Monsoon Conditions in Malaysia Sees Alonso Splash to F1 Victory

Photo Credit: Sauber Motorsport AG

 

Under the fanfare of an all-new Formula 1 season for 2012, the Australian Grand Prix was 58 laps on a perfectly dry race track. The McLaren Formula 1 team secured the first pole with Lewis Hamilton driving and winning with Jenson Button's entry for the new year event. Heading into the second grand prix of the 2012 season, the question for whether what was seen as at Albert Park would be the sign of things to come through this year's Formula 1 tour.

 

In qualifying for the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton continued the rocket start for the McLaren team taking pole. With his fellow teammate Jenson Button placing the McLaren-Mercedes beside him on the front row, Hamilton appeared ripe for picking a 2012 victory in the early season. What would throw the McLaren chances of an easy drive in the 56-lap event at Sepang International Circuit was a wet track. Starting the Malaysian Grand Prix, the starting field lined up predominately on intermediate Pirelli tires (only exception was the HRT F1 cars that elected for full wet weather rubber from the start). Complicating the decision for teams was the nearly dry sections of the Malaysian race track lead into heavily drenched areas of the circuit.

 

 

Photo Credit: Charles Coates/LAT Photographic

 

 

With the McLaren-Mercedes cars of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button at the front, the 2012 Grand Prix of Malaysia went green. Despite aggressive jockeying for position at the start of the Malaysian Grand Prix, all Formula 1 cars travelled safely through the Sepang International Circuit's turn one unscathed. There was a major incident on the lap 1 of he Malaysian Grand Prix when the third place-starting Mercedes GP car of Micheal Schumacher was punted into a spin after contact with the Lotus-Renault of Romain Grosjean. Schumacher recovered quickly from the impact spinning his Mercedes F1 W03 back into the race just a few positions down. As for Grosjean, the French driver would retire his Lotus-Renault race car on the third lap of the grand prix concluding what is two early exits in his first races of 2012.

 

Instead of competing each other on track, race drivers and teams found themselves battling the elements of increasing rainfall. Several cars on the initial laps of the Malaysian Grand Prix were hydroplaning off the race track including the Red Bull-Renault of Sebastian Vettel. As many drivers reported that areas of the race track have turned into a lake, Formula 1 dispatched the Mercedes SLS AMG safety car and would red flag the event on lap 8 when the rain showers intensified. After more than a 50-minute delay where Formula 1 race cars waited on the Sepang International Circuit's grid, the Malaysian Grand Prix restarted under yellow. After a few laps behind the safety car, the competitors were once again set off under green.

 

Through a complex pattern of pit stops and tire strategy, Malaysia's 2012 Formula 1 event saw many surprise contenders emerge as front-runners. Opting to full wet Pirelli tires on the first lap of the Malaysian Grand Prix, the Sauber team pitted their Mexican driver Sergio Perez for what turn off to be a well-timed technical move for position. Able to take advantage of the wet weather tires on the Sepang International Circuit almost the entire full were running on intermediates, Perez gained a lot of track position that put the Sauber team car close to the lead pack. Up to third place before the red flag, the Sauber-Ferrari of Perez would lead lap 14. The 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix would be a career race Sergio Perez and the Sauber F1 team.

 

Photo Credit: Sauber Motorsport AG

 

While the Malaysian Grand Prix appeared to be a prime location for the McLaren F1 team to celebrate a second 2012 win, the complications of the wet race track and some serious mistakes proved costly for the British squad. Jenson Button collided with a HRT-Cosworth on track on lap 15. Requiring two additional pit stops more than the leader, Button's McLaren was relegated out of the top-10 points paying position for the Malaysian event. While the second McLaren of Lewis Hamilton endured to finish on the podium of the Malaysian Grand Prix, a chance at a win was discarded by a slightly later pit stop at the initial term of the Formula 1 race.

