Greatest Formula 1 Cars 26-30

Today we look at cars 26-30 on our list of Greatest Formula 1 Cars. If you missed any of the previous rankings click the Greatest Cars link at the top of the page.

30. McLaren M23

Years Used: 1973-1978

Wins: 16

Championships: 1974 & 1976 Drivers' & 1974 Constructors'

The McLaren M23 debuted at the 1973 South African Grand Prix at the hands of Denny Hulme who secured a pole position on the car's debut. The race was not as successful as Hulme only finished fifth but the M23 provided some good results through the rest of the year. Hulme picked up the first win for the car during 1973 at the Swedish Grand Prix and just two races later Peter Revson scored another win for the M23 as Hulme finished third to give the car its first ever double podium. Revson picked up one more victory for McLaren in 1973 at the chaotic Canadian Grand Prix. The three wins combined with other strong results throughout the season was enough for McLaren to finish third in the Constructors' standings. For 1974, McLaren hired Emerson Fittipaldi to drive for the team alongside Denny Hulme as they continued using the M23. The season started off strongly for McLaren as Hulme won the first race in Argentina and Fittipaldi won the second race in Brazil. The team only managed two wins for the rest of the season which were both by Fittipaldi. Due to a competitive season this was enough for Fittipaldi to win the Drivers' Championship and McLaren won its first Constructors' Championship in team history. For 1975, Jochen Mass was brought in by McLaren to drive along with Fittipaldi but the team was not able to defend its titles. Despite this, Fittipaldi was able to win two races and Mass scored what would be his only Formula 1 victory in Spain. Fittipaldi was able to use his strong results throughout the year to finish second in the Drivers' Championship behind Niki Lauda and the team still finished third in the Constructors' Title. 1976 was a strong year for McLaren as they brought in James Hunt to replace Emerson Fittipaldi after he left the team. The season did not start off as hoped for the team as Hunt retired from four of the first six races but the two he finished he scored a first and second place finish. During this same stretch, Jochen Mass only managed one podium with a third place finish in South Africa. Hunt rebounded the second half of the year though as he scored points in seven of the last nine races while winning five of them. Hunt also originally won the British Grand Prix as well but was later disqualified. With such a strong second half, Hunt was able to make a comeback and clinch the Drivers' Championship at the Japanese Grand Prix by one point with a third place finish in what would become one of the most historic title deciders in Formula 1 history. Mass was not able to produce as good results which meant the team could only finish second in the Constructors' Championship. McLaren ran the M23 for the first half of 1977 but Hunt and Mass only produced one podium each for the car. The M23 was used in private entries through the 1978 season but with no significant results.

29. Cooper T51

Years Used: 1959-1963

Wins 5

Championships: 1959 Drivers' & Constructors'

The Cooper T51 is one of the most important cars in Formula 1 history as it became the first car to win a championship without its engine in the front of the car. This led Formula 1 to a change as everyone else followed with putting the engine behind the driver. At the first race for the T51 at the 1959 Monaco Grand Prix, Jack Brabham and Stirling Moss finished third to give the car a double podium finish on its debut. The team also scored a double podium in its second race with a second from Brabham and a third place finish by Masten Gregory. After a third place finish in France, Brabham won the next race which was the British Grand Prix while Bruce McLaren brought the T51 to another podium finish in third. After many of the T51 cars retired in Germany, Stirling Moss was able to win the next two races in Portugal and Italy. At the season finale at the United States Grand Prix, Bruce McLaren won his first grand prix in which he would become the youngest grand prix winner at the time excluding the Indianapolis 500. Maurice Trintingnant followed with a second place finish while Jack Brabham pushed his car home to a fourth place finish after running out of fuel to allow him to clinch his first Drivers' Championship. With strong results across the board for the Copper team, they were able to win the Constructors' Championship as well. The car was used for private entries through over the next couple of years through the 1963 season and managed to score some decent results over that time including a second place finish by Olivier Gendebien at the 1960 French Grand Prix.

28. Benetton B195

Years Used: 1995

Wins: 11

Championships: 1995 Drivers' & Constructors'

The Benetton B195 was built as the successor to the B194 which led Michael Schumacher to his first title. The main change in the B195 from the previous year was the change from Ford power to Renault power. This gave Benetton access to the same engine that their main rival Williams was using. On the cars debut at the 1995 Brazilian Grand Prix, Michael Schumacher took victory but was disqualified after the race because his fuel did not match the sample given to the FIA. The victory was later reinstated however. Team mate Johnny Herbert failed to finish the race after a collision with Aguri Suzuki. The next two races did not bring as much success to the Benetton team as Schumacher and Herbert were third and fourth in Argentina and then did not score any points at the San Marino Grand Prix. The team rebounded at the Spanish Grand Prix with Schumacher leading home a 1-2 finish for Benetton and Schumacher took victory again at the next race in Monaco. After just a fifth place for Schumacher in Canada Schumacher was back on top in France. At the British Grand Prix, Schumacher was leading but then collided with Williams driver Damon Hill which put both cars out of the race. This left Johnny Herbert to take his first career victory. Schumacher followed this up with another victory at Germany. After a disappointing race at Hungary, Schumacher came from 16th position on the grid to claim victory in Belgium. Schumacher and Hill once again collided at the next race in Italy and once again this left Johnny Herbert to take his second victory for Benetton. Schumacher could only manage a second at the next race but then won the next three races after that while Herbert scored points in all three. Both cars retired from the last race but Schumacher already had enough points to claim his second straight championship while finished in fourth and the team was able to claim its first and only Constructors' Championship by 25 points over rival Williams.

