Malaysian GP Report: Petronas Tower

Today was a day for clarity. The rain stayed away, and thus we got a clear steer of who in F1's vastly changed landscape this year has got it right, and who less so. Given this the Malaysian Grand Prix felt a lot like a portent: the Mercedes was markedly the quickest machine out there, as expected. But of the two Lewis Hamilton was emphatically the one on top, which was less commonly expected. Certainly not to today's extent.

It was one of those days wherein one guy had the legs of everyone else, and eveyone knew it. Within a couple of corners pole man Lewis had metres on the rest, who were led by his team mate Nico Rosberg. At the end of the first tour he was already two seconds down the road. And in the following laps it went up 3.2, 3.9, 4.3... Already this was all over barring reliability.

No one got near to Lewis Hamilton today
Photo: Octane Photography

Given the team's partnership with Petronas, in an appropriate place it was a towering performance.
By the end Lewis completed his rout of Rosberg and of the rest with his second-placed stable mate some 17.3 seconds away, and did so seemingly with much in hand (the graphics on the TV feed indicated that he had plenty of fuel aboard for the most part). And as a coup de grace he set the fastest lap of a 1m 43.0 with three tours left, either out of boredom or to underline his superiority. Whatever was the motivation, we got the message.

And for all that he put a brave face on it, none would have got it more loud and clear than Nico Rosberg. Following a 2013 wherein there wasn't much to chose all-in between the two Merc pilots, and a set of new regulations for this campaign anticipated to suit his cerebral approach, as well as with a quick set of wheels, he and his fans had much to look forward to. Now - after our first direct face-off of the season - a few expectations are being furiously recalculated. 'He was a bit too quick today' said Nico afterwards economically of the guy across the garage. Things may well change but it was one heck of an opening salvo from Lewis.

Sepang Qualifying: Just like last time

I often wonder if the F1 Gods have a rather wicked sense of humour. Certainly they often give this outward impression.

Prior to the season start with the new regulations there were a few rather hushed and awed comments doing the rounds to the effect of 'just wait until they're driving these cars in the wet', what with the vastly increased torque and reduced grip. Well, as of today you can make it two qualifying sessions in the new formula, and two in which the rain came down.

And today it really came down. Someone in advance of the Sepang qualifying hour said the chance of the elements disrupting things was 45%, but as water started to descend at full force 45 minutes out of the nominal session start time and refused to stop the chance looked 100%. Generously. The green flag was delayed as a result by close to an hour, and after it did fall the track was wet to varying degrees throughout as the rain still had a few more stabs left in it.

In another wet qualifying session, Lewis Hamilton
 made it two poles from two
Photo: Octane Photography

And with (fairly) similar conditions to those of the previous qualifying session in Melbourne we got a fairly similar outcome: once again the Mercedes looked hard to stop even when faced with precipitation (perhaps right now only half a metre of snow would send its cars down the order). But just like then one thing the elements did do was hoist the fine-handling but probably underpowered Red Bull right up to the sharp end.

Just like then it was Lewis Hamilton who got the job done when it really mattered, and Nico Rosberg who'd looked close throughout fading slightly at the vital moment of Q3. Just like then Lewis seized pole position, while Rosberg was left a little adrift to only be able to line up directly behind in third place.

Malaysian GP 2014 Betting Preview by Andy Morgan

The new-age F1 treads further into the unknown this weekend as the hot and humid Sepang Circuit awaits, providing a vigorous challenge for all the teams and drivers concerned. Yet a major slice of 2013 will take the limelight as high degrading tyres sit at the forefront of thoughts after FP1 and FP2.

Lewis Hamilton topped FP1 and Nico Rosberg followed that up in FP2, yet the difference in times tells the real story as Ferrari and Red Bull have seemingly dragged back Mercedes after their dominance in Melbourne. Mercedes has complained about the life of the medium tyre in the long runs and last year's persistent problems on the tyres looks set to reappear this weekend as the scorching Malaysian temperatures light up the track.

