2015 Malaysian Grand Prix: The Top 10 Readers’ Results!

Under conditions that particularly suited the Ferrari SF15-T, the German brilliantly executed the two-stop strategy that led him to a victory he hadn’t tasted since Brazil in 2013.

2. Kimi Räikkönen

11th in qualifications

4th in race

For the Finnish driver, the race seemed compromised from the outset: stuck in Q2, he suffered the trials of starting in the pack with a flat tire relegating him far behind. But thanks to the safety car, he was able to catch up and quietly maneuvered his way into 4th position.

3. Lewis Hamilton

1st in qualifications

2nd in race

Author of a new pole, the reigning World Champion never really glimpsed victory at Sepang, at the wheel of a Mercedes that was performing but not dominating. The gamble of pitting as early as the 4th lap, under the safety car, did not pay off, and Hamilton was never able to make up the 10 seconds lost in his climb back through the field on hard tires.

4. Max Verstappen

6th in qualifications

7th in the race

Author of an aggressive race marked by authoritative overtakes, the Dutchman made history by becoming the first underage driver to score points in F1.

5. Carlos Sainz Jr

15th in qualifying

8th in the race

After Vettel, the young Spaniard is the second driver in the Top 10 to successfully implement a two-stop strategy. Starting from the back due to a failed Q2, he, unlike his teammate, drove a conservative race and fulfilled the objective by finishing in the top 10.

6. Nico Rosberg

3rd in qualifications

3rd in race

If the qualifying was not among his most successful, the race was largely handicapped as early as the 4th lap when he had to pit behind Hamilton, losing time and positions. His recovery on hard tires also widened the gap with his teammate and Vettel, making it too large to hope for better.

7. Valtteri Bottas

9th in qualifying

5th in the race

Back in the cockpit of his Williams after his back problem in Melbourne, the Finn delivered a solid race following a disastrous start that pushed him back to 14th place. He even had the luxury of overtaking his teammate in the final laps.

8. Felipe Massa

7th in qualifications

6th in the race

In the no man’s land between the Mercedes/Ferrari and the Renault-powered cars, the Brazilian was unable to maintain his advantage over his teammate even though the latter had a difficult start to the race and both were on the same three-stop strategy.

9. Romain Grosjean

8th in qualifications

11th in the race

After a convincing qualification, the race was supposed to be about points for the Franco-Swiss. However, the pace of the E23 didn’t seem particularly impressive in these conditions, and Sergio Pérez’s maneuver in the esses ultimately buried Lotus’s hopes.

10. Daniil Kvyat

5th in qualifications

9th in race

In a less than sprightly Red Bull, partly due to brake problems, the Russian outmaneuvered his struggling teammate, despite a clash with Hülkenberg that could have cost him dearly.

Top 10 Readers Rankings 2015