 

For what has been uncharacteristic struggle for the Red Bull Racing team so far in 2012, the Malaysian Grand Prix is continuing to show Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber off their stride that carried through the past two seasons. Incurring the deepest difficulty in the event was the Red Bull Racing team's reigning champion Sebastian Vettel. Losing radio communications early in the grand prix, Vettel was running as high as 4th in Malaysia until an incident with the slower HRT-Cosworth of Narain Karthikeyan. Lap 46 contact between the HRT car and the #1 Red Bull-Renault resulted in damage for which Sebastian Vettel was forced out of the points. Electing to continue on even with damage to his RB9 race car, Vettel finished deep in 11th place (the German driver's worst completed ace since the 2010 Belgium Grand Prix). Thanks to the late race usage of slick tires, Mark Webber emerged from the Malaysian Grand Prix with a better team outcome bringing his Red Bull-Renault came across the line in 4th place.

 

During the final stage of the Malaysian Grand Prix, it was the Ferrari of Fernando Alonso skating in the lead. With major concerns about the 2012 Ferrari race car following the Australian Formula 1 round, the rain falling through the race in Malaysia gave the two-time Formula 1 World Champion Alonso a fighting chance for victory. Sergio Perez with a Sauber powered by a Ferrari engine mounted a firm charge on Fernando Alonso's factory car. While Perez was able to catch Alonso, a mistake by the sophomore Sauber pilot resulted in overrunning a corner cutting a late battle among the Ferrari engines. "On the final stint, when I was on the hard tyre compound, my tyres had degraded quite a lot. It wasn’t easy and I went wide and touched a curb. I actually was lucky not to go off." said Alonso in post-race commenting on what would amount to a second-place finish.

 

Crossing the line with a 2.2-second advantage on Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso captured his 28th grand prix victory at Malaysia. While the pace of the latest Ferrari race car in dry weather will still be a question through 2012, the win at the Malaysian Grand Prix gave the Ferrari F2012 race car at least one victory this season thanks to the masterful Alonso drive.

 

While Sergio Perez celebrates his first Formula 1 podium, the Mexican driver could not think he let a victory slip away. “It is a great day for me. The team did a very good job and I feel very happy for them. It is a really nice feeling to have been on the podium here, but I think victory was also within reach." Joining the podium celebration was Lewis Hamilton who captured his second 3rd place result in 2012.

 

With Mark Webber placing 4th, 5th place was claimed by the surviving Lotus-Renault of Kimi Raikkonen. In the first two races returning to Formula 1, Raikkonen has acquired points in both grand prix events for 2012. Bruno Senna, Paul di Resta, Jean-Eric Vergne, Nico Hulkenburg and Michael Schumacher rounded off the top-10 for the Malaysian Grand Prix 

After two-straight weeks of Formula 1 racing, the race teams and drivers of the world's top open wheel series will next run the Grand Prix of China on April 15th. 

 

2012 Formula 1
Malaysian Grand Prix
Race Results

1. 5 Fernando Alonso Ferrari
2. 15 Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari
3. 4 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
4. 2 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault
5. 9 Kami Raikkonen Lotus-Renault
6. 19 Bruno Senna Williams-Renault
7. 11 Paul di Resta Force India
8. 17 Jean-Eric Vergne Scuderia Toro Rosso-Ferrari
9. 12 Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes
10. 7 Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP
11. 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault
12. 16 Daniel Ricciardo Scuderia Toro Rosso-Ferrari
13. 8 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP
14. 3 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes
15. 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari
16. 21 Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault
17. 24 Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth
18. 20 Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault
19. 18 Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault
20. 25 Charlie Pic Marussia-Cosworth
21. 22 Pedro de la Rosa HRT F1
22. 23 Narain Karthikeyan HRT F1
23. 14 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari
24. 10 Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault

 

Hamilton Continues Early Season Hustle as Fastest in Malaysia Saturday

Photo Credit: Mercedes GP

After the first round of the 2012 Formula 1 season in Australia, there were no longer any surprises between the grand prix teams. With Albert Park a memory (a most positive memory for the McLaren F1 team), focus has turned to the Sepang International Circuit where preparations to run the 56-lap Malaysian Grand Prix was centered on Saturday's qualifying.

Maintaining a perfect performance in 2012 Formula 1 qualifying, Lewis Hamilton flew to pole Saturday for the Malaysian Grand Prix. Taking the McLaren-Mercedes to the front of Sunday's race grid with a 1-minute, 36.219-second run in the Q3 qualifying session, Hamilton was 15/100ths of a second quicker than teammate Jenson Button. Opening the season big, the McLaren F1 team duo of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button have stood on three podiums already in 2012.

