15/03/2015
NEWS STORY
Ignoring the fact that he has a 0.549s advantage over his teammate and the fact that he believes the W06 is the best car he has ever drive, no doubt Lewis Hamilton will remember the events of twelve months ago when he had a 0.364s advantage over Nico Rosberg but retired after just two laps.
That said, the Mercedes has looked pretty bullet-proof here, and indeed throughout winter testing when a couple of teams only needed one engine to see them through all twelve days.
With such an advantage, the only serious threat to Lewis - other than a sudden change in conditions, another unforeseen technical issue or himself - comes from the guy in the other Mercedes, Mr Rosberg.
Though the German was quickest in both of yesterday's sessions, today he hasn't looked quite as convincing.
Of course, for all our sakes, for the sake of F1, we need Rosberg to take the fight to his teammate today and throughout the season, otherwise the title is retained by the Briton before the battle has even begun.
Other than Mercedes, the other big talking point is Williams and Ferrari, the pair looking pretty evenly matched up until now.
Of course, had it not been for his back pain, Valtteri Bottas might well have joined his teammate ahead of the red cars, but the fact all four are covered by just 0.369s shows how tight it is.
Though the Grove outfit appears quietly confident, let's not forget the long run pace of the Maranello cars on Friday.
That said, in a late, low blow, a couple of hours before the race Williams cast doubt on the Finn's ability to race having suffered tissue damage to his lower back. Though doctors subsequently felt he was OK, the Williams driver failed to completely pass the FIA's extraction test and was therefore deemed unfit to race, leaving the Grove outfit with just one representative and dropping the grid to 17 entries.
After a difficult build up, Daniel Ricciardo did well to get into Q3 far less take seventh on the grid, Daniil Kvyat's thirteenth, the result of a gearbox issue, possibly closer to the true current form of the RB11.
It was always on the cars that one of the Toro Rosso kids would pull off a major coup, and while a mistake cost Max Verstappen, Carlos Sainz rose to the occasion tasking a superb eighth.
Early days, but at this stage the Red Bulls look as if they have a serious fight on their hands from their sister team.
A strong performance from the Lotus duo also, the Enstone team - now powered by Mercedes, of course - an entirely different kettle of fish to the also-rans we witnessed last year.
While Sauber has been overshadowed by the legal case involving Giedo Van der Garde, an episode from which the Swiss outfit does not emerge well, full credit to drivers Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson who have both performed well beyond expectations under he circumstance. The Brazilian looked to have made it into Q3 today - a superb effort - only to lose out to Pastor Maldonado.
With the late launch of the 2015 car, Force India always faced an uphill struggle, particularly in the opening races however, Nico Hulkenberg and Sergio Perez appear to have a good foundation for the season ahead... finances permitting.
Then there's McLaren. In all honesty, as the Woking team and Honda work on their many problems the best thing to do is to treat today's race as a glorified test session, learning as much as possible and to ignore the howls from a media always out for a bit of controversy.
A two-stop strategy is theoretically fastest for today's 58-lap race. The quickest strategy being to start on softs, change to softs again on lap 27, then mediums on lap 52.
A one stop is also possible, with the quickest option in this case being to start on the mediums and then change to softs on lap 24; same quickest option if starting on the soft and then changing to medium on lap 34.
However, there is a reasonably high safety car probability - a safety car figured last year - and that will have an effect on strategy.
As the pitlane opens, the air temperature is 17 degrees C, whilst the track temperature is 35 degrees. The damps patches that followed overnight rain dried many hours ago and as the clock ticks down to the 16:00 start time conditions are ideal, if still a little breezy.
One by one the drivers leave their garages, Williams hopes resting entirely on Massa.
And then there were 16. Disaster for McLaren as Magnussen's car stops halfway round the track, thick white smoke billowing from the back.
Problems for Red Bull also, as Kvyat slows to a crawl, watched by a worried Christian Horner. Could the grid be down to 15 already?
Of course, be it 15 or 16 starters, this gives the rookies all the more chance of finishing in the points, assuming they keep their cool on the opening lap.
Talking of rookies, one of the last to arrive on the grid - cutting it mighty fine - is Sainz.
As the grid - such as it is - stands silent for the national anthem, TV cameras pick up on Kvyat's car being lifted to safety. Having lost all drive we are indeed down to 15 starters.
Most are starting on the option rubber, the exceptions being Verstappen, Perez and Ericsson. Meanwhile, Red Bull confirms that Kvyat suffered a "gearbox problem, losing all drive".
As they head off on the warm-up lap, Hamilton is warned that there is oil on the track from T3 to T4. Which begs the question, assuming it was dumped by Magnussen, why hasn't it been cleaned up.
Thankfully, all away for the warm-up lap, Hamilton leading the way.
