2014 Malaysian Grand Prix – Talking Points Just how quick is Mercedes? How much has really changed in Formula 1 over the winter? Once again in Australia, a German driver won the race with relative ease (albeit in a different car… and it was a different German…). Nico Rosberg seem rather relaxed when winning the race down under, like it was a formality. Will he and teammate Lewis Hamilton enter battle with each other this weekend for the race win? Rookies hope to continue good form Having made their debuts in Australia, Kevin Magnussen and Daniil Kvyat will be hoping for more of the same after both scoring points at Albert Park. In second place, Magnussen claimed the best result for a driver on debut since 1996, whilst Kvyat picked up some good points in ninth place, and even hassled Kimi Raikkonen for position at one point. Marcus Ericsson’s debut ended prematurely due to an oil pressure problem, but he too will be encouraged by his maiden Formula 1 outing. Can Red Bull bounce back from fuelgate? Everything has a -gate nowadays, and this is no exception. Following Daniel Ricciardo’s disqualification from the Australian Grand Prix (which has been appealed), Red Bull needs a good weekend in Malaysia to avoid losing any more ground as the team bids for a fifth straight world title. The car is quick, certainly, but it needs to see the finish line if it is to give the team any points. Bottas and Massa are the dark horses With 19 overtakes, Valtteri Bottas provided a good chunk of the action in Australia, and it was a joy to watch him race. Had he not made contact with the wall when chasing Kimi Raikkonen, he may well have finished on the podium. Alongside teammate Felipe Massa (who retired at turn one), Bottas is a dark horse to give Williams a podium finish that would undoubtedly underline its pace for the coming year. Honoring MH370 The Malaysian Grand Prix will be a rather subdued event this weekend following the recent disappearance of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. A number of teams will run with tributes on their cars, and a minute’s silence is expected to be held ahead of the race on Sunday. Track: Sepang International Circuit, Sepang (5.3km) Laps: 56 Corners: 15 Lap Record: Juan Pablo Montoya 1:34.223 (2004) Tire Compounds: Medium (Option); Hard (Prime) 2013 Winner: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 2012 Pole Position: Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) 2012 Fastest Lap: Sergio Perez (McLaren) – 1:39.199 DRS Zones: Main straight (T15 to T1); T14 to T15
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 21:39:09 +0000
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