Malaysian Grand Prix - Vettel hot, but not bothered

Malaysia. It's always hot, and it always rains. Except the 2nd part is no longer true (unless you count the drizzly bit around lap 14).

Saturday's qualifying session had highlighted the fact that Red Bull and McLaren seemed well matched on pace, but also that Ferrari were struggling. Whilst Vettel bagged another pole, followed by Hamilton, Webber and Button, Alonso was only 5th, and Massa 7th, with Nick Heidfeld an excellent 6th on the grid between the two red cars. At this point, I would like to break momentarily for a small rant: How many times do I have to say Heidfeld is good? Why wasn't he given a top drive years ago? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?! ARE YOU BLIND!!!?? Ahem. The Hispanias somehow managed to a) turn up b) remember to bring cars c) get both of them on the track d) actually get both of them within 107%. Pretty remarkable really. Oh, and it didn't rain.

Race day looked a more likely candidate for a drop of the wet stuff. The start was exciting, with it looking like an orderly scrap between the fizzy drinks boys and the fab maccas, but they forgot to let the Renault chaps know about the status quo, and Heidfeld and Petrov came barreling down the outside, with Nick bagging 2nd place. Webber suffered a KERS problem before the start and was powerless (quite liderally, pop pickers) as the others streamed past him off the line.

Hamilton found himself stuck behind Heidfeld as Vettel, for the second race in a row, pulled away out front. The anticipated rain made a brief appearance around lap 14, but in insufficient quantities to do any real damage, and the leaders all pitted but stayed on dry tyres.

KERS and DRS made a definite difference at the Sepang circuit and we got to see a fair few passes for position, although rapidly fading tyres, flappy rear wing thingamajigs and bits off a Prius seems a bit excessive really. Couldn't we have managed with two of these things this year?

Hamilton, Buemi and Schumacher treated us to a nice three abreast romp at one point, whilst Red Bull's clever coded message system showed a vital flaw - they hadn't got a code for "sorry Seb, your KERS is buggered". As it was, he was far enough out front for it not to be a major issue.

Alonso had problems too, but with his DRS. It didn't want to open, and that really didn't help in his late race battle with Hamilton. After a fine scrap, he finally went for it but clipped Lewis's rear wheel and had to pit for a new nosecone.

Webber made more stops than he did all last season put together (I might need to check my stats on that), and Hamilton found out with only a few laps to go just how badly the Pirelli tyres can drop off performance-wise. Heidfeld and Webber both nipped past him and he pitted for new rubber, shaking his head in the pits (which of course really helps).

Petrov added some late excitement, by running off the track and attempting to rejoining over some hidden skateboard ramps. I'm not sure which surprised him most; taking off completely, finding his steering column had come off when he landed, or the fact that he can now sing soprano.

Webber tried hard to get past Heidfeld in the last couple of laps, but in the end Vettel made it look easy once more, followed home closely by Button, with a Renault on the podium again with Heidfeld 3rd.

Post-race, the stewards penalised Hamilton for some track wandering whilst defending against Alonso, and the sulky-one got a penalty too, for clonking Hamilton. Whilst Alonso's extra 20 seconds made no difference, Hamilton's lousy day saw him demoted to 8th. He already looked petulant in the post-race interviews. I'm guessing that won't have helped his mood much either...

Special mention to Eddie Jordan in the BBC F1 Forum after the race. It was a lovely moment when he started asking Jenson Button a question, then realised he couldn't remember what it was.

(Listening to a Tangerine Dream box set called The Electronic Journey, currently on a disc titled "Cyberjam Collection". Mmmmmm. Jam.....)

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