The McLaren-Mercedes success came as a result of a successful battle against the full-factory Mercedes-Benz effort. Mercedes GP drivers Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg were both impressive throughout qualifying around the 5.543-kilometer Sepang International Circuit. Schumacher was second-fastest in Q1 while Rosberg posted a third-quickest time in the Q2 session. When it came to the final Q3 session, Nico Rosberg struggled to an 8th place finish after locking up his Pirelli tires through the first turn. Posting a 1-minute, 36.461-second time in Q3, 7-time Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher soared to a third-place grid position (the highest qualifying spot for a Mercedes GP car since the team's formulation in 2010). Schumacher's first top-three qualifying effort since the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix, the driver of the Mercedes F1 W03 was understandably positive in the post-time trial interview. "It felt nice being in the qualifying press conference for the first time in over five years! What is obviously more important would be sitting here again tomorrow," said Schumacher.

Photo Credit: Mercedes GP

Only the second race in the 2012 Formula 1 season, assumptions of the Red Bull Racing organization would indicate the team has lost their qualifying pace that was pivotal to a 2011 driver and constructor championship. The Red Bull-Renault of Mark Webber qualified 4th place for Sunday's race at the Sepang International Circuit. Lotus-Renault driver Kimi Raikkonen equalled Webber's 1-minute, 36.461-second time but had to settle for 5th place due to the Red Bull-Renault registering his time first. Raikkonen will relinquish 5 grid positions Sunday for a gearbox change. This is the second event in a row where Mark Webber out-qualified his teammate Sebastian Vettel. The two-time Formula 1 champion and last year's Malaysian Grand Prix winner Vettel could only muster an 8th place on Sunday's race grid. In Australia, Vettel importantly finished in 2nd place after 58 laps.

Continuing their struggles shown in the Australia Grand Prix qualifying group, the Scuderia Ferrari team drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa have been unable to get a hold of the 2012 race car's tricky handling. Alonso's Ferrari made it into the Q1 session but could only mount a 9th fastest time on the Sepang International Circuit (Alonso will start 8th based on Raikkonen's penalty). Felipe Massa is starting in 12th place for Sunday's Formula 1 event. Massa's best finish in the Malaysian Grand Prix is 5th on three occasions.

The 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix will be a full grid Sunday of all 24 cars. Failing to make the field for the Australian Grand Prix, the HRT-Cosworth cars of Pedro de la Rosa and Narain Karthikeyan fared better in on the 5.543-mile Malaysian track.

2012 Formula 1
Malaysian Grand Prix
Qualifying Results

1. 4 Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
2. 3 Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes
3. 7 Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP
4. 2 Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault
5. 1 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault
6. 10 Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault
7. 8 Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP
8. 5 Fernando Alonso Ferrari
9. 15 Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari
10. 9 Kami Raikkonen Lotus-Renault
11. 18 Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault
12. 6 Felipe Massa Ferrari
13. 19 Bruno Senna Williams-Renault
14. 11 Paul di Resta Force India
15. 16 Daniel Ricciardo Scuderia Toro Rosso-Ferrari
16. 12 Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes
17. 14 Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari
18. 17 Jean-Eric Vergne Scuderia Toro Rosso-Ferrari
19. 21 Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault
20. 24 Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth
21. 25 Charlie Pic Marussia-Cosworth
22. 22 Pedro de la Rosa HRT F1
23. 23 Narain Karthikeyan HRT F1
24. 20 Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault

  

Race Weekend Weather Forecast: April 8th to 10th, 2011

Photo credit: Dan Helrigel

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Malaysian Grand Prix
Formula 1

(Times are Local)

Friday:

10 am- Formula 1 Practice
Temperature: 28 degrees Fahrenheit (82 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with clouds
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

2 pm- Formula 1 Practice
Temperature: 32 degrees Celsius (89 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with clouds
Chance of Precipitation: 0%


Saturday:

1 pm- Formula 1 Practice
Temperature: 32 degrees Celsius (89 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy with possible thunderstorms
Chance of Precipitation: 80%
4 pm- Formula 1 Qualifying
Temperature: 31 degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloud with possible thunderstorms
Chance of Precipitation: 70%


Sunday:

4 pm- Formula 1 Race
Temperature: 31 Degrees Celsius (88 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy with thunderstorms
Chance of Precipitation: 80%


Birmingham, Alabama
Barber Motorsports Park
Honda Grand Prix of Alabama
IZOD INDYCAR Series/ Firestone Indy Lights/ Grand Am Rolex Series

Thursday:

2:25 pm- Grand Am Rolex Series Practice
Temperature: 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Mostly cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 0%


Friday:

8:40 am- Grand Am Rolex Series Practice
Temperature: 22 degrees Celsius (72 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

10:40 am- Grand Am Rolex Series Qualifying
Temperature: 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

12:15 pm- Firestone Indy Lights Practice
Temperature: 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

1:20 pm- IZOD INDYCAR Series
Temperature: 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

2:55 pm- Firestone Indy Lights Practice
Temperature: 26 degrees Celsius (80 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 100%

4:00 pm- IZOD INDYCAR Series Practice
Temperature: 28 degrees Celsius (83 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 100%


Saturday:

8:00 am- IZOD INDYCAR Series Practice
Temperature: 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with clouds
Chance of Precipitation: 30%

8:30 am- Firestone Indy Lights Qualifying
Temperature: 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with clouds
Chance of Precipitation: 30%

9:25 am- IZOD INDYCAR Series Qualifying
Temperature: 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with clouds
Chance of Precipitation: 30%

3:00 pm- Grand Am Rolex Series Race
Temperature: 28 degrees Celsius
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny (82 degrees Fahrenheit)
Chance of Precipitation: 0%


Sunday:

8:00 am- Firestone Indy Lights Warm up
Temperature: 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with clouds
Chance of Precipitation: 20%

9:00 am- IZOD INDYCAR Series Warm up
Temperature: 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with clouds
Chance of Precipitation: 20%

12:00 pm- Firestone Indy Lights Race
Temperature: 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with clouds
Chance of Precipitation: 20%

2:45 pm- IZOD INDYCAR Series Race
Temperature: 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with clouds
Chance of Precipitation: 20%



Fort Worth, Texas
Texas Motor Speedway
NASCAR Sprint Cup/Nationwide Series

(Times are for Eastern time zone)

Thursday:

2:00 pm- NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice
Temperature: 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Partly cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

4:10 pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Practice
Temperature: 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/ Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

6 pm- NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice
Temperature: 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%




Friday:

9:30 am- NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice
Temperature: 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with cloudy periods
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

11:15 am- NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice
Temperature: 24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Cloudy
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

2:00 pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Practice
Temperature: 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

4:10 pm- NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice
Temperature: 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

 5:40 pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Qualifying
Temperature: 32 degrees Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Sunny
Chance of Precipitation: 0%

7:30 pm- NASCAR Nationwide Series Race
Temperature: 30 degrees Celsius (87 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Clear/Night
Chance of Precipitation: 0%



Saturday:

6:30 pm- NASCAR Sprint Cup Race
Temperature: 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees Fahrenheit)
Sky Conditions: Sunny with cloudy periods
Chance of Precipitation: 20%

Vettel and Red Bull Triumph in Malaysian Grand Prix

Photo Credit: Mercedes GP

Entering into the 3rd round of the 2010 Formula 1 schedule, the Red Bull Racing team has been snake-bitten by misfortunes. Plaguing Sebastian Vettel in the worst way, the German succumbed to mechanical problems on his Red Bull-Renault leading both the Bahrain Grand Prix and the Australian Grand Prix. As a preseason championship favourite in the 2010 Formula 1 drivers standings, the stumbling start resulting in the forfeiture of two potential victories leaves Vettel chasing the Ferrari duo of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa sitting in an early lead for the points championship. Red Bull Racing as a whole needed the Malaysian Grand Prix to turn around the team's overall poor showing last week in Australia.

With qualifying proceeding the way of Red Bull Racing for the third time in the three races, Mark Webber was able to show the team's colours in the pole beating Mercedes GP's Nico Rosberg and teammate Sebastian Vettel for the position. Due to rain through qualifying, the time trial positions saw some surprises throughout the 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix starting grid as McLaren and Ferraris were to start deep in the field.

