Malaysia – Race: Alonso edges out Pérez in the chaos!

The rain began to fall on the Sepang track fifteen minutes before the start of the race. It’s not a tropical downpour like the region can experience at this time of year, but it’s enough to dampen the overheated track. Some drivers choose to switch to intermediate tires, like Pastor Maldonado. Strategies are reshuffled: all the front-runners are on intermediate tires, so Sebastian Vettel’s strategy is already aborted before it even started. The formation lap is underway, and Pedro de la Rosa’s HRT failed to start. He will start from the pits, if at all.

The lights go out and the beasts are unleashed! The two McLarens remain in the lead, with Hamilton holding the advantage. Behind them, it’s Grosjean who gets the best start, sneaking between the two Red Bulls, overtaking Schumacher, but the rain is very present after the first turn. The Frenchman is third, but behind him, Webber is becoming a threat. In the chaos of the rain, some drivers make mistakes: the first in this case is Michael Schumacher, who was clipped by Grosjean. Both men fall far back. In the pack, the two Williams touch, with Senna making a mistake and losing part of his front wing. After 3 laps, Hamilton pulls away slightly on a track that’s unevenly wet. Massa takes a gamble by switching to rain tires first, a strategy that could pay off. Grosjean makes an error and gets stuck in the gravel. That’s a retirement. Button is the first of the leading drivers to switch to rain tires, followed by Alonso.

The drivers on intermediates are struggling, and it’s the case for Lewis Hamilton, who is leading ahead of Webber. Both men come into the pits, followed by Vettel, without any time lost at Red Bull. The same scenario at Mercedes. Hamilton comes out just ahead of Jenson Button: the 2009 world champion is even hindered by his teammate. But the 2008 world champion holds the lead for now. Behind them, it’s the surprising Sergio Pérez who stopped earlier to change tires. Vergne, in seventh position, is the last driver on intermediate tires.

The safety car has been deployed! Button is talking about a lake in the last sector. After 7 laps, the order is as follows: Hamilton, Button, Pérez, Webber, Alonso, Vettel, Vergne, Massa, Rosberg, and… Karthikeyan, who takes advantage of the chaos to temporarily secure the tenth place point.

The red flag is finally deployed at Sepang, and the race is therefore suspended to let the storm pass. The teams that can afford it set up real tents to protect the cars, as is the case with McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari. If the race does not resume or resumes but less than 75% of the race is covered, meaning less than 42 laps, only half of the points will be awarded.

A new start will be given behind the safety car, with all drivers on rain tires: it’s a good move for Jean-Eric Vergne who hasn’t stopped but will have the same tires as the rest of the field.

The race will restart for 1h40 if the 56 laps are not completed by then. It is no longer raining as heavily as before the interruption, and the passage of the cars should dry the track somewhat. Pedro de la Rosa receives a drive-through penalty due to a mechanic’s intervention on the grid.

The safety car pulls away with 43 laps to go! Button heads straight into the pits. Behind, Alonso plays with Webber, and Vettel is now on his tail. Pérez keeps up with the McLaren pace and will even lead a lap as the Briton pits but encounters a problem extending his stop. Alonso, who was also in the pits, overtakes him.

Button loses part of his wing while trying to overtake an HRT. He has to pit and rejoins very far behind. Alonso is in the lead, 2.2 seconds ahead of Pérez and 6.3 seconds ahead of Hamilton. Rosberg is in fourth, followed by Vettel, Räikkönen, Webber, Massa, Di Resta, and Vergne, with this group within 7 seconds.

DRS is allowed in the 20th lap. Räikkönen is putting pressure on Vettel. Ricciardo, 13th, successively overtakes Senna and Kobayashi. Alonso gradually builds a gap over Pérez and now has a 5-second lead. Behind him, Räikkönen overtakes Rosberg in turn. The German doesn’t put up much resistance, perhaps waiting for a rain shower that could change the situation. Webber also overtakes him.

After 25 laps, Alonso leads Pérez, Hamilton, Vettel, Räikkönen, Webber, Rosberg, Massa, Di Resta, and Vergne. Massa makes a mistake while closing in on Rosberg, Di Resta passes him but the Brazilian resists Vergne, who eventually overtakes him thanks to DRS on the straight. Bruno Senna closes in on this group: he successively passed Kobayashi, Schumacher, Hülkenberg and has Massa in his sights. The Ferrari pits for new intermediate tires, leaving Senna in ninth, behind Vergne.

After 30 laps, Alonso leads Pérez by 7.6 seconds, Hamilton by 15.1 seconds, Vettel by 23.4 seconds, followed by Webber, Di Resta, Vergne, Senna, and Hülkenberg. Schumacher’s Mercedes is struggling with its tires and loses the eleventh place to Kobayashi. Meanwhile, Räikkönen is under threat from Mark Webber. The drying track seems to suit the Red Bull better than the Lotus. The Saubers appear to be improving in these conditions, with Pérez and Kobayashi trading the fastest lap on the track. The Mexican is making an effort to catch up to Alonso, gaining nearly a second and a half in two laps. He is on course for a potential podium. This indirect battle is mirrored by a direct fight between Massa and Button, who almost touch, allowing Ricciardo to catch up to the duo. Button finally overtakes in the first corner and Ricciardo passes him in turn.

Pérez closes in quickly on Alonso, he’s now just 4 seconds behind. After 37 laps, the Sauber is catching up to the Ferrari again, with a gap of 3.2 seconds. There are now 18 laps remaining. And Ricciardo is the first driver to switch to slick tires, as he puts on the mediums. Alonso loses another nine-tenths to Pérez and is now 2.3 seconds behind, then 1.3 seconds in the next lap, which means within DRS range of the Sauber. Massa and Webber are also taking the gamble on the mediums.

The Sauber is less than a second behind the Ferrari. The Scuderia driver stops to put on the mediums, leaving Pérez in the lead with one lap to go to get back out front. Behind, Hamilton doesn’t pit, but Vettel does. In the next lap, the Sauber makes its pit stop: the stop goes relatively well, and the Mexican driver logically returns behind the Ferrari, 7.8 seconds back. But the Mexican seems already faster than Alonso in the pit exit laps. He’s at 5.7 seconds after the 43rd lap. Less than 4 seconds, and 11 laps remain. He continues to gain time, despite overtaking a backmarker. Behind, Senna is closing in on Räikkönen: the Williams is unleashed and Maldonado is fighting for points. The Sauber is less than a second and a half from the Ferrari. Vettel suffers a puncture and has to pit, risking losing many places.

Pérez is back within DRS range. The Mexican is right behind the Ferrari, he is on hards while Alonso is on mediums. Six laps remain. But Pérez makes a mistake! He goes too wide in the penultimate corner and lets Alonso escape!

Maldonado smokes at the back, probably a motor issue. He comes in. Two laps remain. Pérez is still catching up to Alonso, but it’s only in the last lap, and so it’s Fernando Alonso who claims the 28th victory of his career, ahead of Sergio Pérez and Lewis Hamilton!

2012 Malaysian Grand Prix Formula 1 Results