Malaysian Grand Prix – Race

[My notes from qualifying] [Drivers and races]

Provisional grid: LH, JB, MS, MW, SV, RG, NR, FA, SP, KR*, PM, FM, BS, PRe, DR, NH, KK, JV, VP, TG, CP, PRo, NK, HK* (my GridBids picks in bold)

There’s been a sprinkling of rain as the team take the cars to the grid; there are grey clouds overhead and it’s still raining in places

As the teams clear the grid we can see everyone is starting on the intermediate (green band) tyre
LH leads everyone away on the formation lap … except PRo is still on the grid – he’s being pushed into the pit lane

01/56: LH holds off his teammate into Turn 1
MW around the outside of MS
MS spins – was there contact?
FIA data says MW is on options and SV on primes – that can’t be right!

02: LH, JB, MW, SV, FA, NR, PM, KR, KK, FM
SP pits
MS down to P16
BS pits too
Pit radio for JB saying it’s raining harder in the pit lane; asks how his inters are; JB says OK for now

03: LH fastest lap 2:05.093
Replay shows MS’s spin – looks like RG tagged the Mercedes
BS pits for new nose cone

04: track is looks very wet
FM pits – full wets (blue band)
TG & CP pit too
RG off into the gravel – he’s frantically asking for a push but his race is over

05/58: JB pits from P2 – wets
FA pits, as does NH, DR, VP & HK
JB passes MS with ease, showing wets are the right tyre
Radio from LH saying he’s starting to aquaplane

06: LH pits; MW too, followed by SV
NR, PM pit too; live data says JV is the only one on inters
LH rejoined just a fraction ahead of JB
SP runs wide; rejoins ahead of a Red Bull
Thunder & lightning – TV signal off for a second
Safety car deployed

07[SC]: JB says final sector is like a lake
Safety Control say no red flag (as had been reported briefly)

08[SC]: LH, JB, SP. MW, FA, SV, JV, FM, NR, NK; retirement:RG
NK hasn’t pitted – he started on wets, as did PRo; JV hasn’t pitted either – he’s the only one on inters
BS pits again

09[SC]: Pit radio for JB says rain may last for another 30 minutes!
More lightning
Red flags (for real this time!) – race suspended
Cars stop on the grid in current race order

More lightning, and thunder
Some teams putting tents over the cars to keep driver, car & team dry
Drivers are getting out of their cars
Meanwhile NK is holding an umbrella as his team wipe down the car

Looks like the rain is easing off
Medical car doing a lap to check conditions
Race will resume at 17:15 local time, behind the Safety Car – wet tyres must be fitted (which means a free pit stop for JV)
DRS will of course be disabled while they’re behind the SC

Drivers are getting back into their cars
Teams begin to clear the grid

SC leads everyone away on lap 10/56; order is LH, JB, SP, MW, FA, SV, JV, FM, NR, NK
On-board with SV shows visibility is still poor

11[SC]: JB asks for forecast update – team says expecting it to clear
Incident involving car 22 (PRo) under investigation regarding team personnel on grid at restart

12[SC]: Teams trying to dry out the box ready for pit stops
Still lots of spray being thrown up on the main straight

13[SC]: Pit-car for NR asking if he wants to go to inters at the restart; NR says yes
SC in at the end of this lap
Drive through penalty for PRo for personnel on the grid
LH bunches everyone up

14: JB pits, as does NR, KR, KK, PRo, VP, TG, BS
FM past JV
SV attacking MW for P3
Pit-car for MS asking about inters; MS says yes

15/56: LH pits, so SP leads the Grand Prix
FA pits, as is MW, FM, PRe, PM, MS, DR, HK
Slow stop for LH; rejoins behind JB
Replay shows LH had to wait for FM entering his box
JB runs into the back of NK’s car! Broken the McLaren’s front wing

16: SP, SV, JV, NH, NK & JB all pit
JB rejoins way down in P22 🙁

17: new order: FA, SP, LH, NR, SV, KR, MW, FM, PRe, JV
FA fastest lap 2:01.920

18: JB f/lap 2:00.936 but he’s down in P20
Still on wets: NR, KR, PRe, KK, BS, VP, HK, TG

19: DR round the outside to take P14 from BS

20/56: FA, SP, LH, NR, SV, KR, MW, FM, PRe, JV
DRS enabled

21: Radio from JB saying he can’t get the front tyres to work; team say shift brake balance forward

