271 replies to this topic

[Newbrray]

 

 

 

 

Yes, the 2nd race of the year and maybe a few lingering questions will finally be answered

 

Will Fernando Alonso return in Malaysia

Will Valteri Bottas overcome his back injury and return

Will Mercedes dominance continue

Can Ferrari challenge them

What about McLaren - will they and Honda finally come good

Have Manor Racing gotten over their software glitches

 

Race Date: 29 Mar 2015
Circuit Name: Sepang International Circuit
First Grand Prix: 1999
Number of Laps: 56
Circuit Length: 5.543km
Lap Record: 1:34.223 - J P Montoya (2004)

 

     

 

http://www.formula1..../Malaysia.html#

 

 

 

Circuit information Lap data

 

Lap length 5.543km (3.444 miles)

 

Race laps 56 Race distance 310.408km (192.879 miles)

 

Pole position Right-hand side of the track

 

Lap record* 1’34.223 (211.783 kph) by Juan Pablo Montoya,

 

2004 Fastest lap 1’32.582 (215.536 kph) by Fernando Alonso,

 

2005 Maximum speed 303kph (188.275 mph)

 

DRS zone/s (race) Pit straight and final straight

 

Distance from grid to turn one 650m

 

Car performance   Full throttle 45%

 

Longest flat-out section 1029m

 

Downforce level High

 

Fuel use per lap 1.7kg

 

Time penalty per lap of fuel 0.051s

 

Strategy   Quickest complete pit stop in 2013 20.736s by Red Bull (see full list)

 

2014 prime tyre: Hard, 2014 option tyre: Medium 

 

2013: Hard) (2013: Medium)

 

Last Years (2014 FP, Qualifying and Race stats)

 

Free Practice 1  - Lewis Hamilton - 1:40:691

 

Free Practice 2 - Nico Rosberg  - 1:39:909

 

Free Practice 3 - Nico Rosberg - 1:39:008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pirelli Tyre choice 

 

Malaysia - hard, medium

 

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HTnQ7ax5vp8

 

2015 Driver Standings

 

1 LEWIS HAMILTON GBR MERCEDES 25 2 NICO ROSBERG GER MERCEDES 18 3 SEBASTIAN VETTEL GER FERRARI 15 4 FELIPE MASSA BRA WILLIAMS 12 5 FELIPE NASR BRA SAUBER 10 6 DANIEL RICCIARDO AUS RED BULL RACING 8 7 NICO HULKENBERG GER FORCE INDIA 6 8 MARCUS ERICSSON SWE SAUBER 4 9 CARLOS SAINZ ESP TORO ROSSO 2 10 SERGIO PEREZ MEX FORCE INDIA 1 11 JENSON BUTTON GBR MCLAREN 0

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Newbrray, 25 March 2015 - 21:50.

[A3]

Amazing Ericsson is in 5th with such a tiny car!

Edited by A3, 20 March 2015 - 20:02.

[Speedoholic]

Will Horner ever shut up?

[SealTheDiffuser]

MiniMe Saubers interesting...

[brr]

Sauber made the cars smaller just in case so that Van Der Garde would not fit in.

[Newbrray]

Too early to predict what the weather will be like but you can bet rain will feature at some point over the GP weekend

 

http://www.weather.c...75&locale=en_GB

[hamilton10000]

Does anyone know why qualifying is starting at 17:00 local time? Surely that is prime time for the daily thunderstorms, just look at the 09 race.

[Newbrray]

Does anyone know why qualifying is starting at 17:00 local time? Surely that is prime time for the daily thunderstorms, just look at the 09 race.

 

I think they moved it by an hour to satisfy the European audience or something to that effect

 

Here's a link

 

Edit  - Apparently it was done to avoid evening thunderstorms and that was for the race, not sure they moved the qualifying time. I guess qualifying can always be postponed if they had a torrential downpour, don't think they have much options for the race hence why they might have moved one and left the other

Edited by Newbrray, 20 March 2015 - 12:05.