27. Williams FW07

Years Used: 1979-1982

Wins: 15

Championships: 1980 Drivers' & Constructors', 1981 Constructors', & 1982 Drviers'

The Williams FW07 was the car designed by the Williams team during the ground effects era of Formula 1. The car debuted at the fifth race of the 1979 season and had difficulty finishing races early as both car did not finish the first two races with the FW07. At its third race in Monaco, Alan Jones retired again but Clay Regazzoni in the other Williams finished in second place. After a fourth and a sixth place finish in France, the car went on to win five of the next six races. Regazzoni won the team's first race at the 1979 British Grand Prix after Alan Jones retired from the lead in the other Williams. Jones won the next three races including a 1-2 finish at the German Grand Prix and Jones then won again in Canada. The team ended the year with a double retirement but it was clear Williams had the fastest car the second half of the season. For 1980 Carlos Reutemann was brought into the team to replace Regazzoni. Alan Jones got the season started off right for Williams by winning the first race and then finishing third at the second race. The team's only points over the next two races came from a fifth place by Reutemann but they then rebounded with a second and third place finish at the Belgian Grand Prix. Reutemann followed this up by winning at Monaco while Jones won the two races after that. The team did not win any of the next four races but they still managed six podiums over those races between the two drivers. The season then finished strongly for the team as Jones led Reutemann home for a 1-2 finish in the last two races of the season. The strong results over the year allowed Jones to win the Drivers' Championship while Reutemann finished third and the team took home the Constructors' Championship by almost doubling the points title of second place Ligier. This was the first time that Williams had won both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championships. 1981 started off where 1980 finished as the team scored a 1-2 finish at the first two races of the year with one victory for Jones and one victory for Reutemann. After that the team did not enjoy as much success as they had achieved the previous year. Jones and Reutemann each won just one more race during the season as they struggled to get along although with consistent point scoring finishing Reutemann was leading the championship heading into the final race. Reutemann only finished eight at the last race which was not enough for him to win the title but the two drivers had earned enough points throughout the year the claim the Constructors' Championship. The FW07 was used for the last time for the first three races for the 1982 season before being replaced. During those three races the car managed two more second place finishes including one by Keke Rosberg who would go on to win the Drivers' Championship that year.

26. Ferrari 156

Years Used: 1961-1964

Wins: 7

Championships: 1961 Drivers' & Constructors' & 1964 Constructors'

The Ferrari 156 is one of the most recognizable cars in the history of Formula 1. The 156 is also known as sharknose because of the pointed nose at the front of the car. The 156 first competed on the Formula 1 grid in 1961 and at its first race in Monaco the car achieved a second, third, and fourth place finish. After this, the Ferrari team dominated the rest of the 1961 season as it won five of the next six races. The wins were spread out with Phil Hill winning twice, Wolfgang von Trips also winning twice, and Giancarlo Baghetti picking up the final win. This led to Ferrari having a commanding lead in both championships and the Drivers' Championship came down to Phil Hill and von Trips. At the Italian Grand Prix von Trips was tragically killed in a crash which handed the title to Hill. After this Ferrari did not compete in the last race of the year. The following year in 1962 was not as successful for Ferrari. The team did not manage to win a race all season and despite a few podium finishes along the way, the team only finished sixth in the final Constructors' Championship. The team showed up in 1963 with an updated version of the 156 which did not feature the sharknose design. Results were better as John Surtees won the German Grand Prix and had two other podium finishes but the team struggled to finish races and still only finished fourth in the Constructors' Championship. The team had a new chassis for the 1964 season but still ran the 156 on occasion mostly for Lorenzo Bandini. Bandini had some strong results with the car including a win at the Austrian Grand Prix. These strong results Bandini had using the 156 helped Ferrari win the Constructors' Championship for the season.

What is your opinion about these rankings? Do you feel any of these cars should be higher or lower on the list? Please feel free to share your opinion in the comments section below. Also, don't forget to check back on Thursday as we reveal cars 21-25 on the list. 

Malaysian Grand Prix Thoughts

The Malaysian Grand Prix yesterday was a highly interesting race and gave us many talking points for the next few weeks. Here we are going to take a look at some of those.

Obviously the biggest story of the week was Sebastian Vettel and Ferrari taking the fight to Mercedes. For the first time in this turbo era someone made Mercedes look beatable. Kimi Raikkonen also had a strong race for Ferrari. If not for his puncture early on sending him to the back of the field it would have been interesting to see if he could have challenged for a podium as well. Either way though Raikkonen had an outstanding recovery drive.

As for Ferrari as a team the next couple of races will be huge. If Ferrari continues to look like they can be close to Mercedes then we may have a title fight on our hands this year between someone other than Hamilton and Rosberg. Mercedes will also be looking to bounce back and learn from where they went wrong this weekend. Mercedes definately made a error on strategy during the race in which they pitted under the first safety car. It is still difficult to say whether Mercedes would have won without pitting under the safety car but I think it would have been a fight right to the end.

Behind the front two teams Red Bull had a difficult race. There has been lots of tension between Red Bull and engine suppliers Renault lately and this will definitely not help. To make things even worse, Red Bull finished below the two Toro Rosso cars who also use Renault engines. Most people probably thought Red Bull could challenge to be the best behind Mercedes before the year started but the team looks as if podiums will be a struggle. If this type of form continues for the team the tension between them and Renault will become a huge storyline throughout the year.

The two Toro Rosso drivers both had good races for the team. Max Verstappen finished 7th to become the youngest points scorer in Formula 1 history which is a record that won't be broken anytime soon with the new Superlicense rules. It is surprising to see how they have seemed to be quicker than Red Bull at times this year considering they both use Renault engines and the inexperience of both of the Toro Rosso drivers. I think Verstappen has answered critics who have said he is not ready for Formula 1 but it still is early days. We have yet to see him go through a truly difficult time yet which will be the biggest test if he can handle Formula 1. Despite Verstappen's good form this year I have been even more impressed with Carlos Sainz this year. He finished one spot below Verstappen but I feel he has slightly more speed although that might change as Verstappen gets more experience.

