The second round of F1’s new era takes place in Malaysia and follows what was an intriguing and exciting 2014 season opener in Australia.
The race is arguably the toughest on the calendar due to the demanding circuit, high temperatures and humidity.
The weather always plays an important part in the race weekend. Rain usually makes an appearance and when it arrives, it is often torrential. The 2001 race was spiced up by a heavy rain shower early on and the 2009 round in Sepang was red flagged due to horrendous conditions.
Melbourne hosted the first race of the new season, which showed glimpses of how the dramatic regulation changes have mixed-up the competitive order. Mercedes dominated with their sole remaining car in the race, Nico Rosberg, while McLaren and Williams look to have recovered from difficult 2013s.
Elsewhere, Ferrari looks to be in the mix and Red Bull’s pace and reliability wasn’t as bad as first feared after winter testing, although the Milton Keynes-based outfit heads to Malaysia without any points following Daniel Ricciardo’s dramatic exclusion. Lotus looks to be struggling for pace and reliability, while Force India remain in the midfield.
Updates will be taken to round two and the order could easily change. Maybe not the leading Mercedes duo, but those who encountered difficulties in Melbourne could well recover and score a good result. In the F1 world, a lot can happen in two weeks. It should be a fantastic and fascinating weekend of on-track action.
The 3.44-mile Sepang International Circuit is a firm driver favourite and is undoubtedly one of the best designs from Hermann Tilke – who has been responsible for seven track layouts on the 2014 calendar.
A permanent fixture on the F1 schedule since 1999, it consists of 15 turns and a variety of corner types. It is a challenging track with a mix of high-speed bends, tight hairpins and long straights; causing a compromise with car set-up.
A lap of the circuit begins on the long pit straight, which is where the first DRS zone will be positioned. It is one of the widest on the calendar and always creates plenty of side-by-side action at the start of races. The first corner is a long, slow right-hander that used to be taken in second gear, although the new V6 Turbo engines and eight-speed semi-automatic gearboxes look set to change that.
It is followed almost immediately by turn two, which is an even tighter left-hand turn that drops downhill. This corner is particularly tricky in the wet; as Fernando Alonso found out last year after he hit the back of Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull on lap one. Because of the quick change in direction, a driver who has lost a position and has the outside line for the opening corner then has the chance to reclaim the place into turn two.
A good exit is crucial for the flat-out burst towards turn four - which includes the high-speed kink of turn three. The first sector ends just before the braking zone for the fourth corner, which is a 90 degree right.
With the reductions of downforce in 2014, the left-right, high-speed complex of turns five and six could be particularly tricky. The seventh and eighth corners make up a long, medium-speed, double-apex right. Despite the largely smooth track surface, there is a bump through this section of track that can unsettle the car. This area of the track is very difficult in wet conditions.
Yet another straight follows before the heavy braking zone for the left-hand hairpin of turn nine. This is a strong overtaking opportunity and leads on to the barely-there right-hander of turn 10, which where the second sector ends. The 11th corner of the circuit used to be taken in third gear and is a tricky right-hander as drivers have to brake and turn simultaneously.
Turn 12 is a flat-out left (that can be tricky in damp or slippery conditions) before one of the hardest corners on the F1 calendar. Turn 13 and 14 make up a long and gradually tightening right, with braking and turning taking place at the same time once again. Expect plenty of mistakes here during practice.
A good exit from this turn is crucial for the long back straight that leads to the final turn: a tight and slow hairpin with the pit entry to the right. This is a good overtaking opportunity and is where the second DRS zone is located.
Due to the warmer weather conditions in Malaysia, the more abrasive track surface and the challenging mix of corners, Pirelli will bring the orange-banded hard and the white-marked medium compound tyres to the race.
Teams usually run with similar downforce levels to Australia due to the difficult nature of the track, compromising top speed on the many straights for an advantage in the corners. There are several heavy braking zones that provide strong overtaking opportunities and as teams continue to work out the problematic new brake-by-wire system, expect plenty of lock-ups and off-track excursions over the weekend.