22: JB says he has no grip
SV closing on NR
LH well off the pace of FA and SP

23: FA f/lap 2:00.921
NR holds the inside line but SV uses DRS and KERS to take P4

24: FA f/lap 2:00.723
Pit radio for TG telling him to manage tyres as another shower on the way
KR uses the same trick as SV to take P5 from NR
Radio from FA saying rain in Turn 4

25/56: FA, SP, LH, SV, KR, NR, MW, FM, PRe, JV
FA f/lap 2:00.416
JB pits from P19; more inters
MW passes NR for P6

26: FA f/lap 2:00.310
SP f/lap 2:00.139
Pit radio for FM telling him NR is struggling – “let’s catch him”
FM runs wide in Turn 9 – PRe takes P8; JV tries to pass the Ferrari too but FM holds him off

27: FA f/lap 1:59.883
JB f/lap 1:58.329

28: BS attacking FM but FM pits
JB f/lap 1:58.284

29: JB f/lap 1:58.09 – closing right up on TG

30/56: FA, SP, LH, SV, KR, MW, PRe, JV, BS, NH; retirement: RG; (JB P19)
KK round the outside of MS to steal P11

31: FA f/lap 1:58.052

32: FA f/lap 1:58.027
SP f/lap 1:57.647
KK f/lap 1:57.450
JB passes DR for P17; next target is FM

33: FA f/lap 1:57.215
SP f/lap 1:56.538
Sector times still falling – could be time to start thinking about slicks? Except there’s rain expected very soon

34: SP f/lap 1:56.270
JB attacking FM

35/56: SP f/lap 1:55.772
3-abreast through Turn 2 as DR joins the FM/JB battle
JB takes P16

36: SP f/lap 1:55.054 – just under 5secs behind FA
Pit radio warn MW that rain coming
DR takes P17 from FM

37: SP f/lap 1:54.738 an under 4secs behind FA
JB passes VP for P15

38: FA f/lap 1:54.720
SP f/lap 1:54.018 – now 3.2secs behind FA
DR pits – options tyres – first to move to slicks

39: SP f/lap 1:53.434
Pit radio for JB saying they need to get to the end of the race on this set of inters
DR fastest Sector 2 so expect everyone to seriously think about slicks

40/56: SP f/lap 1:53.164
No-one pits – the rain must be imminent
Pit radio for JB saying it’s time for slicks
MW pits – options
PRe and BS pit … as do MS, PM, NR, JB

41: FA pits but SP stays out
SV pits, as does KR – SV took prime tyres
DR f/lap 1:49.800 – that’s about 3.5secs faster than SP’s fastest lap

42: SP pits; LH pits too
HK f/lap 1:48.045 … he’s in P20
MW f/lap 1:45.975
PM f/lap 1:43.967

43: FA, SP, LH, SV, MW, KR, PRe, BS, JV, NK; (JB P16)
MW f/lap 1:43.724
Spots of rain

44: MW f/lap 1:43.077
BS takes P7 from PRe around the outside in Turn 1

45/56: Rain is getting heavier
[PVR recording ended!]

46: Live timing data is messed up – says SP did that lap in 0:00.000
SV f/lap 1:42.529
MW f/lap 1:42.230
PM right on the tail of NH
JB all over the rear of NR

47: SP f/lap 1:41.749
Yellow flag
KK pits
JB has taken P14 from NR

48: SV pits – left rear puncture (contact w/ NK?)

49: SP f/lap 1:41.493
KK has stopped

50/56: FA, SP, LH, MW, KR, BS, PRe, JV, NH, PM; retirements: KK, RG (JB P14)
SP is right on FA’s tail

51: Slow lap for SP – he’s dropped to 5.3sec behind FA!
KR f/lap 1:41.040

52: JV has NH & PM right on his tail

53: MW f/lap 1:41.017 – under 5secs behind LH but there’s just 4 laps left

54: KR 1:40.722
NR pushing JB for P14

55/56: FA, SP, LH, MW, KR, BS, PRe, JV, NH, PM
PM pits! Engine problems

56 = final lap: PM has retired

FA takes the chequered flag
NR steals P13 from JB

Provisional result: FA, SP, LH, MW, KR, BS, PRe, JV, NH, MS; SV, DR, NR, JB, FM, VP, TG, HK, PM, CP, NK, PRo; DNF: KK, RG.

SP’s P2 means it’s the first time a Mexican has made it onto the podium in 41 years!