[hamilton10000]

I think they moved it by an hour to satisfy the European audience or something to that effect

Its probably something like that but I hardly think that moving it from 9-10am CET is gonna make much difference, just risking a massively rain delayed or cancelled qualifying

[krapmeister]

I think the only question that needs to be answered is will McLaren beat Manor on merit?

[Newbrray]

I think the only question that needs to be answered is will McLaren beat Manor on merit?

 

Come one, the McLaren gave the Force India a run for its money (for a few laps at least) am sure Manor have no chance (at least on merit)

[krapmeister]

McLaren being 5 secs off the pace gives Manor every chance...

[Sheepmachine]

I think the only question that needs to be answered is will McLaren beat Manor on merit?

I would question if Mclaren would even finish the race.

Great OP Newbrray.

[SlickMick]

Very nice OP and ballsy - didn't think anyone wanted to incur the wrath of kh.. Jp again.
Nah, good job, really.

[SealTheDiffuser]

hoping for a rain race/qual i and VET victory...

Williams will be hopeless off the Merc in the dry and rain sadly

[noikeee]

 

Will Mercedes dominance continue

 

 

Yeah I don't think that's questionable even if it's written in Comic Sans

[Newbrray]

Any news about who might potentially replace Valterri Bottas if he can't race. Are Williams even considering Suzie Woolf  at all ?

[sopa]

Okay, some of the key questions in my view.

 

Are Ferrari and Williams, powered by different PU-s, still a match to each other on a completely different circuit?

Is Red Bull better than they looked in Australia?

How consistent is the car of Sauber across different circuits or was Australia a one-off?

How good is Lotus, especially in the race?

 

If it rains, how does each perform in those conditions?

[JHSingo]

Spoiler alert: Mercedes wins.

 

The end.

 

[SenorSjon]

Any interesting court cases? The VDG one was the most entertaining part of the race in Australia.

[Sheepmachine]

Any news about who might potentially replace Valterri Bottas if he can't race. Are Williams even considering Suzie Woolf at all ?

Don't think they are. http://www.bbc.co.uk...rmula1/31893787 I guess Alex Lynn if they had to replace Bottas although I hear a certain Geido Van da Garde is available.

[A3]

Let's predict how many laps they'll 'race' behind the safety car!

 

Or how many times the words "aquaplaning" and "undrivable" are screamed over the board radio.

 

[A3]

 although I hear a certain Geido Van da Garde is available.

 

He doesn't have a suit or a superlicense, no way!

[Newbrray]

Don't think they are. http://www.bbc.co.uk...rmula1/31893787 I guess Alex Lynn if they had to replace Bottas although I hear a certain Geido Van da Garde is available.

 

I hear he's also got 15 million Euros in his back pocket  #Handy

 

Although one has to wonder if that happens what the chances are of him ramming into a Sauber car

[sopa]

He doesn't have a suit or a superlicense, no way!

 

At least now he has more time to settle the necessary procedures to actually get to the start.

[SirT]

Any news about who might potentially replace Valterri Bottas if he can't race. Are Williams even considering Suzie Woolf  at all ?

 

James Allen suggesting Wehrlein may be driving for Williams if Bottas hasn't recovered.

 

http://www.jamesalle...as-in-malaysia/

Edited by SirT, 20 March 2015 - 15:09.

[RockBrocaine]

Will Adrian Sutil bring his lawyers?  I can only hope.

[MikeV1987]

AWESOME track, one of my favorites. I miss driving it in the F1 games.

 

Great job on the OP btw.

Edited by MikeV1987, 20 March 2015 - 15:29.

[thegamer23]

Epic OP

[sopa]

Will Adrian Sutil bring his lawyers?  I can only hope.

 

No, but he will bring a champagne glass.

[xmoonrakerx]

When i see comic sans i lose the will to read

[JoseM]

James Allen suggesting Wehrlein may be driving for Williams if Bottas hasn't recovered.

 

http://www.jamesalle...as-in-malaysia/

Wouldn't it be dandy if Wehrlein just sit in that Willy and show the world how ordinary Bottas really is...

