.

Max had a great start, was able to stay with Hamilton and get him early on, and then drove flawlessly.  I think it might have ended differently if there had been the expected rain and if he had caught traffic that didnt graciously move over for him.

Lewis did a great job limiting damage in a clearly inferior car, and was a rRe occasion to see him not glum on a podium step that wasn’t the top.  He showed a lot of class today.

I can’t believe Kimi’s car died on the installation lap.  I suspect he enjoyed some ice cold long drinks while watching the rest of the race.  Looking at the Ferrari pace, he likely could have given MV some pressure if not take away the win. 

Vettel was great fun to watch today.  Althoug the Ch4 crew seemed pretty sure it was his fault, I think Stroll could have indeed done a shoulder check, because even though it is common for cars to move erratically to pick up rubber, it is just as common to see backmarkers overtaking to just get back to the garages.  In this case I will put the blame on Stroll because as he started into the corner on the replay, he gave no indication he would suddenly straight line it for the outside marbles.  Seb was just casually going around him.  Sorry DC and MW, I disagree.

Worst Zero was me.  Thought I would double up earlier in the week, and never changed it back even though the weather was changeable and the grid was looking less and less apparent.  I doubled my measly 5 points into 10  :'(
« Last Edit: October 01, 2017, 04:55:43 PM by Scott »
The Honey Badger doesn't give a...

Offline cosworth151

Re: Hot n sticky in Malaysia
« Reply #8 on: October 01, 2017, 05:01:41 PM »
They were working on Kimi's engine in the garage right up until time to go to the grid. They buttoned it up, sent him to the grid & started working again as soon as he got there. It's a shame they couldn't get it fixed. I think Kimi would have had a very good day.
“You can search the world over for the finer things, but you won't find a match for the American road and the creatures that live on it.”
― Bob Dylan

Offline cosworth151

Re: Hot n sticky in Malaysia
« Reply #9 on: October 01, 2017, 06:31:40 PM »
“You can search the world over for the finer things, but you won't find a match for the American road and the creatures that live on it.”
― Bob Dylan

Offline Scott

Re: Hot n sticky in Malaysia
« Reply #10 on: October 01, 2017, 07:58:59 PM »
that's a pretty embarrassing miscalculation  |-( |-(
The Honey Badger doesn't give a...

Offline Andy B

Re: Hot n sticky in Malaysia
« Reply #11 on: October 02, 2017, 09:52:53 AM »
According to Ted Kravitz if the current head of Malaysia is replaced by the previous head then it could be on again so never say never!
In discussions with "She who must be obeyed" Japan could be on the cards for next year.
Once you have retired every day is a Saturday!

Offline Jericoke

Re: Hot n sticky in Malaysia
« Reply #12 on: October 02, 2017, 03:22:14 PM »
Vettel - His last -to-P4 drive was fantastic. Equally impressive was his behavior at the end of Q1. His crew worked frantically to get the car out but couldn't quite make it. Seb walked through the garage, shaking hands & thanking each mechanic. A very classy thing to do.

We mostly see Vettel's public outbursts, but any 'behind the scene' stories have been about a very gracious and involved human being.

I wonder if his outrageous comments are caused by the feeling of disappointment he has for the men and women who put in tireless work for him?

 


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