McLaren had another difficult weekend towards the end of the grid but they will have hopefully learned more from the data that they gathered. Both cars did not break down during practice and as a team they got more laps in during the race than in Australia despite neither one finishing. I find it surprising to see Honda struggling as much as they have but I still think that we will eventually see Honda back up near the front hopefully sooner rather than later. If McLaren is still struggling near the end of the year it will be interesting to see how Alonso handles it. We knew he took a risk going to McLaren but I don't think anyone expected him and Button to struggle getting out of Q1.

One more positive note for the weekend was seeing Manor on track. The team had no preseason testing and did no running in Australia and also had limited running during practice. Despite all this, the team came close to getting within the 107% rule. The team should hopefully get slightly faster and not have as much of a struggle to qualify throughout the season. Bernie was not to impressed with how the team did not get on track in Australia but I think he needs to find a way to help the team make sure they can stay on the grid as Formula 1 is struggling with the number of cars they have on the grid. I think below 20 is too few so the sport should try to help Manor or any other potential entrants in the sport.

As for the race itself, I found this to be quite an interesting race. I liked the fact that the top three cars were all on different strategies and it made it uncertain who was going to win until the final pit stops. I think it would be good if there are more races like this because I think that differing strategies between the front runners tend to make for good races. They also help on tracks where it will be more difficult to pass as a unique strategy gives a way to overtake that is not on the track.

Overall I think this weekend was a very positive one for Formula 1. We saw a team take the fight to Mercedes and defeat them and we saw Ferrari get there first win in almost two years. I think the sport needed someone to challenge Mercedes and it is also a good thing for the sport when Ferrari is competitive. Hopefully as the year goes on we will see more weekends like this than like we saw in Australia.

What were your thoughts about the Malaysian Grand Prix? Do you feel Ferrari can challenge Mercedes all year? What did you think of the racing? Please share any thoughts you have in the comments section below.

Vettel shocks Mercedes to take victory in Malaysia

Sebastian Vettel took his first victory for Ferrari as the team took advantage of a strategy mistake by the Mercedes team in the Malaysian Grand Prix. Mercedes was able to recover as Lewis Hamilton came home in 2nd place and Nico Rosberg in 3rd. Vettel's team mate Kimi Raikkonen recovered from a difficult start of the race to claim 4th. The win is the first for Ferrari since Fernando Alonso won the Spanish Grand Prix in 2013.

Lewis Hamilton got away first as the lights went out but on lap 4 the safety car was brought out after Marcus Ericsson spun trying to pass Nico Hulkenberg. The two Mercedes cars went into the pits to change to a prime set of tires as Vettel stayed out in the Ferrari. Vettel was able to build a gap over Hamilton as he had to work his way through the field back up to second. Vettel was able to hold the gap through the rest of the race as he only made two pit stops as opposed to three by Mercedes.

Kimi Raikkonen's race started out difficult as he got a puncture after contact with Felipe Nasr's front wing on the second lap. Raikkonen went to the back of the field after having to drive a whole lap with the puncture but was able to make up ground through the safety car. Using the speed of his Ferrari, Raikkonen made it back up to 4th.

The two Williams drivers both had fairly quiet races as they finished 5th and 6th with Valtteri Bottas leading the way over Felipe Massa. Behind Williams were the two Toro Rossos of Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz. With a 7th place finish, Max Verstappen became the youngest point scorer in the history of Formula 1.

Red Bull had a difficult race with a 9th and 10th place finish with Daniil Kvyat leading the way over Daniel Ricciardo. Even more difficult to Red Bull is that they finished below the Toro Rossos and also got lapped for the second straight race.

McLaren had another difficult day as both car failed to see the finish of the race. Fernando Alonso retired on lap 21 due to an ERS cooling issue while Jenson Button retired on lap 43 with a turbo issue. The laps they put in should still be valuable to the team for data though.

Also of note was Roberto Merhi finishing the race for Manor despite being 3 laps down. This was significant for Manor to get the car in the race and finishing. Team mate Will Stevens was unable to start after having a fuel systems problem.

Pos.	Driver	Team
1	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari
2	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes
3	Nico Rosberg	Mercedes
4	Kimi Raikkonen	Ferrari
5	Valtteri Bottas	Williams-Mercedes
6	Felipe Massa	Williams-Mercedes
7	Max Verstappen	Toro Rosso-Renault
8	Carlos Sainz Jnr	Toro Rosso-Renault
9	Daniil Kvyat	Red Bull-Renaut
10	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull-Renault
11	Romain Grosjean	Lotus-Mercedes
12	Felipe Nasr	Sauber-Ferrari
13	Sergio Perez	Force India-Mercedes
14	Nico Hulkenberg	Force India-Mercedes
15	Roberto Merhi	Manor-Ferrari
	Pastor Maldonado	Lotus-Mercedes
	Jenson Button	McLaren-Honda
	Fernando Alonso	McLaren-Honda
	Marcus Ericsson	Sauber-Ferrari

Greatest Formula 1 Cars: 31-35

Today we look at 31-35 on our list of Greatest Formula 1 Cars. If you have missed any of the previous rankings click the Greatest Cars button at the top of the page.