Will Mercedes be on top again? And if so, which one?
Photo: octane Photography

So where does that leave Mercedes? Its cars seem to have more in hand over its rivals, particularly in a qualifying set up. The eight tenths of a second advantage quoted by Christian Horner for Mercedes engines on the long straights will be a major advantage in overtaking struggling cars on used tyres. This is likely to be Red Bull and Ferrari who may attempt longer stints in order to leapfrog Mercedes with fewer pit stops.

Red Bull has been dominant in Sepang recently with Vettel winning three out of last four and Red Bull earning an infamous 1-2 in 2013. Multi-21 t-shirts should be visible in the grandstands throughout the weekend, although Red Bull would love to be in a similar position and have to relay the same message this weekend. Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button make up the previous winners in the last five seasons.

Sepang Preview: Sign of the times

If anyone was ever to write a definitive history of the F1 venue then the Sepang International Circuit, host of the Malaysian Grand Prix for the sixteenth time this weekend, would have to play a significant part in the story. In a certain sense it would be more important than any other.

No, really. Stop laughing at the back. Yes, I know it's perhaps not one of the rounds on the calendar that necessarily quickens the heartbeat like Spa or Suzuka; it doesn't attract a mass crowd like Silverstone or Monza. To be brutal, if the Malaysian Grand Prix didn't exist there wouldn't likely be much of a pressing need to invent it (unless you just so happen to be CVC's bank manager).

The distinctive architecture of the Sepang venue
Credit: Eriang87/ CC

But it is so because Sepang was the very first of the purpose-built, no expense spared, constructed from nothing, Hermann Tilke-designed facilities that so dominate the calendar these days. And when everyone pitched up there for the first time in 1999 they could sense the forward stride in standards from what had gone before that it represented; Bernie not for nothing called it 'the best circuit in the world'. Its template has been used repeatedly in just about every new venue on the F1 itinerary since.

That template by now will be familiar to you: impressive and decorative grandstand and paddock architecture; long straights book-ended by tight corners intended to provide overtaking opportunities; and a fast esses section. All are present at Sepang. And as Tilke-dromes go its layout remains one of the best, arguably only usurped by Austin in the years since. The Sepang circuit is flowing and challenging, with a wide variety of fast, medium and slow corners.

New F1 Times article: The times they are a-changin' – F1's noise debate

Unless you've been living in seclusion ever since the Australian Grand Prix, you'll be aware that most of us it seems have had their say on F1's noise debate in recent days.

For F1 Times, I've outlined my views on the matter. I look at what may explain the division and why I think we have little to fear fro the new-spec F1.

Please pop over and have a read by clicking on this link: http://www.f1times.co.uk/news/display/08660

New F1Plus.com article: Pastor's predicament

Photo: Octane Photography

You may be aware that as well as writing for this site I also am a regular contributor to F1Plus.com. Indeed, I attended a couple of Grands Prix last season with media accreditation on behalf of the site.

I've just written an article on Pastor Maldonado and the predicament he's found himself in having forcibly removed himself from Williams for a Lotus drive for 2014. I explain that Maldonado isn't the first (nor will he be the last) to make a career move that looks bad in hindsight, as well as why things may yet turn in his favour.

If you'd like a read, here's the link: http://www.f1plus.com/en/news/item/5590

And there's plenty more going on at F1Plus.com that may be of interest: lots of articles by other F1 writers and fans, merchandise, news and more. Do check the site out out if you can.

No slackening from Seb

Let me take you back ten years almost to the day, to the 2004 Australian Grand Prix, then as now at the Albert Park circuit; then as now the scene of the opening round of the F1 season.

It was a race that on the face of it didn't have much to distinguish it. Michael Schumacher in his Ferrari helped himself to a dominant win from pole, as he seemed to most times in that era; leading every lap and it never looking remotely like anyone could touch him. Yet it's one of the races that most readily springs to my mind when I reminisce about Schumi's totemic modus operandi.