The higher temperatures will certainly test the cooling and reliability of the new 2014 machines - we could well see more retirements than in Melbourne - and the humidity means drivers are pushed to their physical limits. All their winter fitness training is focused on tackling this race. The already skinny drivers can lose up to 5% of their body weight in fluid loss during the 56-lap event.
Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel are the most successful drivers on the 2014 grid at the circuit, having each won the race three times. The former has one once for Renault (2005), once for McLaren (2007) and once for Ferrari (2012). In comparison, all of Vettel’s wins have been won at the wheel of a Red Bull (2010, 2011 and 2013).
The last of the four-time world champion’s wins in Malaysia proved to be highly controversial. He defied team orders and passed Mark Webber to take the race win, ignoring the now infamous "Multi 21" command that had been communicated to him during the race.
Michael Schumacher, who remains in a coma following a skiing accident in December 2013, has also won the race on three occasions. He dominated the second ever Malaysian Grand Prix and recovered from an off-track excursion to take the race win in 2001. In 2004 he was briefly challenged by Juan Pablo Montoya but eventually crossed the line five seconds clear.
So what can we expect from this year’s event? Well, rain will certainly play an important part, reliability issues will continue and could even increase, Mercedes look set to continue where they left off in Australia (for now) and there are still plenty of unanswered questions. It should be a very exciting and interesting race.
Malaysian Grand Prix Fact File:
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Track Length: 3.44 miles
Direction: Clockwise
Turns: 15 Laps: 56
First race: 1999
Lap record: Juan Pablo Montoya, Williams, 2004, 1m34.223
Tyre compounds: Hard and medium
2013 race winner: Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing
2013 pole position: Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing, 1m49.674
2013 fastest lap: Sergio Perez, McLaren, 1m39.199
Live on: Sky Sports F1 and BBC One (both available in HD)
Other preview pieces:
F1 Flashback: http://bit.ly/1ePpLLJ
 |
| © Mercedes AMG Petronas |
The weather always plays an important part in the race weekend. Rain usually makes an appearance and when it arrives, it is often torrential. The 2001 race was spiced up by a heavy rain shower early on and the 2009 round in Sepang was red flagged due to horrendous conditions.
Melbourne hosted the first race of the new season, which showed glimpses of how the dramatic regulation changes have mixed-up the competitive order. Mercedes dominated with their sole remaining car in the race, Nico Rosberg, while McLaren and Williams look to have recovered from difficult 2013s.
Elsewhere, Ferrari looks to be in the mix and Red Bull’s pace and reliability wasn’t as bad as first feared after winter testing, although the Milton Keynes-based outfit heads to Malaysia without any points following Daniel Ricciardo’s dramatic exclusion. Lotus looks to be struggling for pace and reliability, while Force India remain in the midfield.
Updates will be taken to round two and the order could easily change. Maybe not the leading Mercedes duo, but those who encountered difficulties in Melbourne could well recover and score a good result. In the F1 world, a lot can happen in two weeks. It should be a fantastic and fascinating weekend of on-track action.
 |
| © Caterham F1 Team |
The 3.44-mile Sepang International Circuit is a firm driver favourite and is undoubtedly one of the best designs from Hermann Tilke – who has been responsible for seven track layouts on the 2014 calendar.
A permanent fixture on the F1 schedule since 1999, it consists of 15 turns and a variety of corner types. It is a challenging track with a mix of high-speed bends, tight hairpins and long straights; causing a compromise with car set-up.
A lap of the circuit begins on the long pit straight, which is where the first DRS zone will be positioned. It is one of the widest on the calendar and always creates plenty of side-by-side action at the start of races. The first corner is a long, slow right-hander that used to be taken in second gear, although the new V6 Turbo engines and eight-speed semi-automatic gearboxes look set to change that.