35. Vanwall VW5

Years Used: 1957-1958

Wins: 9

Championships: 1958 Constructors'

Vanwall had a fairly short time as a constructor in Formula 1 but they managed to produce one car that was capable of winning. The VW5 debuted at the 1957 Monaco Grand Prix and looked strong right from the start as Tony Brooks finished second in the race. At the British Grand Prix later in the year the car created history as Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks shared a drive to win the race. This was historic because it was the first time in history that a British built car won a race in the Formula 1 World Championship. After a difficult German Grand Prix, Moss won the final two races of the season, the Pescara and Italian Grand Prix to make it three wins in the final four races for the VW5. This put Moss second for the season in the Drivers' Championship and Tony Brooks placed fifth. After not being ready to compete in the first race of 1958, the VW5 was first entered in the second race in Monaco. Unfortunately for Vanwall, all three drivers retired in this race for them. Vanwall rebounded and won the next two races however as Moss won the Dutch Grand Prix and Brooks won the Belgian Grand Prix with the third Vanwall of Stuart Lewis-Evans finishing third. After not winning the next two races, Vanwall came back to win the final four races of the year. Two of the wins were by Moss and two by Brooks. Moss won in Portugal and Morocco while Brooks won in Germany and Italy. This was not enough for either driver to win the title though as reliability plagued the team throughout the year. The three wins by Brooks were the only points he scored all year while Moss lost out by one point to champion Mike Hawthorn. The team did win the first ever Constructors' Championship in 1958 which would be the only title won in the team's short history. After the 1958 season, team owner Tony Vandervell's health was declining and the team only entered one race the next two years but not using the VW5. The VW5 remains to be the only front-engine car to win the Constructors' Championship.

34. Cooper T53

Years Used: 1960-1963

Wins: 5

Championships: 1960 Drivers' & Constructors'

The Cooper T53 was built to defend Cooper's Drivers' and Constructors' Titles of the 1959 season. The T53 did not contest in the first race of the year and debuted in Monaco of 1960. Bruce McLaren finished second in this race to give the car its first points and podium finish. After this Jack Brabham won the next five races in the championship including the Belgian Grand Prix in which he and team mate Bruce McLaren were the only cars to finish on the lead lap. During these five races, McLaren was able to pick up three podiums to put the two Cooper's in a dominant position in the championship. Following a boycott of the Italian Grand Prix by Cooper and the other British teams because the organizer's planned on using the banking at Monza, the T53 ended the year with a third and fourth place finish at the United States Grand Prix at Riverside. The car's dominant stretch through the middle of the season was enough for Brabham to win the championship and McLaren finished second in the other T53. The team also on the Constructors' Championship for the year. The Cooper works team had moved on from the T53 for the 1961 season but the car still showed up with private entries over the next few years. No significant results were achieved by the car though and it last appeared at a Formula 1 race at the 1963 Italian Grand Prix in which it did not qualify.

33. Brawn BGP 001

Years Used: 2009

Wins: 8

Championships: 2009 Drivers' & Constructors'

The Brawn BGP 001 has one of the most interesting stories of any of the cars on this list as it almost did not ever make it to a Formula 1 grid. The car was originally designed by Honda throughout 2008 as 2009 saw drastic regulation changes to the cars but during the winter Honda pulled out of Formula 1. Late in the offseason the team was bought by team principal Ross Brawn and renamed Brawn GP. The team quickly gathered a Mercedes engine to replace the Honda and had to redesign parts of the rear of the car so the engine would fit. The car quickly showed its speed throughout testing and then during the first race of the year in Australia by locking out the front row and then coming first and second in the race with Jenson Button winning. This was the first time a team had debuted with a one-two finish since Mercedes in 1954. There was a lot of controversy however with the car's double-diffuser which occurred by the team discovering a loophole in the regulations. The FIA eventually declared the car legal though. Jenson Button won again at the second race of the year in Malaysia and then the team was defeated for the first time in China but the team still managed a third and fourth place finish. After this, Button managed to win the next four races while Rubens Barrichello was able to finish second in two of those. The second half of the year was not as strong for Brawn though as they spent many races in the middle of the point scoring finishes. Barrichello however broke through with two wins during the second half at the European and Italian Grand Prix while Button finished second in Italy. Through scoring consistent points throughout the second half of the year Button managed to clinch the title with a fifth place finish in Brazil while the team also clinched the Constructors' title during the race. The season ended with one more podium for Button as he finished third in the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. After the season ended, Brawn GP was sold to Mercedes which means that the team won both championships in their first and only year in the sport.

32. Red Bull RB6

Years Used: 2010

Wins: 9

Championships: 2010 Drivers' & Constructors'

The Red Bull RB6 was the challenger designed by Red Bull for the 2010 season and started the year by looking as if they had the fastest car on the grid. However Sebastian Vettel had problems while leading in both the first two races which cost the team a win. In the third race of the year in Malaysia the team got their first win and podiums of the year as Vettel won and team mate Mark Webber came in second. The team followed that up by locking out the front row for the Chinese Grand Prix but having a difficult race due to the wet conditions but still managed to finish in the points. Webber won the next two races as Vettel managed a third and then a second place which put the two drivers tied for first place in the championship. At the following Turkish Grand Prix Red Bull looked as if they were on for another one-two finish but Vettel tried passing Webber for the lead which resulted in a collision. Vettel suffered a DNF but Webber recovered for a third place finish. The team did not get a podium at the next race in Canada but won the next two races after that as Vettel won the European Grand Prix and Webber won the British Grand Prix. Vettel took another podium in Germany and then both drivers finished on the podium in Hungary as Webber won and Vettel finished third. Red Bull did not win any of the next three races although Webber managed two podiums to Vettel's one over the course of those races which gave Webber an 11 point title advantage over Ferrari's Fernando Alonso. The team then got a one-two finish in Japan with Vettel winning but then in Korea Webber crashed out during the race and Vettel's engine blew while leading in the closing stages. Webber was now second in the championship and Vettel fourth 25 points behind the leader Alonso. The team rebounded to score another one-two finish in Brazil with Vettel winning which clinched the team's first ever Constructors' Championship despite neither driver leading the Drivers' Championship. In the last race in Abu Dhabi, Vettel won from pole while Webber got stuck in the midfield after an poorly timed pit stop and could only manage an eighth place finish. The poor result from Webber combined with a seventh place finish from Alonso allowed Vettel to score enough points for him to clinch his first Drivers' Championship while Webber could only manage third.

