05/04/2009
NEWS STORY
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Just seven days after Melbourne, F1 is in Malaysia for round two of what looks likely to be a monumental season for Formula One, both off and on the track.
It was said many years ago that "when the flag drops the bulls**t stops", and hopefully that will be the case today, for the last few days has seen the sport sullied as the fall-out over what happened in the closing laps of the Australian Grand Prix continues.
Yesterday, in an edge of the seat session, Jenson Button took his second successive pole, however, Brawn GP didn't appear to enjoy the same edge they had in Melbourne. Indeed, all considered, the Englishman looks like he'll have a real fight on his hands today.
Ignoring the weather, which isn't easy in this part of the world, we can also forget about a major incident at the first corner here, mainly thanks to the long run to the first corner and the fact that Sepang is one of the widest track, consequently the initial order is usually in place by the time they all steam into Turn 1. Then again, boys will be boys!
Looking at the weights of the cars, it is clear that Button doesn't have the advantage he had just seven days ago, indeed, he, Trulli, Glock, Rosberg and Webber will be among the first to stop today, having been among the lightest runners in yesterday's qualifying session. That said, the lightest runner, and therefore surely the first to stop today, was Vettel.
As is often the case, BMW is playing the strategy game, and while Heidfeld is the only Munich runner with KERS, he was also the heaviest runner yesterday, so do keep an eye on the German. Furthermore, despite the strategic foul up, keep an eye on Massa, a previous winner here, while Rubens Barrichello, starting from eighth should not be ruled out.
Along with Heidfeld, only McLaren, Ferrari and Renault are running KERS, so despite the problems overshadowing the Woking team don't write off McLaren or, indeed, Fernando Alonso, ear infection or no ear infection. Keep an eye on Nakajima and Buemi also.
The tyre options this weekend are soft and hard, and as we saw yesterday some drivers are able to get a couple of strong laps out of the softs, Jarno Trulli being a good example.
It's worth noting that in addition to starting from the 'dirty' side of the grid, Button has two sets of new softs whereas he says those around him haven't.
With around forty-five minutes to go before the race gets underway, the sun is shining, with just a few dark-ish clouds in the distance. However, shortly after yesterday's qualifying session, we received the following text from Bob Constanduros. "Chris, you cannot believe how dark it is and p*****g with rain! there is absolutely no way the race could continue if it's like this tomorrow".
As in Australia, the race start here in Malaysia is later this year, indeed the race gets underway at 17.00 local time. With the light already low in the sky, causing all the problems it always does, the situation is made worse by the ever-present threat of a Monsoon downpour. Sadly, only a couple of drivers, Rosberg and Kubica, have spoken out, the rest choosing to follow the 'corporate line'. Let's just hope that Nico and Robert are proved wrong, and that McLaren's Melbourne saga remains the biggest scandal by the time the F1 circus packs up later tonight.
Twenty minutes before the race, Button admits that his two big concerns, in no particular order, are the weather and the pace of the Toyotas, which were very, very impressive yesterday. As the clouds gather, the Englishman, who has never driver the Brawn in the wet, says he expects race at 17.00, start time.
Ten minutes before the start, as the cars wait on the grid, the Brawn crew changes the nose on Button's car. Elsewhere, Lewis gives his Dad Anthony a hug, a touching, genuine, moment under the circumstances. Moments later, Bernie Ecclestone urges the World Champion to greet a local dignitary in a lees touching, less genuine, move.
With five minutes to go before the cars head off on the parade lap, the air temperature is 30 degrees C, while the track temperature is 37 degrees. Humidity is 75% as those dark clouds gather and appear to get even darker.
As they head off on the parade lap, everyone appears to be starting on the soft option, Button and Massa both on a brand new set. Kubica complains of a "strange noise" coming from his engine. Not what you want at this stage of the weekend.
The lights go out and they're away. They're six abreast heading down the main straight, but it's Rosberg who leads into the first corner. A poorish start from Button sees Trulli take second as Kovalainen's race is over before it's begun.
Button, who has three positions following his start, makes a great move on Alonso to re-take third, as Barrichello passes Raikkonen.
At the end of lap one, it's: Rosberg, Trulli, Button, Alonso, Barrichello, Raikkonen and Webber.
On lap 2, Button is quickest in all three sectors, as Kubica pulls to the side of the track, smoking coming out of the back of his BMW. Elsewhere, Buemi pits for a new nose.
At the end of lap 3, Barrichello attempts a move on Alonso but gets it wrong. However, heading down the main straight the Brawn makes short work of the Renault.
Behind Alonso, there's a train of cars, headed by Raikkonen, with Webber, Glock and Heidfeld in tow.
Rosberg goes quickest on lap 4 (38.041), as Vettel passes Hamilton to take tenth. A miserable weekend for McLaren both on and off the track. Elsewhere, Glock makes a move on Webber, but the Australian politely, and firmly, shuts the door.
Vettel, who will be first to pit, is on a real charge, climbing all over Heidfeld, who, unlike the Red Bull driver, has KERS at his disposal. Massa is currently twelfth, 1.4s behind Hamilton.
Raikkonen chases Alonso, two World Champions giving 100%.
As Rosberg extends his lead to 2.3s, Button is just 0.7s behind Trulli. "Heavy rain expected," the Brawn crew advise the world championship leader. Barrichello is 6.6s behind his teammate but 8.4s ahead of Alonso.
On lap 8, Barrichello goes quickest, crossing the line at 1:37.948. Alonso falls 10.7s behind.
Heidfeld goes wide, which allows Vettel and Hamilton through. In one fell swoop the BMW driver drops to eleventh.
"You're doing a good job, Vettel is running light" Hamilton is told, "heavy rain in ten minutes."
Rosberg goes quickest on lap 10, the German posting 37.660 as he extends his lead over Trulli to 3s.
Raikkonen makes a great move on Alonso, the Finn moving up to fifth and immediately pulling away. Weber seizes the initiative and launches an attack on the Spaniard. Glock keeps a watching eye, though he's aware that Vettel is now closing in.
As Raikkonen pulls 1.8s ahead of Alonso, the Renault driver is passed by Webber, however, the Spaniard immediately re-takes the place. Webber is having none of it, and when Alonso misses his braking point the Red Bull driver is through, the Spaniard lucky not to lose out to Glock and Vettel also. Great stuff!
Button goes quickest on lap 11 (37.579), as he maintains 1.3s gap to Trulli.
At the end of lap 13, Vettel is the first to pit, as expected. 10.7s later he's heading down the pitlane again, rejoining behind Fisichella in seventeenth. Elsewhere, another fastest lap from Button (37.555).
At the end of lap 15, race leader Rosberg pits. The Williams driver rejoins in fourth, as Glock and Sutil also pit.
Trulli leads Button, but both drivers are on a similar fuel load. Meanwhile, Webber pits, rejoining in fourteenth. All the drivers that have pitted thus far have remained on soft tyres.
Trulli pits at the end of lap 17, as Barrichello posts a new fastest lap (37.484). The Italian rejoins in fourth behind Rosberg. The status quo is maintained.
On lap 18, Button posts a new fastest lap (6.641), shades of the old Ross Brawn strategy at Ferrari.
As Kimi Raikkonen pits at the end of lap 18, there are reports that the first spots of rain are beginning to fall. Sure enough, the Finn is fitted with wet tyres. A brave gamble or another major strategic mistake? Fisichella also pits, as does Sutil, who is making his second stop of the afternoon.
Button dives into the pits at the end of lap 19. 8.7s later he's heading down the pitlane rejoining in second, behind his Brawn teammate, who has yet to stop.
Barrichello pits at the end of lap 20, however, it's a slow stop. The Brazilian, sticking with softs, rejoins in fourth, with Button, Rosberg and Trulli leading the way.
Behind the leading quartet, Alonso is running fifth, ahead of Hamilton, Heidfeld, Massa, Piquet and Nakajima, all of whom have to stop. Raikkonen is 15s off the pace on his wets.
On lap 22, the first serious spots of rain begin to his the camera lens. Sure enough, Alonso goes off, the Spaniard making full use of the escape road. Button, Rosberg, Trulli and Barrichello all pit. Indeed, everyone appears to be pitting. Raikkonen, who should have benefited from that early change to wets, complains that his tyres are shot.
Webber makes a bold move on Hamilton to take sixth, however the World Champion subsequently uses his KERS to full advantage, much to the Red Bull driver's frustration. The Australian fights back further into the lap but goes wide.
The rain is only falling on certain part of the track, which only makes things more difficult for the drivers. Even where it is raining, it's not particularly hard, certainly no 'rooster tails'.
Hamilton and Webber continue their scrap, chopping and changing positions.
After 24 laps, it's: Button , Rosberg, Trulli, Barrichello, Heidfeld, Webber, Hamilton, Massa, Glock and Piquet.