They're away! Hamilton leads into the first corner. There's contact involving the Ferraris further back and then one of the Lotus is sent into a spin. Out comes the Safety Car.
Seconds into the race and we are already down to 14 cars, despite the low speed of the accident, Maldonado's car is quite badly damaged.
Behind the Safety Car, it's: Hamilton, Rosberg, Massa, Vettel, Sainz, Nasr, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Verstappen and Hulkenberg. Ericsson and Grosjean pit indeed, the Frenchman is pushed into his garage. Have we already lost both Lotus?
The answer is yes. TC cameras pick up on Grosjean out of his car and talking to his mechanics, his day's work done. In the Williams garage Bottas is a frustrated spectator.
As the Safety Car prepares to pull off at the end of lap 3, we are already down to 13 runners.
All away cleanly, Nast nailing Sainz into T1, as Perez is told that he must give back a place to Ericsson after passing him under the Safety Car. Ricciardo also passes Sainz, thereby moving up to sixth.
Pushing a hard pace, Hamilton soon has a 2.7s lead over his teammate who is in turn 2.3s clear of Massa who has Vettel hard on his heels.
On lap 6, Rosberg posts a new fastest lap (32.371) as the gap to Hamilton hovers at 2.3s. Raikkonen down in eighth.
Perez runs wide in T3 whilst appearing to remove a rip-off from his visor.
Raikkonen makes short work of Sainz, the Finn using all his experience to sell the rookie a perfect dummy.
Ricciardo reports understeer at high speed, the car feeling a little bit nervous.
After 8 laps Massa is losing ground to the Mercedes duo, Vettel still only 0.8s behind. Ricciardo is all over Nasr and in turn under pressure from Raikkonen. The Ferrari clearly quicker than the Red Bull and eager to be let off the leash.
At the back of the field, Button is running in twelfth, 9.3s down on Ericsson and under pressure from former teammate Perez.
Asked about the condition of his tyres, Nasr says "they're good".
It's a matter of honour as Button fights off the attention of Perez, even though the end result is inevitable. "Good job Jenson," he is told, "make life difficult for him".
Lock-ups from Nasr and Ricciardo as Raikkonen maintains the pressure.
Perez spins at T3 after Button shut the door on him sending the Mexican into a spin. Whilst there is clearly some carbon fibre on the track, the Force India driver reports no damage. Button is minded that with only 13 cars in the race there is a chance of points.
Unable to pass Ricciardo, at the end of lap 16 Raikkonen dives into the pits. Taking on another set of softs, after an agonisingly slow stop, due to a problem with the right-rear, the Finn rejoins in 11th, 16s down on Ericsson. He clearly has front wing damage from that first lap incident.
After 18 laps, Hamilton leads Rosberg by 2.4s with Massa a further 11.6s down the road, just 1.3s ahead of Vettel. Nasr remains fifth, 12.9s down on the Ferrari and under pressure from Ricciardo.
Raikkonen, on that fresh rubber, posts a new fastest lap (31.960) as Massa reports some degradation to his front-left.
At the end of lap 21 Massa pits, the Williams switching to the prime rubber. Hulkenberg also pits, also switching to the primes.
Now up to third, and in clear air, Vettel posts a PB but remains 13.4s behind Rosberg. Teammate Raikkonen closes to within 1.6s of Ericsson.
As Massa closes in on Ricciardo, the Red Bull driver is told to pit. He duly obliges and switches to primes.
Next time around, at the end of lap 24, Vettel pits. As the German pits, Massa is told to up the pressure.
Vettel rejoins ahead of Massa as teammate Raikkonen finally nails Ericsson and sets off after Verstappen.
Disaster for Sainz as his team encounters a problem with the left-rear wheel gun.
Hamilton pits at the end of lap 25, the Briton slightly overshooting his slot. Nasr also pits.
"Box, box, box," Rosberg is told, the German stopping at the end of lap 25. Switching to the primes he rejoins in second, 4.6s down on his teammate.
A nice clean move sees Raikkonen nail Verstappen to take fifth. The Dutch teenage yet to take on fresh rubber.
After 28 laps, almost half-distance, it's: Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Massa, Raikkonen, Verstappen, Nasr, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg and Button. That said, Verstappen and Button have yet to stop.
A new fastest lap from Raikkonen (31.681) as he attempts to close the 13.4s gap to Massa. Nasr is told he is racing Ricciardo.
Ericsson passes Perez in T1 to take tenth, the final points scoring position.
Funny enough, since that first lap contretemps - and what went before - there hasn't been a single retirement.
Button finally pits, having spent several laps begging to be allowed, rejoining the race in last position a lap down.
Although 9s down on Massa, Raikkonen is told that "the race with Massa is on". The Finn, of course, is on a two-stop strategy, compared to Massa single stop.