31. Ferrari F2003-GA

Years Used: 2003

Wins: 7

Championships: 2003 Drivers' & Constructors'

The Ferrari F2003-GA missed the first four races of the 2003 season as Ferrari continued to develop the chassis. Ferrari debuted the F2003-GA at the Spanish Grand Prix as Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello locked out the front row and then Schumacher led home to victory as Barrichello finished third. Schumacher won again at the following Austrian Grand Prix while Barrichello again finished in third. Schumacher got another podium with a third place at Monaco and then won again in Canada. The team picked up a third place at the next two races; one by Barrichello and one by Schumacher. Barrichello then won the British Grand Prix but Ferrari then struggled for the next two races. Barrichello retired from both of them while Schumacher only managed three points over the two races. Ferrari rebounded from this to win the last three races of the season with Schumacher winning two and then Barrichello winning the final one in Japan. With a difficult start to the season with the 2002 car, Ferrari managed to comeback with the F2003-GA to win both the Drivers' and Constructors' Championship for 2003.

How do you feel about the cars in these rankings? Do you think any of them should be higher or lower on the list? Please share your opinion in the comments section below. Also, don't forget to check back next Tuesday as we reveal the next five cars on the list.

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.

Past Driver Profile: Onofre Marimón

Onofre Marimón was born on December 23, 1923 in Argentina. As he grew up he became nicknamed Pinocchio as he resembled the character Pinocchio. As Marimón started racing, he became the protégé of fellow Argentine driver Juan Manuel Fangio. This helped Marimón come up into Formula 1 as he made his race debut in a Maserati at the 1951 French Grand Prix. On his debut, Marimón qualified a respectable 15th position on the grid but he unfortunately retired from the race on lap 2 due to an engine failure.

Marimón did not appear on the race track in Formula 1 again until 1953 in which he competed in the non-championship Buenos Aires Grand Prix driving a Ferrari. For this race Marimón once again did not make it to the end due to another engine failure but was classified in 10th place at the finish. The next time Marimón entered a World Championship race was the 1953 Belgian Grand Prix in which he was once again driving for Maserati. In this race, he qualified an impressive 6th place on the grid and then after some of the cars that qualified in front of him retired Marimón was able to claim his first career podium finish in just his second start with a 3rd place finish. Marimón was also the highest placed Maserati at the end of the race.

At the next race which was the 1953 French Grand Prix, Marimón was able to qualify in 8th place but the race was disappointing as he could only manage a 9th place finish. A couple weeks later at the British Grand Prix, Marimón was able to qualify in 7th position but was not able to finish the race due to an engine failure. Marimón then followed this up with a qualifying position of 8th for the German Grand Prix but once again retired in the race, this time due to a suspension failure. The next race was the Swiss Grand Prix and Marimón once again impressed in qualifying with a 5th place on the grid. However Marimón's bad luck in the race continued with another retirement due to his engine. The last World Championship race of the 1953 season was the Italian Grand Prix and Marimón was able to qualify in 4th position on the grid and for the first part of the race was running among the leaders. Disaster struck once again for Marimón as he had a radiator problem. He later rejoined the race and started to run with the lead pack again but the damage was already done and the race eventually ended up with another retirement for him. The retirements hurt Marimón throughout the season but the four points he earned at the Belgian Grand Prix was enough to secure him 11th place in the championship. Marimón had one more decent result during the 1953 season though as he finished in 2nd place behind Juan Manuel Fangio at the non championship Modena Grand Prix.

1954 saw some success for Marimón during some non championship races as he managed to finish in 5th place at the Syracuse Grand Prix and 4th place at the Bari Grand Prix. At the non championship Rome Grand Prix Marimón was able to breakthrough and take his first win although the field did not contain most of the frontrunners that competed in the World Championship.

Marimón  was brought up to the factory Maserati team for 1954 World Championship but the season started where 1953 left off. After qualifying in a solid 6th position on the grid he once again retired from the race with an engine failure. At the following Belgian Grand Prix, Marimón once again showed good pace in qualifying with a starting position of 4th but retired from the race on just the third lap with another engine problem. Marimón had yet another retirement at the following French Grand Prix after qualifying in 5th place. This retirement was due to a gearbox failure. The British Grand Prix looked like it would be more bad luck for Marimón as Maserati did not arrive in time to qualify so he had to start from the back of the grid. Marimón's luck finally changed in the race however as he managed to pass 19 cars on just the first lap. Marimón finally managed to finish a race and was able to secure his second career podium with a 3rd place finish. Marimón also gained a share of the fastest lap in this race along with six other drivers.

At the following German Grand Prix, Marimón had a qualifying time that was good enough to place him 8th on the grid. However Marimón was trying to improve his time but ended up going to fast through a sharp turn and fell into a ditch. As he fell into the ditch the car unfortunately landed on top of him which killed him instantly. This made Marimón the first driver to be fatally killed during a Formula 1 World Championship weekend. The points Marimón earned at the British Grand Prix was enough for him to earn a share of 13th in the Drivers' Championship at the end of the year. Marimón looked to be a driver that was destined for great things in Formula 1 in years to come until his life was tragically cut short.

