[Official] Round 3: Malaysian Grand Prix

[Andy Harrison]

Mark Webber laps Malaysia in the Red Bull Simulator
http://www.grid1.tv/videos/formula-1...de-to-malaysia
Cool vid but I still think Webber is being massively outclassed by Vettel. Rain scheduled for this weekend so hopefully another great race to watch!!!

[ECW Dan Selby]

Oh really??? I massively hope for some rain

Selby

[Lotusonpole]

BBC states heavy showers for Fri, Sat and Sun.
Whether it actually showers when it's track time remains to be seen, but it looks like there's a good chance for it.

Hope it's not quite as 'Niagra' as last year, but a wet one would be nice.

P

[Spritle]

A rain abbreviated race with half points isn't what I'm in the mood for, neither is an "exciting" race only because of wet conditions. Only a moron would schedule a race in the PM in Malaysia at this time of year.

What I'd REALLY like to see is what is REALLY going on with the rules changes in normal conditions and get on with what's needed to fix things instead of hoping for rain, crashes, safety cars and other nonsense to make the racing interesting.

[Lotusonpole]

Yes I agree Spritle,
last year's GP was a joke as it turned out.
But things average out over a season with wet, dry, hot, cool races, but as much as I quite like a wet race, I hope this year's Malaysian isn't the submariners affair it was last year.

[Speed-freak]

I'm doing a rain dance in my office. Perhaps just a few heavy showers would do the trick ......

[Jamesy-18]

Cool Malaysia? I though it was always warm there?

Nice video though.

[ECW Dan Selby]

Originally Posted by Spritle

What I'd REALLY like to see is what is REALLY going on with the rules changes in normal conditions and get on with what's needed to fix things instead of hoping for rain, crashes, safety cars and other nonsense to make the racing interesting.

Save the dry racing for tracks that *promote overtaking

For now, i'm happy to have a repeat of Australia, thank you!

Selby

*NOT promoting overtaking in the 'long straight/massive hairpin' sense, i'm talking Monza's, Spa's etc

[frostie]

We should probably a thread open for this weekends Malaysian Grand Prix open at this stage. I'm sure I've left out some of the stuff that usually goes into this thread openers so could a mod insert whatever is missing.

The first Malaysian Grand Prix was held in 1999 and Ferrari romped off with a dominant one two with Eddie Irvine emerging victorious. Previous races have tended to be dominated by one driver with the winning margin generally in the region of 20 seconds which equates at approximately 0.4 seconds per lap during the race. As a result it is unlikely that we will see a great battle for the victory but with the battle between Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren proving to be quite close in terms of race pace there is the potential for a closer battle at the front than what we have seen here in the past. A few interesting stats are that only Kimi Raikkonen, in 03, came from outside the front two rows to win the race, and Massa, in 07 and 08, is the only pole sitter not to finish on the podium.

There are potential overtaking positions on this racetrack with two one kilometre straights to start and finish the lap entering into tight hairpins so there should be opportunities for drivers to challenge one another this weekend. We saw in both Bahrain and Melbourne that even if drivers have a significant advantage in terms of pace that it can still be quite difficult to overtake but we may see an increase in overtaking at the front here due to the wide nature of the track and the variance of lines that are available into the hairpins.

Elsewhere on the track there is a good balance of slow and high speed corners with turns 12 and 13 providing a perfect insight into what makes a Formula 1 car so difficult to drive. Turn 12 is an ultra fast left hander feeding directly in a right hander that needs to taken perfectly as it will dictate the speed a driver can carry down the long back straight and the prime overtaking spot into the final corner.

The weather always has the potential to create an exciting race in Malaysia. Formula 1 comes to town during the rainy season and rain showers can come out of nowhere and engulf the circuit in minutes leaving the race track exceptionally perilous for drivers on the wrong set of tyres, a perfect example was last year and also 2001. For this weekend’s scattered thunder storms are expected for each day of running. The conditions that are faced in Malaysia are generally considered to be the toughest faced by the teams all year, high temperatures and high humidity makes for an uncomfortable workplace. The conditions are so tough for drivers to deal with that during pit stops it is not unknown to see a team member pour a bottle of cold water over the driver while he waits for the mechanics to finish their work, but with stops taking in the region of 4 seconds this may be a luxury that drivers have to go without this year.