As the field of 24 cars took their grid positions, the start lights expired to initiate the 56 lap contest on the Sepang circuit. With Formula 1 cars rushing up to speed, the Williams-Cosworth of Rubens Barrichello suffered a stall in his 7th place grid position requiring some evasive actions from cars starting back in the pack. Barrichello was eventually restarted and would finish 1 lap behind in 12th.

With action in the back of the grid, the start saw Red Bull Racing's Sebastian Vettel launch like a lion through the frontstretch tailing his teammate Mark Webber. In a critical race-making move, Vettel was able to outpower Webber into turn 1 to take the lead. The Red Bull Racing Formula 1 cars would be a common sight in the top-2 spots in the race's running order.

While rain was in the forecast, not a single drop of water fell on the Sepang track through the event leaving some longing for the same suspense of the race in Australian disappointed in that regard. However, the Malaysian Grand Prix did provide some exciting dry weather action. As promised, the Ferrari and the McLaren cars quickly gained positions. Providing the best show moving through the field was McLaren's Lewis Hamilton. Snaking by four cars before entering into the first corner, Hamilton continued to rage war on drivers including Renault's Vitaly Petrov. The bout between Hamilton and Petrov was the highlight of the early race action as positions swapped several times amongst the two runners.



Photo Credit: Steven Tee/LAT Photographic

Showing bulletproof reliability through the first two races, the Ferrari team suffered their first mechanical problem of 2010 on the F2010 car of Fernando Alonso. Dealing with a gear selection issue most of the event, Alonso was fighting a temperamental problem through corning. With 2 laps to go, Alonso's Ferrari was attempting to pass one of the McLaren-Mercedes cars when the shifting problem finally amounted to the first retirement of a Ferrari F2010 this season.

Running like clockwork, the Red Bull Racing team celebrated their first 1-2 finish since the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix which concluded the last Formula 1 season. Sebastian Vettel led teammate Mark Webber across the start-finish line to secure has first 2010 Formula 1 victory.

Showing considerable pace with the Mercedes GP team, Nico Rosberg was the best of the rest compared to the strength of the Red Bull Racing team at Malaysia. Finishing 3rd, Rosberg became the first driver since the 1955 Italian Grand Prix to ride a Mercedes engine/chassis to a podium in Formula 1.

Rounding out the top-5 of the 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix is a Renault and a Force India formula 1 car. Robert Kubica's 4th place run comes after a podium finish last race while Adrian Sutil was able to back up his qualifying effort after 56 laps with 5th.

In the final two top-10 spots, drivers Jaime Alguersuari in the STR-Ferrari and Nico Hulkenberg with a Williams-Cosworth gained their first career Formula 1 points. Finishing outside of the points, the best of the new for 2010 teams at Malaysia was the HRT-Cosworths driven by Karun Chandrok and Bruno Senna. They pair finished 15th and 16th on the event still running at the end.

Despite the rough outing for Alonso and a 7th place for Ferrari's Felipe Massa, they continue to hold the top spots in the 2010 Formula 1 points after 3 races. However, thanks to the victory in Malaysia, Vettel is tied with Alonso for second place in the standings heading into the next grand prix round in China.


Malaysian Grand Prix
Formula 1
Race Results

1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault
2. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault
3. Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP
4. Robert Kubica Renault F1
5. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes
6. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes
7. Felipe Massa Ferrari
8. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
9. Jaime Alguersuari STR-Ferrari
10. Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth
11. Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari
12. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth
13. Fernando Alonso Ferrari
14. Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth
15. Karun Chandhok HRT-Cosworth
16. Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth
17. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth
18. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth
19. Vitaly Petrov Renault
20. Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes
21. Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP
22. Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari
23. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth
24. Pedro de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari

Webber Swims to Malaysian Grand Prix Pole

Photo Credit: Mercedes GP

Touching down on the Asian continent after an eventful Australian Grand Prix, the 2010 Formula 1 tour prepares for their 3rd race of the season, the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Coming off victory in Australia with his McLaren-Mercedes, Jenson Button returns to the 3.444 mile Sepang track as the defending race winner from 2009. 2010 competition ofr the Malaysian race is expected to be tough as the driver of the ultra-fast Red Bull Racing cars and the consistent Ferrari F2010s have shown early season strength.