Greatest Formula 1 Cars: 36-40

Today we look at cars 36-40 on our Greatest Cars list. If you missed the previous rankings click the Greatest Cars button above.

40. McLaren MP4-20

Years Used: 2005

Wins: 10

Championships: None

McLaren developed the MP4-20 to compete in the 2005 season and the car was the quickest car throughout the year. The team got off to a bit of a slow start by not picking up a podium until Kimi Raikkonen finished third in the third race of the year in Bahrain. At the next race in San Marino, Raikkonen got the pole but retired from the lead early on due to a driveshaft failure. Alex Wurz who was filling in for Juan Pablo Montoya who had a tennis accident finished in third place for the team however. Raikkonen was able to rebound by winning the next two races in Spain and Monaco to get the first McLaren wins of the year. At the following European Grand Prix, Raikkonen looked like he was going to win his third straight win but during the middle stages of the race he locked his front right tire while lapping Sauber's Jacques Villeneuve. During 2005, a set of tires had to last the whole race so Raikkonen could not get off of these tires. On the last lap, the vibration of the flat spotted tire caused Raikkonen's suspension to fail handing the win to championship rival Fernando Alonso. Raikkonen came back to win the following race in Canada and then did not start the following race in Indianapolis due to a Michelin tire controversy. Raikkonen suffered ten place grid penalties at the next two races due to engine changes but still managed to pick up a second and third place finish. At the British Grand Prix, Juan Pablo Montoya picked up his first win for the McLaren team and then at the next race in Germany, Raikkonen was again leading comfortably but suffered a hydraulic failure which again handed another win to Alonso. Raikkonen won the next two races and then suffered another engine change penalty at Monza. Raikkonen rebounded to finish fourth but Montoya was able to salvage another win for the McLaren team. The two drivers combined to win the next three races to make it six consecutive victories for the team before being beaten in the final round by Alonso. The team's run at the end of the year was not enough for them to claim any titles as reliability cost the team in the end despite having the quickest car on the grid.

39. Lotus 49

Years Used: 1967-1970

Wins: 12

Championships: 1968 Drivers' & Constructors', 1970 Drives' & Constructors'

The Lotus 49 was built after Lotus struggled with the new 3 liter engine regulation implemented in the 1966. The car was designed around what would become the highly successful Cosworth DFV  engine. Also throughout the Lotus 49's life, many breakthroughs in aerodynamics were made as wings started to appear on Formula 1 cars. The original wings were attached to the suspension of the car but these were deemed dangerous and banned so Lotus started mounting wings onto the bodywork of the car. On the car's race debut at the 1967 Dutch Grand Prix Jim Clark brought the Lotus 49 home to victory. The whole year did not go this well however as the car had too many reliability problems. Graham Hill only finished in two of the nine races he used the Lotus 49 in the 1967 season but Jim Clark did manage to pick up three more wins for the Lotus 49 during the year. This was not enough for him to catch the more reliable Brabham's in the championship however. Clark won the season opening South African Grand Prix the following year but before the next race Clark was killed at a Formula 2 race at Hockenheim. This led Graham Hill to lead the team as he managed to win three races throughout the year which was enough for him to win the Drivers' Championship. Jo Siffert also won the British Grand Prix in a privately entered Lotus 49 by Rob Walker in 1968. 1969 was more difficult for the Lotus 49 as the car won only two races during the season. Graham Hill won the Monaco Grand Prix and then Jochen Rindt won his first career race at Watkins Glen. Rindt picked up a win in a Lotus 49 at the beginning of the 1970 season in Monaco but the car was soon replaced by the Lotus 72. The Lotus 49 last appeared in a race at the 1970 Austrian Grand Prix driven by rookie Emerson Fittipaldi and a privatley entered was driven by Pete Lovely at Watkins Glen later that year but he did not manage to qualify.

38. Benetton B194

Years Used: 1994

Wins: 8

Championships: 1994 Drivers' Championship

Benetton produced the B194 for the 1994 season which was the first season after electronic driving aids had been banned following 1993. Benetton used a V8 Ford engine which was down on power compared to the V10 Renault that its main competitor Williams used which made the car suffer on power tracks but it was able to make up the difference in more technical sections. Benetton's lead driver Michael Schumacher started off the 1994 season strong by winning the first four races of the year but during this stretch title favorite Ayrton Senna of Williams was tragically killed in the San Marino Grand Prix. Senna's death combined with no one else consistently scoring points allowed Schumacher to open up a 30 point lead over second place Gerhard Berger after the first four races. In the fifth race at Barcelona, it looked like Schumacher would win his fifth in a row but his car got stuck in fifth gear which allowed Williams driver Damon Hill to win although Schumacher still managed to finish second. Schumacher rebounded by winning the next two races which opened up his title lead to 37 points. Schumacher was disqualified from his second place at the following British Grand Prix due to ignoring a black flag and then retired from his home German Grand Prix but won the following Hungarian Grand Prix. At this race, Benetton team mate Jos Verstappen scored his first career podium by finishing third. Schumacher again won at the Belgian Grand Prix but was disqualified after the wooden plank underneath his car had too much wear on it. This promoted Verstappen to third and his second career podium. Schumacher was banned from the next two races in Italy and Portugal due the events at the British Grand Prix and Benetton only scored two points over the two races and Schumacher's title lead was reduced to one point. Schumacher won on his comeback at the European Grand Prix and then finished second at the Japanese Grand Prix to set up a classic title decider in Australia. On lap 36, Schumacher ran wide and when he returned to the track Damon Hill tried to pass for the lead but the two collided. Schumacher retired immediately and Hill tried to continue but his car was too damaged. This allowed Schumacher to claim his first career Drivers' Championship but Benetton could not do enough throughout the year to win the Constructors' Title losing out to Williams. During the year many people suspected Benetton of using illegal electronic driving aids and during an investigation by the FIA a launch control system was found but it was never proved that they actually used it. The FIA could find nothing else illegal on the car.

