Malaysian Grand Prix – race notes
[See previous entries for Saturday & Sunday qualifying notes] [Official timing page]
Commentators on both TSN and Speed have been saying about how hot it’s going to be, and a long-shot along the main straight looks quite hazy/misty. (Currently air temperature is 36°C; track temp 51°C; humidity 37%) [ITV commentators later confirm this is from local forest fires!]
Remember this is the second race of the season; many of the cars are running the same engine as the used in Australia (as per the new rules), so it’ll be interesting to see if they last.
01/56: clean getaway for everyone; Turn 1 clean; JM & RB touch in T3?
FA, JT, GF, MW, RS, KR, JB, DC; RB=12; MS=14; JV=15
02: JB passes KR in to T1
03: JB spun! Smoke – and that’s from his new engine!
PF out – spun on JB’s oil??
AD out – smoke & flames from his BAR – put out quickly
Bad news for BAR – 1 out and 1 suffering
04: JB stops – both BARs out and PF’s Minardi
FA, JT, GF, MW, RS, KR, NH, DC; RB=11; MS=13
05: Is MS sandbagging? He’s 20s a lap slower than RB!
06: RS closing in on MW (P4)
07: FA gap to JT ~3.9s
09: FA, JT, GF, MW, RS, KR, NH, DC; RB=11; MS=13; JV=14
10/56: ITV interview AD – “while it lasted, it was fun” 
12: Cars are quite strung out now – smallest gap is between 1.1s between RS & KR (P5+P6) and CK & JM (P9+P10)
ITV interview JB – “I’m very angry” … you don’t say!
13: FA sets another fastest lap – 1:36.026 – how long before he laps MS?
14/56 (=1/4 distance): FA, JT, GF, MW, RS, KR, NH, DC; RB=11; MS=13; JV=14; 3 retirements (PF, AD + JB)
16: FA f/lap 1:36.000
17: CA first to pit
RB locks up badly in to T1
18: JT f/lap 1:35.816
21: RS + NH pit
DC pits
22: FA pits – tyre pressures reduced as per pit-car radio discussion a couple of laps back; FA leaves box – very close to NK
23: GF pits – front wing adjustment
MW pits too – rejoins just ahead of RB
KR f/lap 1:35.483
24: JM pits
RB pushing MW for P6 … except MW has pitted and RB hasn’t
25: KR pits from P1 – front wing tweaked – rejoins ahead of JT – good stop
KR right rear puncture!
Everyone has now stopped once
26: KR pits – how much damage has it done?
26: FA, JT, GF, MW, RS, NH, JM, RB; DC=9; MS=11; JV=13; KR=14
27: JV spins – stuck in gravel at T1 – yellow flags
28/56: FA has ~13s lead over JT; four retirements
30: GF dropping away from JT?
KR is next to be lapped (then FM and then MS)
31: ITV interview JV – struggling with braking in T1 all weekend
32: MW ~0.5s behind GF, and RS about ~0.5s behind MW
ITV report Renault team say GF has oversteering problems
33: RS locks up and drifts into MW – minor contact
NH takes both RS & MW … but MW takes it back … RS passes NH … NH takes him back — excellent scrap!
35: DC finally gets past RB for P8
CK trying to pass RB now
FA, JT, GF, MW, NH, RS, JM, DC; RB=10; MS=11; KR=13
36: MW right on the gearbox of GF
RB pits – first of the (scheduled) 2nd stops – lots of front wing going on – probs removing fuel hose
37: FA lead just over 15s
38: Stupid driving by MW – he & GF tangle – GF ran wide (as expected – he’s been struggling for many laps) and slid in to the side of MW, then somehow GF flips over the top of MW! Both out, of course. MW storms over to GF’s car but he’s already out and heading for the tyre wall
39: “Incident involving cars (MW) and (GF) being investigated”
40: FA, JT, NH, RS, JM, DC, CK, MS; KR=10; retirements=6 (PF, AD, JB, JV, MW, GF)
41: FA pits – front wing tweaked
42/56: JT + NH pit
MS & JM only drivers yet to make 2nd stop
43: JM pits – rejoins ahead of RS
Replay shows winglet flying of RS’s Toyota
44: MS pits – that’s the end of the scheduled stops
46: KR passes FM and shows how MW should have passed GF
FA, JT, NH, JM, RS, DC, MS, CK; KR=9
48: ITV report Renault concerned that FA’s tyres suffering same as GF’s
50/56: lap times are increasing as the drivers try to preserve their tyres and engines
RB pits – pulls into garage and retires – no grooves left on the rear tyres
51: ITV interview GF – “car wasn’t fantastic”
53: Closest battle: 2.1s between MS and CK (P7+P8) but we’re almost out of laps
ITV report RB told pit wall that he had no grip
55/56: FA, JT, NH, JM, RS, DC, MS, CK; KR=9; just 13 cars still running
CK now just 1.1s behind MS, but KR also 1.1s behind CK
56: FA wins with JT ~24s behind.
MS, CK & KR finish in close succession – only 1.5s between MS & KR
FA climbed out of the Renault … the front tyres look awful … and his overalls are clearly soggy!
FA had to crouch down on the podium during the French national anthem – they all look tired.
What’s up with JT? Grabbed his champagne and left the podium.
Fernando Alonso: “there was no pushing really hard in any part of the race”
Jarno Trulli: 1st ever GP finish for Toyota
Nick Heidfeld: -
FA: 1st ever Spaniard to lead the Drivers’ Championship … looks like he’s stood under a shower!
I’ll worry about the points table in the morning – it’s 4:15am and time for bed!!
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Next race: Bahrain in two weeks. [calendar]
Australian Grand Prix
TSN and Speed are showing highlights of the Sunday morning Qualifying session (i.e. the important one!) just ahead of the race. [My notes from Saturday Qualifying]
The good thing is that the TV coverage is showing the cumulative (combined) times for their qualifying laps; bad news is the F1
Montoya = 3:14.645 = provisional Posn 1
Raikkonnen = 3:15.558 = pP2
Karthikeyan = 3:17.092 = pP4
Button = 3:12.128 = pP1
Heidfeld = 3:09.130 = pP1
Coulthard = 3:07.212 = pP1
Klien = 3:07.477 = pP2
Villeneuve = 3:06.846 = pP1
Webber = 3:04.996 = pP1
Trulli = 3:04.429 = pP1
Fisichella = 3:01.460 = pole
[Live timings on official F1 site won't work on this laptop - "applet crashed", even after updating Java and rebooting - what a waste of time! Oddly enough it works fine on the Linux server!]
Parade lap: yellow flag on the grid! Raikkonen? The new rules say he’ll be pushed in to the pit lane, and the rest of the grid will do another formation lap! And there’s a big puff of smoke from a Toyota. Raikkonen’s fired up and will rejoin from the pits once everyone else has been past.
Parade lap #2: forming up OK.
01/57: DC passed MW in the first corner.
GF, JT, DC, MW, NH, CK, JM, RB
JB dropped a couple of places 
MS & KR moving up very quickly
02: JV=P9; JB=11; MS=15; KR=16
06: FA passes JV … who promptly takes him back
10: GF, JT, DC, MW, NH, CK, JM, RB; JV=9; JB=11; MS=15; KR=16
14: GF laps CA; there’s a few more rookies to get by yet
15: Martin Brunde (ITV commentator & ex-F1 driver) just said he’d like to ask MS & KR what they’re playing at – why aren’t they moving through the field?
16: DC hit the back of a Minardi! Piece of carbon fibre came off but from which car? Also pushed MW wide on to the grass! Ouch!
16: FA passes JV again and makes it stick this time
17: JT first to pit – refuelling only
NH pits too
18: CA pits – stalled trying to pull away – pushed in to the garage – first retirement
19: New nose cone ready for DC … although he’s actually going quicker since he hit that car!?
21: GF, JM, RB, FA, DC, MW, JT, JV
22: GF pits … so does JM … which means RB leads
25: RB, FA & KR all pit
26: MS pits
28/57: GF, DC, MW, RB, JM, JT, FA, CK; everyone pitted (RS twice); CA retired
30: FA passes JT for P6
32: GF, DC, MW, RB, JM, FA, JT, CK; KR=10; MS=11; JV=12; JB=13; RS=16
34: Why is the TV coverage focusing on MS? He’s not close to passing or being passed, and he’s down in P11.
35: Close-up of KR’s righthand barge board which appears to be broken and folding up, covering the air intake
36: KR pace dropping; MS closing in
36: Yellow flag – Monteiro off at Turn 13 – spun it but should recover OK
39: MW pits … as does KR, and they clear the bodywork
JV pits
Red Bull team have another nose cone ready!
40: JB passes JT nicely; up to P11
41/57: GF, DC, RB, JM, FA, MW, MS, CK; KR=10; JB=11; JV=15
JB pits … very slow away
MW locks up in corner and MS thinks about passing
42: GF pits; DC, JM & MS all pit too!
43: MS squeezed NH on to the grass; NH locks up and T-bones MS; both off
NOO!!! MS gets the marshalls to push him out of the gravel again! He caused that and doesn’t deserve to be running again
44: MS pits … and turns in to the garage … so why did he put those marshalls in jeopardy just so he didn’t have to walk back to the pits?
45: FA pits from P1
46/57: GF, RB, FA, DC, MW, JM, CK, KR; JB=11; JV=13; 3 retirements = CA, NH & MS
48: FA closing on RB
GF being blocked by JV … so much for the experienced ex-world champion! … he eventually obeys the blue flags and let the race leader through … it cost him ~3s that lap!
51: RS passes JV for P13
52: JV playing mobile chicane, holding up RB and FA
54: DC’s next to pass JV … except he had to take to an escape road to avoid PF’s Minardi, which has let MW close in on him
55: The marshalls don’t seem to be showing JV blue flags, so it’s not entirely his fault
55/57: GF, RB, FA, DC, MW, JM, CK, KR; JB=11L RS=12 (1 lap down); JV=14
57/57: GF wins! His second ever victory … I bet he’s “velly ‘appy”
TS pits!? So does JB … a BAR plan?
G.Fisichella
10
R.Barrichello
8
F.Alonso
6
D.Coulthard
5
M.Webber
4
J.Montoya
3
C.Klien
2
K.Raikkonen
1
Renault
16
Ferrari
8
Red Bull
7
BMW Williams
4
McLaren Mercedes
4
BAR, Toyota, Sauber, Jordan, Minardi
0
Next race: Malaysia, March 20th. [calendar]
The season starts this weekend!
| Team | Engine | Tyres | Driver1 | Driver2 | Test Driver(s) |
| Ferrari | Ferrari | Bridgestone | M Schumacher | R Barrichello | L Badoer & M Gene |
| BAR | Honda RA005E | Michelin | J Button | T Sato | E Bernoldi & A Davidson |
| Renault | Renault RS25 | Michelin | F Alonso | G Fisichella | F Montagny |
| Williams | BMW P84/5 | Michelin | M Webber | N Heidfeld | A Pizzonia |
| McLaren | Mercedes-Benz FO 110R | Michelin | K Räikkönen | J Montoya | P de la Rosa & A Wurz |
| Sauber | Petronas 05A | Michelin | J Villeneuve | F Massa | N/A |
| Red Bull | Cosworth Racing TJ 2005 | Michelin | D Coulthard | C Klien | V Liuzzi |
| Toyota | Toyota RVX-05 | Michelin | J Trulli | R Schumacher | O Panis & R Zonta |
| Jordan | Toyota | Bridgestone | T Monteiro | N Karthikeyan | R Doornbos & N Pastorelli |
| Minardi | Cosworth | Bridgestone | C Albers | P Friesacher | C Nissany |
| Country | Venue/circuit | Race day | Links to my notes |
| Australia | Melbourne | 06 March | [Saturday qualifying] [Sunday qualifying & race] |
| Malaysia | Kuala Lumpur | 20 March | [Saturday qualifying] [Sunday qualifying] [Race] |
| Bahrain | Bahrain | 03 April | [Saturday qualifying] [Sunday qualifying] [Race] |
| San Marino | Imola | 24 April | [Friday practice #2] [Saturday qualifying] [Sunday qualifying] [Race] [post-race penalty #1] [more on #1] [penalty #2] |
| Spain | Catalunya | 08 May | [updates] [Saturday qualifying] [Sunday qualifying] [Race] |
| Monaco | Monte Carlo | 22 May | [updates] [Saturday qualifying] [Sunday qualifying] [Race] |
| “Europe” | Nurburgring | 29 May | [updates] [Friday practice2] [Only Qualifying session] [race] |
| Canada | Montreal | 12 June | [updates] [Friday practice #1 & #2] [Saturday practice 2] [Qualifying] [Race] |
| United States | Indianapolis | 19 June | [schedule] [Friday practice] [Saturday practice + qualifying] [tyre updates] [ |
| France | Magny-Cours | 03 July | [schedule] [Friday practice] [Qualifying] [Race] |
| Britain | Silverstone | 10 July | [schedule] [Friday practice] [Qualifying] [Race] |
| Germany | Hockenheim | 24 July | [Schedule] [Practice] [Qualifying] [Race] |
| Hungary | Budapest | 31 July | [Schedule] [Qualifying] [Race] |
| Turkey | Istanbul | 21 August | [Schedule] [Practice] [Qualifying] [Race] |
| Italy | Monza | 04 September | [Schedule] [Practice] [Qualifying] [Race] |
| Belgium | Spa | 11 September | [Schedule] [Practice] [Qualifying] [Race] |
| Brazil | Sao Paulo | 25 September | [Schedule] [Practice] [Qualifying] [Race] Fernando Alonso takes the World Drivers’ Championship, the youngest ever winner @ 24 years old. |
| Japan | Suzuka | 09 October |
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