As Formula 1 competitors and cars braced for Saturday qualifying, memories of the 2009 Malaysia race were probably flowing through many minds. Last season, the downpour followed by a mid-race thunderstorm permanently halted the Malaysian Grand Prix after running 33 of the 56 lap distance. In the final moments of the 3rd qualifying segment, rain became so intense that FIA race stewards threw a red flag.

With qualifying run, the Red Bull-Renault of Mark Webber set the fastest time by a considerable 1.3 second margin. Timing his run perfectly in before the heavy rain hit, Webber was able to blitz around the Sepang track 1 minute 49.327 seconds on intermediate Bridgestone race tires. Mark Webber takes the pole for Malaysian Grand Prix the weekend after getting reprimanded by the FIA for rough driving in the latter stages of the Australian Grand Prix. Webber bested the Mercedes GP driver Nico Rosberg who joins the Red Bull-Renault on the front row.

The second Red Bull Racing driver Sebastian Vettel starts right behind Mark Webber in 3rd place on the grid. Overall for 2010, Red Bull Racing has shown incredible pace but has encountered incidents through the first two grand prix events both mechanical and contact related.

In an outstanding fourth place, Adrian Sutil placed the Force India-Mercedes in the best grid position since his second place qualifying effort in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza last season. Not typically a front-running team, Force India has made massive strides to becoming a full-fledged Formula 1 constructor. Sutil's teammate Vitantonio Liuzzi also performed admirably in Malaysian Grand Prix qualifying placed 10th on the day.

Joining the front of the grid, Williams F1 also had an overall stellar performance. Setting 5th and 7th fastest times, Williams' rookie driver Nico Hulkenberg outrun his more experienced teammate Rubens Barrichello. Barrichello, holding the most starts of an active Formula 1 driver, was not the only seasoned veteran bested by his younger teammate. In the Mercedes GP team, Nico Rosberg 2nd place start tops Michael Schumacher who mustered an 8th place time.

While Lewis Hamilton through the first two Malaysian Grand Prix practices on Friday, Hamilton and the McLaren team had trouble finding pace amongst a wetter Saturday time trial. Having the worst qualifying luck of the McLaren F1 team was Australian Grand Prix winner Jenson Button. Benefiting from a daring wet weather strategy last week at Albert Park, the intensifying precipitation around Sepang elected not to cooperate with the reigning Formula 1 Driver Champion. Failing to find traction on Bridgestone intermediate tires, Button slid his McLaren-Mercedes off the circuit in the 1st round of the knock-out qualifying. Resting in the sand trap, Jenson Button was unable to improve on his 17th place time even though he was eligible for the second round qualifying. McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton remained on track (particularly after McLaren opted Hamilton onto full rain tires) but finished slower in 20th.

If the struggle of the McLaren team wasn't surprising enough, the legendary Ferrari Formula 1 team was also bitten by speed issues on Saturday. Sandwiching Lewis Hamilton's McLaren, Fernando Alonso placed 19th while Bahrain Grand Prix winner Felipe Massa seeded in 21th. In fact, both of the Lotus-Cosworth cars outran the vast resources of the Italian auto racing powerhouse.

Weather conditions are expected to be wet for the 2010 running of the Malaysian Grand Prix set to start 4 p.m. Sunday Malaysia time or 4 a.m. Eastern time. With quality driver and teams at the back of the field, the start of this grand prix is certainly going to be worth watching.


2010 Formula 1
Malaysian Grand Prix
Starting Grid

1. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault
2. Nico Rosberg Mercedes GP
3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault
4. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes
5. Nico Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth
6. Robert Kubica Renault F1
7. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth
8. Michael Schumacher Mercedes GP
9. Kamui Kobayashi BMW Sauber-Ferrari
10. Vitantonio Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes
11. Vitaly Petrov Renault
12. Pedro de la Rosa BMW Sauber-Ferrari
13. Sebastien Buemi STR-Ferrari
14. Jaime Alguersuari STR-Ferrari
15. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth
16. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth
17. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes
18. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Cosworth
19. Fernando Alonso Ferrari
20. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes
21. Felipe Massa Ferrari
22. Karun Chandhok HRT-Cosworth
23. Bruno Senna HRT-Cosworth
24. Lucas di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth