Malaysia: The Grand Prix we’re taking for a ride

« It is one of the hottest weekends of the year and where temperatures significantly affect tire wear »

Nico Hülkenberg doesn’t get it wrong: the Malaysian stage should be the toughest of the season when it comes to atmospheric conditions. The stifling heat and very high humidity make life difficult for the drivers, in their cockpits and in their pits; and if we’ve seen unusual images of Nico Rosberg and Daniil Kvyat in Singapore looking for sources of coolness, there shouldn’t be any lack of opportunities this weekend either!

Indeed, the Sepang circuit is located just over 300 kilometers northwest of the Marina Bay circuit, where the Formula 1 world was a week and a half ago. Reliability could indeed suffer from the hot conditions, with a humidity level approaching 80%, and temperatures generally exceeding 40 degrees inside the cockpit, even more so inside the helmets!

A now classic layout of modern Formula 1

Inducted into Formula 1 on October 17, 1999, the Sepang International Circuit began its construction in 1997 according to the plans of the famous designer Hermann Tilke. Located south of Kuala Lumpur, not far from the international airport, the track spans 5.543 kilometers and is raced in a clockwise direction, featuring 15 turns and two long straights. The event was introduced into the championship as the fifteenth and penultimate round of the season in 1999; it was the scene of the battle for the championship lead between Eddie Irvine (then with Ferrari) and Mika Häkkinen (at the time a McLaren driver), with Michael Schumacher acting as a referee, having just returned from a serious leg fracture after his accident at Silverstone a few months earlier.

At the end of the race, Irvine emerged victorious while Schumacher played a strong role as Ferrari’s “second driver,” excessively slowing down Häkkinen. For this inaugural edition, only half of the grid finished the race, with 11 out of the 22 participating drivers dropping out, 10 of them due to mechanical problems! The tone was set; the Malaysian circuit would be formidable and unforgiving to the single-seaters.

A Grand Prix at the Start or End of the Season

While in the 2000 season, the Malaysian stage concluded the championship, it was decided to schedule the Malaysian Grand Prix earlier in the calendar; as early as mid-March, as the second event of the 2001 season. This third edition is memorably marked by a violent storm that fell on the drivers midway through the race; transforming the track into a real ice rink and creating a beautiful ballet of single-seaters on the track! After a double win in Australia, Ferrari achieved another double victory – a truly miraculous feat.

Thus, since 2001, the Malaysian Grand Prix held the second spot in the Formula 1 championship calendar. However, this 2016 edition finds its place in the second half of the calendar following significant renovation work carried out at the beginning of the year to meet FIA and FOM regulations. This work included a complete resurfacing of the track, as well as renovation of the curbs, the essential drainage systems, the run-off areas, and gravel traps in turns 1 and 15.

It is also worth noting that during the work, modifications were made to nine corners in terms of track camber and curbs. The torrential rains in the region forced the circuit managers to find better solutions to drain water and avoid the phenomena of water ruts and puddles that can occur on certain tracks, like turn 1—Castrol-S—at the Nurburgring. The chosen solution was to modify, sometimes considerably, the camber of the track in these corners, with the extreme being turn 15 whose inside was raised by one meter! These changes affect the load transfer on the car and influence the tires by relying more or less on them depending on the corners. The consequence is that the usual ideal racing line is now obsolete, and drivers will have to adapt and find new lines, with the other stated goal of the organizers being to offer increased overtaking opportunities.

The stakes: Will Nico Rosberg open his Malaysian account?

This round will surely see a new chapter in the duel at the top between the two Mercedes drivers. While it is certain that Ferrari will struggle to repeat their feat from where the prancing horse brand took advantage of a strategic error by the Grays and better tire management for Sebastian Vettel to win, we are nevertheless not safe from a new surprise this year!

Will the Grand Prix in Sepang see Nico Rosberg (eight victories in 2016) take the lead in the championship, or will Hamilton (six victories) manage to regain control, following his rival’s three consecutive victories? The two protagonists are currently separated by 8 points as you can see on these standings. On the grounds of Petronas, one of Mercedes’ main sponsors, the Silver Arrows will also be keen to close in on the target of the constructors’ title for the third consecutive season. To be crowned this weekend, they need to leave Sepang with at least a 215-point lead over the second place in the constructors’ standings. Currently, Mercedes has a 222-point lead over Red Bull. Let’s remember that Lewis Hamilton won the race in 2014, ahead of Nico Rosberg.

Behind, can Red Bull and Ferrari play spoiler, or will we witness an intense duel for the second place in the constructors’ standings? We know Ferrari is slightly advantaged in top speed, but the progress of the Renault power unit combined with the efficiency of the Austrian chassis in corners could allow them to take the advantage, continuing from Daniel Ricciardo’s impressive second place in Singapore.

Regarding Williams and Force India, will the back-and-forth in the championship between the two teams continue? The Indian team managed to capitalize on a poor race for Williams at Marina Bay to temporarily take the lead for fourth place in the championship, with 112 points, one more than the Grove team. Consequently, on the Force India side, will Sergio Pérez also announce his final decision to stay or not for the 2017 season? Rumors of a departure (including a move to Renault) are plentiful for the Mexican driver, but the trend now seems to be towards the status quo.

At McLaren, where Jenson Button will cheerfully celebrate his 300th Grand Prix, the track will be a major test to see whether or not the Honda engine has made progress on a circuit with two long straights. Fernando Alonso is expected, in this respect, to test a major evolution of the Japanese power unit. The team from Woking will also keep an eye on Scuderia Toro Rosso to see if it’s possible to widen the gap in the championship for the sixth-place finish (with McLaren currently holding a seven-point lead).

On the side of our French drivers, Romain Grosjean will hopefully be able to drive longer than in Singapore, the problem he experienced during the formation lap has been identified and repaired (a brake system cable was disconnected under the gearbox) but it is still uncertain whether the behavior of the Haas will suit him, particularly regarding brake management. The Frenchman has complained a lot in recent Grand Prix about the behavior of his car, and his radio comment in Singapore raised many eyebrows. Even though Günther Steiner, Haas team principal, defended Romain Grosjean despite his remarks, there are doubts about the Frenchman’s ability to bring added value to the development of the VF-16, as he is the most experienced driver of the new team on the grid.

Esteban Ocon will be keen to continue his duel with his teammate Pascal Wehrlein and achieve his goal of beating him on track. The first act in Singapore gave the advantage to the German driver, as previously the Manor drivers had not been able to truly distinguish themselves since Pascal Wehrlein had experienced two retirements at Spa-Francorchamps (collision on the first lap) and Monza (engine failure this time).

To (really) know everything…

Over the seasons, the Malaysian Grand Prix has led to unlikely scenarios, but do you remember the 2009 edition? Torrential rains are a factor to consider when racing in Sepang, and in 2009, the rains dominated the track. While the Friday and Saturday sessions were held in dry conditions, the weather forecast painted a different picture for Sunday’s race. Rain made its appearance as early as the 19th lap, and its intensification was such that by the 31st lap, race officials decided to stop the race for the safety of the drivers. The race was never restarted, and points were awarded but halved. Lewis Hamilton commented after the race that it was absolutely impossible to drive! It was really dangerous. These were the most dangerous conditions under which I had to drive.

As in Singapore a week and a half ago, Sebastian Vettel is the master of the venue here in Malaysia, with four victories to his name and two pole positions. Alonso has three wins, just like Michael Schumacher, and Kimi Räikkönen follows them with two wins, one of them being his very first victory in F1, at the 2003 Grand Prix.

He is also the first among the drivers still competing to have won on this track. Lewis Hamilton has three pole positions but has only won once, in 2014.

Experienced in this exercise, Derek Warwick will be the chief steward in Sepang. It should be noted that the 62-year-old Briton has already held this position this year in Bahrain during the second race of the season. As a driver in the premier category from 1981 to 1993, he participated in a total of 146 Grand Prix and scored 71 points. The former member of the Toleman, Renault, and Brabham teams managed to reach the podium twice. These two podiums were achieved during the 1984 season, at Zolder and Brands Hatch; both times on the second step.

On the tire front, atmospheric conditions are forcing Pirelli to bring harder compounds compared to Singapore. Indeed, temperatures are expected to exceed 50 degrees on Malaysia’s tarmac! We will see the hard tires with their orange band making a comeback, as they haven’t been used since Canada. Similarly, the medium tires (with a silver band) and the soft tires (with a yellow band) will be in the spotlight. You can find the individual drivers’ choices on the manufacturer’s website. Strategies will be particularly important to monitor: Vettel’s victory last year was largely decided on this criterion, as the German driver pitted at the right time during the Safety Car intervention, and especially opted for a two-stop strategy (medium-medium-hard) while Hamilton took the gamble of three pit stops, a choice that ultimately paid off.

#MalaysianGP tyre orders are now available! https://t.co/5TN4MMUXqj See who’s wearing what to the big race! #F1 #PZero pic.twitter.com/WNNzQ4CmPX

— Pirelli Motorsport (@Pirellisport) 20 septembre 2016

Regarding the DRS zones, it’s the usual classic once again. The first detection point will be just before the braking of turn 13, for a DRS activation zone on the back straight of the circuit.

The second detection point will be located at turn 15, just before the final hairpin, so that drivers can activate the movable rear wing in the long start/finish straight.

If we are only 300 kilometers from Singapore, a race held entirely in dry conditions, we must not take for granted that it won’t rain! The Malaysian Grand Prix often leaves us with wet memories, and the weather is especially unpredictable in this part of the world. In fact, bad weather is expected for the weekend in the Kuala Lumpur region with heavy passing rains and an ambient humidity rate nearing 70%!

Don’t forget the TV Program!

Feature of the Grand Prix races on the Asian tour, the sessions will take place early in the morning for us European spectators.

For this weekend, non-subscribers will note that Canal+ will broadcast the Formula One show unencrypted for 25 minutes this Sunday evening. Tune in for this from 6:50 PM to 7:15 PM, before a second part airs encrypted on Canal+Sport.

Note: Regarding the replays, watch the race again, find its replay on Monday at 11:30 am, on Canal + Sport.

For once in Belgium, the rerun of the show “Warm up” will be on Sunday at 1:20 PM on La Deux, followed by the race, all to accommodate those who missed the live race.

In any case, the future of Formula 1 will belong to the readers who get up early this weekend!