[Official] Malaysian Grand Prix 2015 (Round 2): Grand Prix Weekend Thread

[Razor]

So round two of the 2015 FIA Formula One World Championship sees the cars go to the Sepang International Circuit near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

With the lacklustre that was the Australian Grand Prix, can the other teams pick up their game and take it to the dominating crew of Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula One Team and the Mercedes F1 W06 Hybrid?

My predictions will be that Mercedes and Ferrari will continue to duke it out on the high downforce but high horsepower circuit as the lap from Lewis Hamilton demonstrates.

Lewis Hamilton's pole lap of 2014

Will we also see rain this season as it is the monsoon season over in Asia to spice up the racing? Who knows?

[tigas]

Will Manor turn their wheels?
Will Alonso take a flight to Malaysia?
Will Valtteri Bottas show up as Bionic Man with some titanium scaffolding on the lower back?
Will Giedo VanDeGarde get Valtteri's seat?
Will Honda drop the revs on the engine even more because of the heat and leave McLaren with <200hp instead of <150hp of Melbourne?
Will Susie drive?
Will Horner just shut up and race?
Usually racing in the rain removes some engine advantage, which would be bad for Mercedes and good for everyone else (and us), but are they going to need rubber boats and paddles? (Or rubber duckies, for that matter...)

[BertMk2]

Well Mercedes will just disappear into the distance again but hopefully this time there will be 2 Williams and 2 Ferraris scrapping to the end. At the front it's going to be dull but behind the Mercedes there should be plenty of scraps. If Manor get going then even McLaren will have someone to race assuming they make it to the grid

[chillibowl]

i would like to see rain/wet race

[steve_r]

Rookies and rain. Should be interesting.

If we dont think that anoyone will match the good silver cars, then I'm at least hoping to see some good close Mercedes on Mercedes wheel to wheel racing at the front to stop some of the moaning.

[Born Racer]

Sepang, one of the older Tilke tracks is quite technical with some quick and tight corners. It's grown on me a little bit compared to some of his other tracks, at least in that its rather popular among the drivers and tends to produce some good races.

Hamilton was fastest in FP2 with Raikkonen 2nd.

[ECW Dan Selby]

It is a good one, mainly for the fact it has some tricky corners, and drivers are actually PUNISHED for it, heavily!

Nice to see some changes in elevation, too.

Selby

[Pontlieue]

One of the earlier Tilke tracks and my favourite one. It is challenging, it has flow, and it has gravel traps. I wish Tilke would go back to the Sepang style with his newer tracks.

[crmalcolm]

The BBC news report says that Hamilton suffered an engine failure, and they hoped to have him out for the second session.
Hopefully it's not too serious, and that he can avoid any further issues through the weekend.

And Alonso is already quicker than Button?

[Biscuits In A Red Bull]

I hope we get conditions where it's in that wet-but-not-wet stage where anything goes and it's practically down to pure ability. Or one with on-off showers because then it's down to luck.

But then again, those races barely come around...

[bjohnsonsmith]

The Malaysian GP can't be any worse than Melbourne and even though it's on a Tilkedrome it's one of his better creations.

The ones to watch are Alonso and Bottas, both having missed Melbourne and McLaren, after Button just failed to get in the points in what was an attritional Australian GP. I presume rather than assume, one of the Mercedes will win. Remember if you assume you make an ass out of you and me.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Originally Posted by Biscuits In A Red Bull

I hope we get conditions where it's in that wet-but-not-wet stage where anything goes and it's practically down to pure ability. Or one with on-off showers because then it's down to luck.

But then again, those races barely come around...

Agreed.

Any real rain now is an automatic safety car.

Selby

[Armco Bender]

Is it just me..or was practice completely boring?.
I actually fell asleep for 1/2 an hour,which could also have been 1/2 a bottle of Merlot,but nothing much happened when I was awake..
The commentator said at the end Lewis Hamilton had only done 16 laps in an hour and a half.

[gomick]

And Kyvat was within half a second of Hamilton in P2 - are Renault still poo?

[bjohnsonsmith]

Just watching qualifying, Q2 to be exact and rain has stopped play and it looks like a 15+ minute delay until Q3.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Quoted post removed as spam

Thanks, but I never trust a site telling me to disable my ad-blocker. It's there for a reason

Can you confirm this is a legit site?

Selby
---
Just realised it's probably a spambot, so ignore these links, people.

[steve nielsen]

so, the guy who is "too young for F1" is in P7 and in Q3 while much more experienced drivers aren't

[Born Racer]

I'm happy to see the Manors being allowed to run. I thought Graeme Lowdon's comments on the BBC were a masterpiece of dignified diplomacy and demonstration of motivation in the face of Ecclestone's critique.

Fernando Alonso must be feeling sick to see the Ferrari's improvement.

[S griffin]

Originally Posted by Born Racer

I'm happy to see the Manors being allowed to run. I thought Graeme Lowdon's comments on the BBC were a masterpiece of dignified diplomacy and demonstration of motivation in the face of Ecclestone's critique.

Fernando Alonso must be feeling sick to see the Ferrari's improvement.

Yes it was good to see Lowdon not sucking up to Bernie like some do, but then he shouldn't after what that snide has done

[greentrumpet]

+1 re Lowden, very dignified. Also delighted to see Fred Kite ahead of Sicknote.

[Paradise City]

What did Lowdon say?

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Born Racer

I'm happy to see the Manors being allowed to run. I thought Graeme Lowdon's comments on the BBC were a masterpiece of dignified diplomacy and demonstration of motivation in the face of Ecclestone's critique.

Fernando Alonso must be feeling sick to see the Ferrari's improvement.

The Manor effort has been fantastic, really good to see them get on the grid.

The reason Ferrari has improved I reckon is probably because they have ditched Fred, and they can now be a team without somebody running around kicking all the furniture over.
I see he has been far more careful in Malaysia at McHonda.

[bjohnsonsmith]

That was an uneventful start, with Vettel moving across the track, just making sure he keeps Rosberg in 3rd.

[bjohnsonsmith]

The first SC as Ericsson goes off and gets stuck in the gravel at turn 1. Lots of drivers pitting.

[rustyfan]

After the flak Ericsson at times has had to endure on this forum it's nice to see him in Q3.