[jonpollak]

Tree Men Dos work there Newbrray.

 

However I hate to inform the makers of that lovely race flyer...

There's 1 less rockstar on the grid

Lenny Kravitz has cancelled

 

I know that's a deal breaker but..they'll just have to soldier on without him.

 

Jp

[jonpollak]

Very nice OP and ballsy - didn't think anyone wanted to incur the wrath of kh.. Jp again.
Nah, good job, really.

Funny you should say that Mick..

Although I slated the OP for Melbourne it was totally commensurate for the race that ensued.

 

That'll teach me to mess with the OP gods huh

Jp

[jonpollak]

Wouldn't it be dandy if Wehrlein just sit in that Willy and show the world how ordinary Bottas really is...

THAT'S IT... YOU'RE OUT OF THE POOL.

Jp

[Lotusseven]

Wowser ! What a brilliant topic start post, well done Newbarray !          /of 5.

[Sheepmachine]

Wouldn't it be dandy if Wehrlein just sit in that Willy and show the world how ordinary Bottas really is...

[Newbrray]

Happy most of you like the OP 

 

For those not into comic Sans (changed it)

Pity about the flyer (Lenny not playing) but shouldn't matter 

 

With regards to Williams, I just don't understand why they're reluctant to use Suzie Woolf, all the FPs she's done they seem to give her the thumbs up but now that it's "squeaky bum time" the tune has changed a tad

Edited by Newbrray, 20 March 2015 - 16:40.

[Atreiu]

I never liked the circuit, it has too many slow corners for my taste.

 

It better rain.

[KingTiger]

I hear he's also got 15 million Euros in his back pocket  #Handy

 

Although one has to wonder if that happens what the chances are of him ramming into a Sauber car

 

I hope nobody in motorsport ever has contact with that toxic man again.

 

I never liked the circuit, it has too many slow corners for my taste.

 

It better rain.

 

I think it's one of the best tracks on the calendar. 

Edited by KingTiger, 20 March 2015 - 17:27.

[Andrew Hope]

I'm drinking the Nasr Kool-Aid. I think he's a rising star/young gun/up-and-comer. In Australia I put money on him to fail. Once bitten...

[TomNokoe]

Ferrari to be fastest in a straight line as Merc pile on the DF for S2.

Closer than Australia.

[OO7]

I never liked the circuit, it has too many slow corners for my taste.

 

It better rain.

I agree with you there Atreiu, but then again that goes for pretty much all the Tilke circuits.

[Jon83]

Will Adrian Sutil bring his lawyers?  I can only hope.

 

Hopefully he'll bring his girlfriend too.

[JHSingo]

Wouldn't it be dandy if Wehrlein just sit in that Willy and show the world how ordinary Bottas really is...

 

This coming from a Rosberg fan.

 

[TomNokoe]

Strikes me how similar this circuit is to Bahrain. Especially the first half.


Long main straight, heavy braking into a tight right hander,

A flick to the left,

Decent sized straight again,

Low-medium speed right hander,

Very fast left-right sweeper.

Gets a bit murky from there for a while, as Sepang is more an elongated track.

Last sector is similar too, though. More fast corners before a medium speed corner into a final long straight up to the last corner.

[Ducks]

Wouldn't it be dandy if Wehrlein just sit in that Willy and show the world how ordinary Bottas really is...

 

[Button4life]

McLaren is going to lap everyone on the grid and quali 6 sec ahead of everyone on the grid...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

... in a reverse universe

[turssi]

New Bare said: "Have Manor Racing gotten over their software glitches?"

I say that this depends entirely on whether they have deposited 10 MUSD on a certain account in Maranello. No money, no honey! As stated by Arrivabene !

[sopa]

Wouldn't it be dandy if Wehrlein just sit in that Willy and show the world how ordinary Bottas really is...

 

Were Wehrlein to make Bottas "look ordinary", he'd basically need to trash Massa on his GP outing. And were he to do that, top teams would be immediately contacting his manager to sign the new superstar up for next year!