37. Maserati 250F

Years Used: 1954-1960

Wins: 8

Championships: 1954 &1957 Drivers' Championship

The Maserati 250F debuted during the 1954 Formula 1 season and the car won in its first race driven by Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio at his home race to open the 1954 season. At the following race in Belgian, Fangio gave the car its second win and Stirling Moss finished in third for Maserati to pick up his first career podium and points. Following this race Fangio left to drive for Mercedes as they had their cars ready to enter the championship as he went on to win the championship for the year. Maserati picked up two more podiums in the year with Onofre Marimon's third at the British Grand Prix and Luigi Musso's second at the Spanish Grand Prix. For the 1955 Maserati ran Jean Behra, Luigi Musso, and Roberto Mieres for full seasons but the Mercedes cars were too fast for Maserati and the only managed to finish on the podium twice during the season. 1956 brought new hope that the Maserati 250F could be at the front though as Mercedes pulled out of Formula 1 and Stirling Moss was brought back into the team. Moss won two races during the year with the 250F in Monaco and Italy but it was not enough for him to win the title. The team however managed to have at least one car on the podium at every race during the season. 1957 brought even more hope for the team as three time defending champion Juan Manuel Fangio joined the team although Stirling Moss left for Vanwall. Fangio had a successful year as he won four races and had two second place finishes which was enough for him to win his last Drivers' Championship. Following The Maserati factory tem pulled out of Formula 1 following the 1957 but many privateer entries were made using the 250Fover the next three season. Without factory support and Formula 1 starting to shift to rear-engine cars, no significant results  came out of these entries as the car was no longer seen following the 1960 season.

36. Renault R25

Years Used: 2005

Wins: 8

Championships: 2005 Drivers' & Constructors'

Renault used the R25 for the 2005 season which was the last year that V10 engines were allowed in Formula 1. Renault started off the year strongly by winning the opening race of the year in Australia with Giancarlo Fisichella and then team mate Fernando Alonso followed that up by winning the following three races. Renault took a step back to McLaren the next two races but Alonso still scored a second and fourth place finish. Alonso then inherited a win from Raikkonen following his suspension failure on the last lap of the European Grand Prix but the team then had a double retirement at the following Canadian Grand Prix. After not starting the United States Grand Prix due to the Michelin tire controversy, Alonso won two of the following three races and also picked up a second place finish. Following a difficult race in Hungary in which neither driver scored any points Alonso finished the next three races in second place while Fisichella picked up a podium at Monza with a third place finish. Alonso then clinched the Drivers' Championship at the Brazilian Grand Prix with a third place and became at the time the youngest World Champion. The team finished second and third at the next race in Japan although it looked as if Fisichella was heading to victory until he was passed on the last lap by McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen. Alonso won the season finale in China and Fisichella finished fourth in the race which was enough to clinch Renault its first Constructors' Championship as a factory team in Formula 1. Even though the R25 may not have had as much speed as the McLaren that year, it was more reliable which brought them consistent finishes that led them to win the championship.

Please feel free to share any thoughts you have about these rankings in the comments section below. Do you think any of these rankings are too far off? What do you consider to be among the greatest Formula 1 cars? Also, don't forget to check back Thursday as we reveal the next five cars on the list.

German Grand Prix officially dropped from 2015 calendar

The FIA announced that the German Grand Prix has been dropped from the 2015 calendar. The race was originally scheduled to be held from July 17-19 and it ill not be replaced. This means that there will be just one race over a seven week span during the summer. The cancellation of the race comes after both the Nurburgring and Hockenheim would not agree to host the race. The race was orginally planned to take place at the Nurburgring as the two tracks have alternated hosting the race over the last few years but the new owners of the track did not have a contract for the race. Hockenheim then said that they could not be ready to host the race in time. The rest of the calendar remains the same as the championship will now be contested over 19 races instead of 20.

Greatest Formula 1 Cars: 41-45

Today we look at cars 41-45 on our list of the 50 greatest Formula 1 cars. If you missed the first part of the list, you can check it out here.

45. Williams FW19

Years Used: 1997

Wins: 8

Championships: 1997 Drivers' & Constructors'

The Williams FW19 was the challenger used by the team for 1997 season and was to be the last Williams that used the highly successful factory Renault engine of the 1990s. The team was coming off of a dominant 1996 season but had replaced World Champion Damon Hill with Heinz-Harald Frentzen and also retained second year driver Jacques Villeneuve. The raw pace of the car was obvious from the start of the year as the car was consistently at the front of the grid in qualifying but Williams tended to run into problems on race day. In the first seven races of the year, Villeneuve won three but retired from four and Frentzen scored a win and a fourth place finish for his only other points. The team was a bit more consistent on race day for the second half of the season as Villeneuve won four more races and Frentzen was able to end the season with six consecutive point finishes five of which were on the podium. Williams was fighting off a tough challenge from Michael Schumacher and Ferrari as Villeneuve was disqualified from the second to last race in Japan which gave Schumacher a one point lead heading into the last race in Jerez. Schumacher led the early stages of this race but on lap 48 Villeneuve attempted to pass Schumacher for the lead which led to a collision which took Schumacher out of the race. Villeneuve finished third in the race but it was enough points for him t take the championship. Schumacher was disqualified from the championship due to the collision which gave Williams a first and second place finish and they also took the Constructors' Championship for the year.