It is followed almost immediately by turn two, which is an even tighter left-hand turn that drops downhill. This corner is particularly tricky in the wet; as Fernando Alonso found out last year after he hit the back of Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull on lap one. Because of the quick change in direction, a driver who has lost a position and has the outside line for the opening corner then has the chance to reclaim the place into turn two.
A good exit is crucial for the flat-out burst towards turn four - which includes the high-speed kink of turn three. The first sector ends just before the braking zone for the fourth corner, which is a 90 degree right.
With the reductions of downforce in 2014, the left-right, high-speed complex of turns five and six could be particularly tricky. The seventh and eighth corners make up a long, medium-speed, double-apex right. Despite the largely smooth track surface, there is a bump through this section of track that can unsettle the car. This area of the track is very difficult in wet conditions.
 |
| © Williams F1 Team |
Yet another straight follows before the heavy braking zone for the left-hand hairpin of turn nine. This is a strong overtaking opportunity and leads on to the barely-there right-hander of turn 10, which where the second sector ends. The 11th corner of the circuit used to be taken in third gear and is a tricky right-hander as drivers have to brake and turn simultaneously.
Turn 12 is a flat-out left (that can be tricky in damp or slippery conditions) before one of the hardest corners on the F1 calendar. Turn 13 and 14 make up a long and gradually tightening right, with braking and turning taking place at the same time once again. Expect plenty of mistakes here during practice.
A good exit from this turn is crucial for the long back straight that leads to the final turn: a tight and slow hairpin with the pit entry to the right. This is a good overtaking opportunity and is where the second DRS zone is located.
Due to the warmer weather conditions in Malaysia, the more abrasive track surface and the challenging mix of corners, Pirelli will bring the orange-banded hard and the white-marked medium compound tyres to the race.
Teams usually run with similar downforce levels to Australia due to the difficult nature of the track, compromising top speed on the many straights for an advantage in the corners. There are several heavy braking zones that provide strong overtaking opportunities and as teams continue to work out the problematic new brake-by-wire system, expect plenty of lock-ups and off-track excursions over the weekend.
 |
| © Red Bull/Getty Images |
The higher temperatures will certainly test the cooling and reliability of the new 2014 machines - we could well see more retirements than in Melbourne - and the humidity means drivers are pushed to their physical limits. All their winter fitness training is focused on tackling this race. The already skinny drivers can lose up to 5% of their body weight in fluid loss during the 56-lap event.
Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel are the most successful drivers on the 2014 grid at the circuit, having each won the race three times. The former has one once for Renault (2005), once for McLaren (2007) and once for Ferrari (2012). In comparison, all of Vettel’s wins have been won at the wheel of a Red Bull (2010, 2011 and 2013).
The last of the four-time world champion’s wins in Malaysia proved to be highly controversial. He defied team orders and passed Mark Webber to take the race win, ignoring the now infamous "Multi 21" command that had been communicated to him during the race.
Michael Schumacher, who remains in a coma following a skiing accident in December 2013, has also won the race on three occasions. He dominated the second ever Malaysian Grand Prix and recovered from an off-track excursion to take the race win in 2001. In 2004 he was briefly challenged by Juan Pablo Montoya but eventually crossed the line five seconds clear.
So what can we expect from this year’s event? Well, rain will certainly play an important part, reliability issues will continue and could even increase, Mercedes look set to continue where they left off in Australia (for now) and there are still plenty of unanswered questions. It should be a very exciting and interesting race.
 |
| © AllF1.info |
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Track Length: 3.44 miles
Direction: Clockwise
Turns: 15 Laps: 56
First race: 1999
Lap record: Juan Pablo Montoya, Williams, 2004, 1m34.223
Tyre compounds: Hard and medium
2013 race winner: Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing
2013 pole position: Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull Racing, 1m49.674
2013 fastest lap: Sergio Perez, McLaren, 1m39.199
Live on: Sky Sports F1 and BBC One (both available in HD)
Other preview pieces:
F1 Flashback: http://bit.ly/1ePpLLJ
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