2009 - Malaysian Grand Prix - 04.04.09

iker_raikkonen · **Joined:** Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:46 pm **Posts:** 578

Start your Malaysian GP discussions here!

petrolhead · **Joined:** Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:45 pm **Posts:** 434

The biggest talking point will probably be about the light conditions, especially when it rains as it has done so this week. The race finishes 2 hours later than before and will more likely coincide with a shower.

iker_raikkonen · **Joined:** Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:46 pm **Posts:** 578

I dont think the two hours later is going to play much into factor at Malaysia because it is not like the Australian Circuit where it is a Park by nature and the shadows are causing a lot of problem. Biggest problem I guess would be rain.

petrolhead · **Joined:** Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:45 pm **Posts:** 434

The trees and grandstands will affect the visibility, although it may not be as bad as what we saw.

triton · **Posted:** Fri Apr 03, 2009 1:36 pm

iker_raikkonen wrote:

I dont think the two hours later is going to play much into factor at Malaysia because it is not like the Australian Circuit where it is a Park by nature and the shadows are causing a lot of problem. Biggest problem I guess would be rain.

I agree that it may not be as bad as Albert Park. Also the Sepang circuit sits in an "amphitheatre" surrounded by low hills and mound thus blocking sunlight into the helmet. The problem at Sepang as always is the heat & humidity and the threat of sudden torrential rain. I remember one race i attended, it was raining at the F-stand but sunny at the K-stand

iker_raikkonen · **Joined:** Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:46 pm **Posts:** 578

Yikes, that'd be a handful and -sigh- I honestly don't want to see a repeat of last year's Hungarian GP... :S

iker_raikkonen · **Joined:** Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:46 pm **Posts:** 578

And the prac 1 results:

PlanetF1.com wrote:

Times
01 N. Rosberg Williams 1:36.260 27 laps
02 K. Nakajima Williams 1:36.305 25 laps
03 J. Button Brawn GP 1:36.430 20 laps
04 R. Barrichello Brawn GP 1:36.487 22 laps
05 F. Massa Ferrari 1:36.561 21 laps
06 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:36.646 18 laps
07 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:36.699 16 laps
08 M. Webber Red Bull 1:36.703 23 laps
09 S. Vettel Red Bull 1:36.747 25 laps
10 T. Glock Toyota 1:36.980 27 laps
11 J. Trulli Toyota 1:36.982 26 laps
12 G. Fisichella Force India 1:37.025 20 laps
13 R. Kubica BMW 1:37.039 18 laps
14 N. Piquet jr. Renault 1:37.199 20 laps
15 A. Sutil Force India 1:37.241 18 laps
16 F. Alonso Renault 1:37.395 12 laps
17 S. Buemi Toro Rosso 1:37.634 22 laps
18 N. Heidfeld BMW 1:37.640 17 laps
19 S. Bourdais Toro Rosso 1:38.022 19 laps
20 H. Kovalainen McLaren 1:38.483 7 laps

petrolhead · **Joined:** Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:45 pm **Posts:** 434

If it gets as dark on Sunday as it is outside my window right now, there may also be safety issues for the spectators, since Sepang is in the countryside and not exactly well lit at night.

I saw the pictures from practice 2 and the rain in the distance was like a huge, localised column. Anyway, Kimi broke the Rosberg stranglehold on free practice sessions:

Malaysian GP free practice session two times

1. RAIKKONEN Ferrari 1m35.707s
2. MASSA Ferrari 1m35.832s
3. VETTEL Red Bull 1m35.954s
4. ROSBERG Williams 1m36.015s
5. WEBBER Red Bull 1m36.026s
6. BARRICHELLO Brawn 1m36.161s
7. BUTTON Brawn 1m36.254s
8. NAKAJIMA Williams 1m36.290s
9. KOVALAINEN McLaren 1m36.397s
10. PIQUET Renault 1m36.401s
11. HAMILTON McLaren 1m36.515s
12. TRULLI Toyota 1m36.516s
13. BUEMI Toro Rosso 1m36.628s
14. GLOCK Toyota 1m36.639s
15. ALONSO Renault 1m36.640s
16. SUTIL Force India 1m36.875s
17. KUBICA BMW 1m37.267s
18. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso 1m37.278s
19. FISICHELLA Force India 1m37.432s
20. HEIDFELD BMW 1m37.930s

Cloud · **Joined:** Sat Nov 24, 2007 1:13 pm **Posts:** 165

I am curious to see the performance of Ferrari and Mclaren here. Are they really losing to the smaller team or it is just an one -off thing in Malaysia.

petrolhead · **Joined:** Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:45 pm **Posts:** 434

McLaren's lack of pace is real, and the drivers just said that they qualified where they had expected to be. Ferrari have all these niggling reliability issues and the KERS costs them some single-lap speed too.

Ferrari gambled on putting in a single early hot lap in Q1 and it cost Massa dearly.

Malaysian GP starting grid

1. BUTTON Brawn
2. TRULLI Toyota
3. GLOCK Toyota
4. ROSBERG Williams
5. WEBBER Red Bull
6. KUBICA BMW
7. RAIKKONEN Ferrari
8. ALONSO Renault
9. BARRICHELLO Brawn*
10. HEIDFELD BMW
11. NAKAJIMA Williams
12. HAMILTON McLaren
13. VETTEL Red Bull**
14. KOVALAINEN McLaren
15. BOURDAIS Toro Rosso
16. MASSA Ferrari
17. PIQUET Renault
18. FISICHELLA Force India
19. SUTIL Force India
20. BUEMI Toro Rosso

* five-place penalty for gearbox change

** 10-place penalty carried from Melbourne

triton · **Posted:** Sat Apr 04, 2009 9:47 pm

Massa's qualy fiasco shows how the Ferrari team sorely missed the leadership of Jean Todt and Ross Brawn.

iker_raikkonen · **Joined:** Thu Nov 15, 2007 4:46 pm **Posts:** 578

Terrible! I thought it was extremely preposterous of them assume that they would be in the top 15 with 5 minutes left to go.

Have they been absent for the previous qualifying session and race? Don't they know that now the playing field has been leveled? Really, what are they thinking about? Absolutely idiotic!

tonksy · **Joined:** Tue Nov 27, 2007 1:53 pm **Posts:** 342

What happened?

I missed the qualies and the replay i saw, was 3rd heat already and no Massa running.

BTW, i'm still a bit disappointed how Rosberg van go fastest during practice and then not translate that to quali. But light bulb earlier telling me "At least now he lasts until heat 3 and can get a place in the first half ... something he wasn't able to do few seasons ago."

You can't get all things.

halcoynya · **Joined:** Wed Sep 24, 2008 12:33 pm **Posts:** 66

Yep, Ferrari took a gamble and Massa paid for it. It'll now be interesting to see how Massa will approach this race, from near the back of the grid.

tonksy · **Joined:** Tue Nov 27, 2007 1:53 pm **Posts:** 342

I really, really, really hope that Nico does not freeze and accomplishes a good start. And KIMI is not caught it some stupid first turn bottle up.

2009 - Malaysian Grand Prix - 04.04.09

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