Having finally disposed of Hamilton, Webber sets off after Heidfeld. The Australian makes short work of the German and then heads off after Barrichello. Elsewhere, Glock, on intermediates, is on a charge, having made short work of Hamilton he then disposes of Heidfeld. Sadly the timing screens are running slow.
As the rain increases in intensity, Vettel pits. Elsewhere, Barrichello passes Trulli to take third.
At the end of lap 27, Rosberg pits again, as does Hamilton. Meanwhile, Webber and Glock pass Trulli.
Barrichello, now running second, runs wide, as Glock passes Webber to take second, 24s behind the race leader.
At the end of lap 28, Barrichello and Trulli pit, both fitting inters, Alonso and Nakajima also pit.
Next time around, Button pits, handing the lead to Glock. Webber, Massa and Piquet also stop.
Button rejoins right behind Glock, immediately putting pressure on the German. As the Brawn driver makes a move, Glock dives into the pits. At which a massive thunderbolt hits the track. Webber, Rosberg, Hamilton and Massa all pit.
As the rain really hammers down more and more drivers come in for full wets. It's absolute mayhem out there.
As Vettel goes off, his race over, Button pits. Having taken on full wets, he rejoins ahead of Rosberg and Glock who are still battling away. Bourdais calls for the race to be stopped.
The Safety Car is deployed on lap 32, and quite right too, conditions are dreadful. Heavy rain and minimal visibility.
The race is red flagged, as Heidfeld and Hamilton and a number of others spin.
The cars line up on the grid, though it's unclear what will happen next.
At the time of the red flag, Button was leading, ahead of Glock, Heidfeld, Trulli, Barrichello, Hamilton, Rosberg, Webber, Massa, Bourdais, Alonso, Nakajima, Piquet, Raikkonen and Sutil.
Vettel, Buemi and Fisichella are all out of the race, having gone off when conditions were at their worst.
"I need my white visor," Massa tells his crew, "otherwise I cannot see anything". "Stay cool," says Rob Smedley, "Stay cool, we're in a good position."
Sadly, thanks to one man's insistence, F1 is set to find itself on the front pages again tomorrow, as F1 takes careful aim at its foot, the gun supplied and loaded by one Bernie Ecclestone. Nobody can say he wasn't warned.
Webber, apparently in his role as GPDA shop steward, talks to his fellow drivers, clearly feeling the race cannot go ahead in these conditions. Thing is, why did the GPDA allow this to happen in the first place, why was it only Rosberg and Kubica that spoke out, voicing their fears.
We know these guys have balls, we heard Sebastian Vettel admitting the other days that he's been stuffing dry ice down his pants here to keep them cool, however, why didn't they speak out as one earlier and admit that the decision to move the race to this time was not an option.
With the rain set to last for another half hour, Webber is concerned not just at the current conditions but the failing light and also the tyre pressures.
As the rain continues falling, and waiting continues, one cannot help but the 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix has become a sick animal that should be put out of its misery. Nobody really has enthusiasm to continue and if the race is re-started it will behind the safety car.
Jarno Trulli tells his crew that Mark Webber has the agreement of all the drivers, namely, that it is now too dark to re-start the race.
Things take a turn for the worse, when it is announced that the race will be started, with less than twenty minutes of the maximum race length remaining. However, to further complicate matters, all the drivers from P3 downwards have to un-lap themselves. This at a time when several drivers are on the pit-wall showing no signs of returning to work. All the time, the rain continues falling and the light, such as it is, continues fading.
With fifteen minutes of the official race length remaining Kimi Raikkonen is out of his overalls. Ferrari Communications Officer Luca Colajanni appears as confused as the rest of us, embarrassingly so.
With twelve minutes remaining, even if the race is re-stated, we would get one lap behind the Safety Car… so what's the bloody point? Or half point under the circumstances.
It's official, at 18:57 it is confirmed that the race will not re-start.
Taking absolutely nothing away from some of the performances we've seen today, this is a sad day for Formula One.
Great performances from everyone under difficult circumstances, to put it mildly, however, it's sad to think that this race will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Button thoroughly deserves his win, while Timo Glock gave another excellent performance
Because the race never went the distance the drivers are given half points, however, there's a sting in the tail, as Timo Glock prepares to head off to the podium to receive the trophy for second place, Charlie Whiting reveals that the actual race result - which is counted as at the end of lap 31 - sees the Toyota driver finish third, behind Button and Heidfeld.
How very sad that a race featuring some great gutsy drives ends up leaving a bitter after taste.
Nice one Bernie!