44. Ferrari F2007

Years Used 2007

Wins: 9

Championships: 2007 Drivers' & Constructors"

The Ferrari F2007 started a new era for Ferrari as Michael Schumacher entered his first retirement from the sport following the previous season and he was replaced by Finnish driver Kimi Raikkonen. The team retained Felipe Massa from 2006. The season started off promising in Australia for Raikkonen as he qualified on pole and then won in his first race for Ferrari only giving up the lead during pit stops. After McLaren won in Malaysia, Massa came back to win the next two races in Bahrain and Spain. Ferrari couldn't match McLaren over the next three races but came back strong with a 1-2 finish in France and the another win for Raikkonen at the British Grand Prix. After a fairly even fight with McLaren throughout the season, the McLaren drivers of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso were first and second in the Drivers' Championship with two races to go. Raikkonen who was Ferrari's leading contender was 17 points behind fought back and won the Chinese Grand Prix and an error by Hamilton entering the pits caused him to score no points. Raikkonen again won in Brazil and Massa finished second while Alonso finished third and Hamilton could only manage a seventh place finish after having technical issues to allow Raikkonen enough points to complete his championship comeback. Also, since McLaren lost all of its Constructors' points following a scandal in which they had confidential information about the Ferrari car, Ferrari was able to also win the Constructors' Championship for the season as well.

43.Red Bull RB8

Years Used: 2008

Wins: 7

Championships 2012 Drivers' & Constructors'

The RB8 was designed by Red Bull as its contender for the 2012 championship after the team had won the Constructors' Championship the previous two seasons and Sebastian Vettel had won the Drivers' Championship as well. As the season started off in Australia, Red Bull did not have a strong pace advantage over the field as they did the last two years. Vettel still managed to finish second in the race but the team did not get another podium for t he next two races. In the fourth race in Bahrain Vettel scored Red Bull's first win of the year while Mark Webber finished in his fourth straight fourth place finish. Red Bull struggled in Spain and then in Monaco Webber won and Red Bull became the first team to win its second race during the season. Webber scored another win at Silverstone passing Fernando Alonso for the win in the closing stages of the race and Vettel finished third which would be Red Bull's last podiums before the summer break. Red Bull came back from the summer break with a second place for Vettel at Belgium and a double retirement in Italy but starting in Singapore Vettel went on a string of four consecutive wins. This string of results combined with an Alonso retirement in Japan gave Vettel a 13 point championship lead heading into the final three races. In Abu Dhabi Vettel set the third fastest time in Q3 but was sent to the back of the grid because he did not have enough fuel in his car to take a sample. Vettel rebounded from this and finished third in the race and then followed that with a second place finish at the US Grand Prix which set him up for a title showdown with Ferrari's Fernando Alonso. Vettel spun on the first lap in Brazil but in a race with mixed conditions came back through the field to finish in sixth which was enough for him to take the championship by three points. Vettel winning the Drivers' Championship combined with Webber scoring consistent points throughout the year led Red Bull to its third straight Constructors Championship as well.

42. Matra MS80

Years Used: 1969

Wins: 5

Championships: 1969 Drivers' & Constructors'

Matra entered Formula 1 for the first time in 1967 and was already winning races in 1968. By 1969, the team was ready to challenge for titles and they did not disappoint. The MS80 was built in a time when Formula 1 was changing and designers were starting to install aerodynamic principles into their cars. The MS80 was among the first group of Formula 1 cars that had been built with wings. Matra entered the season opening 1969 South African Grand Prix with the previous MS10 which driver Jackie Stewart won and then debuted the MS80 and the following Spanish Grand Prix. Jackie Stewart dominated this race by winning over two laps from his nearest challenger while team mate Jean-Pierre Beltoise finished in third. Following a double retirement at the Monaco Grand Prix, Jackie Stewart went on to win the next three races at The Netherlands, France, and Great Britain. Beltoise also picked up a second place at the French Grand Prix which gave the team a 1-2 finish at its home grand prix. Following a strong second place from Stewart at the German Grand Prix, the team scored another win at the Italian Grand Prix with Beltoise finishing third. The team did not finish on the podium for any of the last three races but enough work had already been done as Jackie Stewart won the Drivers' Championship and the team clinched the Constructors' Championship over Brabham. This was the first time a French manufacture won both championships and also remains to be the only car besides a Ferrari that won a Formula 1 Constructors' Championship built outside of Great Britain.

41: Renault R26

Years Used: 2006

Wins: 8

Championships: 2006 Drivers' & Championships'

The Renault R26 was Renault's challenger which led them into the new V8 era and it was trying to defend a Drivers' Championship by Fernando Alonso and a Constructors' Championship from the previous season. The team started off the year extremely strong as Fernando Alonso finished either first or second in the first nine races of the year and the team won the first three races. Alonso won in Bahrain and Australia while Giancarlo Fisichella took his only victory of the season in Malaysia. After two second places, Alonso won the following four races but then the team seemed to lose some pace in their car. Before the German Grand Prix, the team's mass damper system had been banned which really hurt the team. Renault still had the second fastest car but it was clear that Ferrari was faster and quickly closing up in the championship. The team went seven races without a win in which Ferrari won six of those races and Ferrari's Michael Schumacher got even in the Drivers' Championship with just two races to go. In Japan, Schumacher was leading again but an engine failure allowed Alonso to come through to victory and take a ten point lead into the final race. Alonso finished second in Brazil which was enough for him to take the Drivers' Title and the team had secured enough points to win the Constructors' Title over Ferrari.

How do you feel about these ranking? Do you think some of these cars should be ranked higher or lower on the list? Feel free to discuss your opinion in the comments section below. Also don't forget to check back next Tuesday for the next five cars on the list.