2014 Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix

[Bram Hengeveld]

Welcome to the 2014 F1 Malaysian GP discussion thread.

Here you can preview the upcoming Grand Prix weekend and discuss the practice and qualification sessions and of course the race on Sunday.

In the attached poll we would like you to predict the winner of the race.

2014 Malaysian Grand Prix Preview
Official preview by Michael Johnston

2014 Malaysian Grand Prix Articles
All Malaysian Grand Prix reports

Malaysian Grand Prix in recent years
2013 Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix
2012 Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix
2011 Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix
2010 Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix
2009 Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix

 

[Milos]

First vote! (Chilton)
You know the race will be held in more than 1 week time? I think this was a bit too early, but OK

 

[Chris Jenkins]

I've gone for Magnusson.
I don't think Mercedes GP will be very reliable here.

I'm hoping the heat will cripple the Renault engines (wishful thinking).

Massa pole, K-Mag win.
At least 6 Mercedes-powered cars in the top 10.

 

[ML2166]

Always an outside chance of mixed weather conditions......I'll plump for Jenson.

Possible rain plus Merc engine power sways my decision.

 

[Richard Eriksson]

I'm gonna put my chin out a bit and say rainshowers, with Bottas as winner and Jenson second

 

[Tony Holder]

After the first race, this is difficult to call...... want McLaren 1 2..... not fussed which order.

 

[Qazdar Karim]

This one is for Alonso !

ok here is my top 5 : Alonso,Lewis,Jenson,Rosberg and Massa

 

[Ho3n3r]

Nice and unpredictable - just the way we know it at Sepang

 

[Dux]

Before the start at Albert Park i was hoping for Vettel to finish the race, would be a success and myself pleased, and it turned out that it would have been indeed! But when i see that Ricciardo finished, where he did, from total outsiders for the first part of the season, for me, now i see even 20 votes for Vettel for this race win that's nice!

 

[Richard Eriksson]

Before the start at Albert Park i was hoping for Vettel to finish the race, would be a success and myself pleased, and it turned out that it would have been indeed! But when i see that Ricciardo finished, where he did, from total outsiders for the first part of the season, for me, now i see even 20 votes for Vettel for this race win that's nice!

I think RBR is definitely at least 3-4 races away from contending for anything above top 5 to be honest.

Too many issues still and also the fuel story taking focus away from development. I also sense that both RBR management and Vettel is mentally distracted by being behind the top teams. The statements from the team indicates instability and insecurity, and when interviewed there was a hint of something in Vettels eyes that have not been seen for a long time... Fear, doubt and resignation.

So they look unstable now.

The opposite of this is Williams... They seem to have been given a well deserved confidence boost and they seem to have well working packaging at the moment.

 

[Tony Holder]

RBR have thrown their toys outta the pram.....

 

[Chris Jenkins]

For anyone that likes their betting, there's some very good odds for Fastest Lap for this Sunday.

Worth betting a cheeky pound/euro/dollar etc

 

[KrishF1]

I give my vote to Massa. In Australia williams was very fast but they had a lot of failure.

 

[Omer Said]

Oh noes.. A stormy Malaysia means red flagged waitings..
Some light showers would do tough.

 

[ufunacaoenn]

Race, postponed until monday due to rain is my prediction....

 

[ENDR]

But why exactly should it be postponed? Because of the danger of driving in the rain?
The cars are so slow, that the pretty wide runoff areas in Malaysia should have no problems with stopping them before hitting any walls.

 

[Shane Butler]

It's also great that this race is live on the BBC aswell. Malaysia is up there with the best circuits on the calendar. Shame about the double DRS zones though.

 

[Richard Eriksson]

But why exactly should it be postponed? Because of the danger of driving in the rain?
The cars are so slow, that the pretty wide runoff areas in Malaysia should have no problems with stopping them before hitting any walls.

Modern F1 are a lot of things, but "slow" is not one of them, i can assure you.

And aquaplaning at high speed with racing tires, means not even a 100 meters of run off would save you. If you are aquaplaning, your car is already floating above the road surface, so it really doesn't matter how much of it you have.

 

[Ho3n3r]

Modern F1 are a lot of things, but "slow" is not one of them, i can assure you.

Indeed. I do not know where ENDR got his info from, but they were only 0.9 seconds off last year's pole during the Bahrain test.

Interestingly, with the changes from 1994 to 1995, the cars were about 5 seconds a lap slower in Brazil in 1995 than they were in 1994, and that's a very short track. Wonder if he thought they were slow back then too.

 

[ENDR]

If you are aquaplaning, your car is already floating above the road surface, so it really doesn't matter how much of it you have.

I've never seen a car aquaplaning over gravel, have you?
The way I see it: they were spinning the wheels and sliding on a damp track in Australia (heck, they even did it when it was dry), which must've hurt their acceleration. In Malaysia I expect something more than light rain and even more spinning and sliding, which means crap acceleration and lower than normal top speeds, so if someone aquaplans off the track, the Malaysian runoff areas (which are mostly gravelly) should stop them easily.
A whole different topic is: what if someone aquaplans and hits someone else - will the low noses act like a wedge between the track and the other car's floor.

Wonder if he thought they were slow back then too.

They were... compared to the previous years.