Thursday, March 26, 2015

Race Preview: Malaysian Grand Prix

Track: Sepang International Circuit

Track Length: 3.444 mi./5.543 km.

Laps: 56

Tire Compounds: Medium and Hard

Previous Winners:           2014: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
                                      2013: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
                                      2012: Fernando Alonso(Ferrari)
                                      2011: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
                                      2010: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)



The Sepang International Circuit was designed by Hermann Tilke and first hosted Formula 1 in 1999. The track feature many high speed corners and also long straights connected by low speed corners. This means that teams will want to find setups that allow for high top speed down the straights but also enough downforce to get through the corners quickly. The weather is always hot and humid in Malaysia which makes it one of the most physical races for the drivers all year. There is also usually a high chance of heavy tropical storms at some point throughout the weekend which can lead to unpredictable results

Main Headlines

Weather: As noted above weather can play a factor at the Malaysian Grand Prix and this weekend is no different. Rain during qualifying can lead to a mixed up grid and rain during the race can cause chaos especially if heavy. How quickly the drivers can react to any change in conditions can drastically effect where the finish in the race.

The return of Fernando Alonso: Fernando Alonso missed the first race in Australia two weeks ago but should race this weekend as long as he passes the FIA medical test. McLaren looks to be in a difficult position as they were the slowest cars in qualifying in Australia. Can Alonso bring a spark to the team or will they continue to struggle?

The return of Valtteri Bottas: Valtteri Bottas also missed the Australian Grand Prix after a back injury during qualifying. This cost him the chance of gaining valuable points for the championship and he will definitely be looking to make up lost ground this weekend.

Will Manor make it on track: Manor came to Australia hoping to get on the race track but never managed to do so. Bernie Ecclestone was not to pleased about this so the team will be hoping for a change this weekend. The team desperately needs some on track running as they have not had any all year. If they can get on track, just qualifying for the race will be a challenge.

Who will win the Mercedes battle: Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg ran away with the Australian Grand Prix two weeks ago and look to be favorites for the title. Rosberg will want to be sure that Hamilton does not get another win and start to build a lead in the championship. Hamilton will be looking to build on his momentum from last race and will be looking for another win.

Prediction: I expect to see a Lewis Hamilton taking his second victory of the year as Mercedes is definitely the car to beat. However, due to the possibility of rain I am going to say Sebastian Vettel will take home second place and Kimi Raikkonen will take home third for a double podium for Ferrari while Nico Rosberg will run into problems costing him a podium. Williams should be close but might be hurt by the rain as they seemed to struggle with wet conditions last year.

Podium Prediction
1. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2. Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)
3. Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari)


How do you think the race will turn out this weekend? Do you see Mercedes taking home another 1-2 finish or do you think rain will lead to a chaotic race. Please share your thoughts below along with your podium prediction for the race.

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