Despite a difficult weekend, Sebastian Vettel underlined
that he's not letting up in 2014
Photo: Octane Photography

Why? Well after taking the chequered flag he guided his victorious machine into parc ferme and celebrated joyfully with his team. So far, so normal. But then as he turned into the paddock building in order to to climb the stairs to the podium he - apparently unaware that a TV camera was on him - had a clenched fists celebration to himself. This remember was in response to no fewer than his 71st Grand Prix win - a scarcely credible number - as well as that he by this point had a record six world championships next to his name. Yet his reaction of spontaneous joy resembled that of one who'd never won a race in any category before, let alone had enjoyed his habitual success at the sport's pinnacle. And it captures possibly the most remarkable of the many remarkable facets of Schumi, that no matter what he won (and he won plenty) his desperation to win never seemed to diminish even by decimal points.

The GPFocus Australian Grand Prix review podcast is here...

The latest GPFocus podcast has landed for your listening pleasure. A high-quality panel of Ewan Marshall, Louis Suddaby, Luke Smith and I review the opening round of the 2014 season in Melbourne.

We discuss, among other things:

• our first experience of the new-era F1;
• which teams and drivers can be pleased with their debuts and which less so; as well as
• the infamous disqualification of Daniel Ricciardo.

You can listen by clicking below:



And a little reminder that an archive more than two years' worth of GPFocus podcasts that I have appeared on can be accessed via the 'Podcasts' tab above.

The kids are alright

Recent times haven't been good times for the F1 rookie. Testing has been severely restricted in an attempt to curb the sport's spiralling costs, but an untended consequence of it all was that it made it much harder for the debutant to get up to speed. Unlike generations past, they could not circulate in the latest car pretty much to their heart's content (or rather, to their team's budget's content) until their act was sharpened up prior to their freshman race weekend. It meant often that their first half season or so at the sport's pinnacle was something for them to endure, and unfortunately such is F1's way many made their minds up about them - and negatively - in the meantime.

That continued to be the way for the most part, until last Sunday. In the Australian Grand Prix it can be said that the rookie struck back.

Kevin Magnussen - impressive in Melbourne
Photo: Octane Photography

Kevin Magnussen, making his F1 bow, proved to be the star of the show. He set the McLaren pace, and smoothly and rapidly circulated to a third place finish (which became second after Ricciardo's disqualification), all the while in the car and out giving the impression that it was all the most natural thing in the world to him. Rob Wilson - not one given to hyperbole - said that Magnussen's assurance was reminiscent of a young Jackie Stewart.

While further back Daniil Kvyat - a man whose accelerated promotion to the Toro Rosso drive elicited some cynicism - impressed too on his way to becoming the sport's youngest ever points scorer; on the way keeping his team mate Jean-Eric Vergne more than honest in a wet qualifying session wherein Vergne usually excels as well as throughout the race. Like Magnussen his mental strength and maturity belied his youth.

Kimi's quandary - thoughts on round one of Alonso vs. Raikkonen

Much is new about F1 in 2014. But of all of the novelties anticipated one perhaps brought more expectancy than all others: Fernando Alonso and Kimi Raikkonen; two titans finally getting to clash directly in one of those rare 'two roosters in the same hen-house' scenarios, and doing so in possibly the most unforgiving hen-house there is, at Ferrari.

And in Melbourne it was an emphatic strike one to Alonso; all weekend it seemed the gap gaped in his favour. From the very start of Friday practice it tended to amount to several tenths of a second per lap consistently. The rain of qualifying didn't help Kimi much either, indeed it appeared to hinder as his best was a full 1.6 seconds shy of Alonso's in the same session.

Kimi Raikkonen's second Ferrari debut was a difficult one
Photo: Octane Photography

Further, throughout the weekend you probably could have gauged as much even without the aid of a stop watch. What Murray Walker used to call the 'body language' of Kimi's F14 T rarely looked right: all locked brakes, hesitant and wayward turn-ins, wide and sometimes off track excursions including ending the afore-mentioned qualifying session in the wall (and admitting later that he was on an in-lap when it happened and was 'playing around with switches or something').

In the race Kimi got closer, and was indeed unlucky to lose a couple of places in the safety car period due to having to 'queue' in the pits, but even so come the end he was more than twenty seconds adrift of his similarly-equipped team mate, and displayed some of the outlandish moments of earlier in the weekend still.