At the end of lap 32, Verstappen finally pits. A nice clean stop sees him rejoin in ninth, 5.2s down on eighth-placed Hulkenberg.
"There's smoke in the car," says Verstappen, and sure enough the cameras pick up on the youngster with smoke pouring from the back of the Toro Rosso. A sad end to a very, very impressive performance as the youngster pulls off to the side of the track.
So, after 34 laps, it's Hamilton, Rosberg (1.7s behind), Vettel (15.3), Masa (4.6), Raikkonen (7.2), Nasr (21.5), Ricciardo (1.7), Hulkenberg (19.8), Ericsson (11.5) And Perez (18.1). Eleventh placed Sainz is all over Perez.
A new fastest lap from Rosberg on lap 36, the German stopping the clock at 31.355.
Rosberg is told that it is important to save fuel if he is to attack at the end of the race.
Hamilton responds with a 31.134 having gone quickest in the first two sectors. Meanwhile Ricciardo continues to harry Nasr.
At the end of lap 39, Perez makes his second stop of the day. Following problems with his front-right he rejoins in twelfth, 8.2s down on Button.
Raikkonen makes his second stop at the end of lap 40, switching, as he has to, to the prime rubber. He rejoins in fifth, 31.7s down Nasr. However, moments later the Finn slows and pulls to the side of the track, his race over. He climbs from the car.
In moments, the Finn is on the back of a scooter and heading back to the pits. Meanwhile, cameras pick up on a problem with the left-rear tyre and a possible unsafe release.
Radio replay has Raikkonen telling the team that there is something wrong with the wheel, they inform him hat happened and apologise.
Consequently, the order now is: Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Massa, Nasr, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Ericsson, Sainz and Perez.
As Ericsson makes his third stop of the afternoon, following a minor off, the stewards announce that they are to investigate Raikkonen's unsafe release.
Currently 3.5s down on Vettel, Massa is told that his pace is good.
As Raikkonen arrives back in the pits, Maurizio Arrivabene is seemingly already holding a post-mortem.
Hulkenberg makes his second stop of the day at the end of lap 46.
Button kicks up a big cloud of dirt as he runs slightly wide.
A new fastest lap from Rosberg (31.092) as he reduces the gap to 1.975.
Perez, currently 11th, is told that Sainz and Ericsson are catchable, but that he will need to increase his pace. Meanwhile, Nasr looks good for a fifth place finish on his F1 debut.
A new fastest lap, this time from Hamilton (31.023).
"Big problem with downshifts," complains Button.
Another fastest lap from Hamilton (30.945) as he maintains 2.7s gap to his teammate.
With 8 laps remaining, it's: Hamilton, Rosberg, Vettel, Massa (2.4s down), Nasr, Ricciardo (4.5s), Hulkenberg, Sainz, Ericsson and Perez. Button, in eleventh, is last.
Sainz clearly struggling on his primes, the Toro Rosso all over the place.
Asked about his fuel levels, his crew tells Rosberg that it is "plus", advising that they can't tell him any more under the new communication rules.
As he hunts down Sainz, Ericsson has a big, big wobble. Shortly afterwards however, the Brazilian is unable to offer any resistance and allows the Sauber to pass.
"Well done buddy, push!" a member of the Sauber crew tells the Swede, and you can bet it wasn't Giedo Van der Garde.
As the begin the final lap, Rosberg goes quickest in S3 but the 1.7s gap to his teammate is almost a mountain.
Hamilton takes the flag, Rosberg crossing the line 1.3s later, and while the gap doesn't look much the fact is that the German never looked like bothering his teammate all afternoon. For the world champion it was a Sunday cruise.
Behind the Silver Arrows, it's Vettel, Massa, Nasr, Ricciardo, Hulkenberg, Ericsson, Sainz, Perez and Button.
Thankfully, as the Mercedes steamroller continues, there is plenty going on behind, Williams and Ferrari clearly very evenly matched. Let's only hope that Bottas is fit enough to join in the fun at Sepang in two weeks.
A superb job from rookie Nasr, especially considering the strain he and his team have been under this week, to have got both cars home in the points - albeit courtesy of a lot of rivals falling by the wayside - is a major achievement.
Superb damage limitation from Ricciardo also, the Australian doing a superb job in bringing the Red Bull home.
A day of attrition has paid off also for Force India, while Sainz also deserves full credit for a great debut. Commiserations to his Toro Rosso teammate.
Not the sort of start we wanted to the season, even if it's what we expected, the 34s gap to third-placed Vettel clear proof that Mercedes remain in a class of its own.
Thankfully, Sepang is more of a traditional circuit, which allows overtaking so hopefully we won't see the likes of Raikkonen losing time behind slower cars.
Hopefully also, we'll have a full grid, even if it's only 18 cars.
Check out our Sunday gallery, here.