Past winners:
2009 Button
2008 Raikkonen
2007 Alonso
2006 Fisichella
2005 Alonso
2004 M. Schumacher
2003 Raikkonen
2002 R. Schumacher
2001 M. Schumacher
2000 M. Schumacher
1999 Eddie Irvine

TV Schedule:

Friday 2 April

Practice one: 0255-0435

Practice two: 0655-0835

Saturday 3 April

Practice three: 0655-0805

Qualifying: 0800-1030s extra/online

Sunday 4 April

Race: 0800-1000

Post race forum: 0900-1000

Highlights: 1900-2000, BBC Three

Originally Posted by Andy77

10 Tenth Chatroom is open for discussion during all sessions too.

Of course, you can join the crowd there too if no racing is going on. See you there.

[skells22]

1st mistake, it is round 3 not round 2. and you forgot to say to UK fans that at 9.55am we have to hop over to BBC2. the race is at 9.00BST to 11.00BST ( I think you still using GMT but we just a weekend ago put our clocks forward in the UK)

[skells22]

i just hope it goes to its 56 lap mark this time around and i better add this in just in case anyone is late up there is a replay without the channel hop on BBC2 at 2.25pm for a full re-run

[Jamesy-18]

Round 2? Well i suppose some people wish Bahrain never happened!

[Dutton]

It is so going to be a repeat of what happened last year. It has a sense of inevitability to it.

[RotorFan]

You mean in terms of weather and being red-flagged?

I'm hoping for rain, preferably intermittent downpours. Don't want to see any red flags though.

M Schumacher is still the rain-master

[Dutton]

It is nearly certain that it is going to rain at some point in the GP I would say, and the chance of a red flagged half points affair is not massively unlikley either I would think.

At this time of year, and especially at that time of day, there are lots of thunderstorms and much rain. It is just the way it is.

[Lotusonpole]

Many thanks Frostie.
The round 2 being round 3 issue apart, a very interesting bit of summarising. Enjoyable read.

I hope we get a spot of rain again, but pray it's not a repeat of last years red flag thing.

And nice one Jamesy-18.

Cheers
P

[steve_r]

Shall I start the 10/10ths rain dance now?

[Bononi]

Made some comestic changes to look better, I hope.

[jab]

Originally Posted by steve_r

Shall I start the 10/10ths rain dance now?

No need. I'd say rain is 99.9% likely at this stage - it's been raining every day at 5 with quali and the race starting at 4 local time

[Bononi]

Sub-tropical storms are unpredictable. They can come for a few minutes or a couple of hours and then the sun shines bringing hot wet air, anytime.

[broadrun96]

In the case that it does rain, have any of us found out what would happen if they red-flag quali? Know I've asked a couple times but not sure where to look for the FIA's rules on abbreviated sessions, would they use the last completed session's times or the NASCAR system of grid position by season points?

[skells22]

i might be able to answer that, if qualifying is red flagged to rain and there is no times set then there is always Sunday to set a time (like in Japan some years back). otherwise do not know

[jab]

I doubt it'll rain until Q3 anyway, so it makes no difference. If there is no Q3, they'll go on Q2 times

[Grandpa_Rob]

If it does rain during Quali Vettel and Webber are both masters of the wet and would properbly see another RBR lockout.

[mattt]

Originally Posted by Grandpa_Rob

If it does rain during Quali Vettel and Webber are both masters of the wet and would properbly see another RBR lockout.

Is there anyone on the grid that hasn't been called a rain master over the last few years on here in fairness

i can remember it being said about Vettel, Webber, Hamilton, Button, Schumacher, Sutil ... do i need to carry on?