Saturday, March 22, 2008
# posted by Rich @ 8:18 PM
2008 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix: Pre-race
The next event of the weekend will be the 2008 Malaysian Grand Prix, so here are some useful things to look out for, and some predictions. The race is scheduled for 56 laps (310.408km/192.887 miles), and will start at 15:00 local time (07:00 GMT, 02:00 EST). The pit windows are as follows:
1-stop 27-33 laps
2-stops 16-27, 35-41 laps
3-stops 14-19, 25-30, 38-43 laps.
Last year's winner was Fernando Alonso, and the fastest fastest lap of the race was set by Lewis Hamilton (1:36.701). The lap record is held by Juan Pablo Montoya (1:34.223, set in 2004).
The weather for the race is likely to be wet: according to Accuweather, there will be showers and thunderstorms at 3 pm local time, and they will last the rest of the day. According to Weather.com there will be scattered thunderstorms with a 50% chance of precipitation throughout the race. According to Weather Underground there will be thunderstorms with an 80% chance of precipitation, and according to the BBC there will heavy rain and thunderstorms.
So, predications for the race. The Ferraris looked strong in qualifying, but Raikkonen said he was not happy with his car. It might be possible, seeing as he was so much slower than his team mate that the Ferraris are on a split strategy (Massa on 3 stops, Raikkonen on 2), but it seems more likely that both are on 2 stops. I'd imagine the rest of the players are on two stops also, but some teams may opt for a 1-stop if persistent rain is likely to give themselves more flexibility. If the rain is not persistent, then it might be prudent to be on a three stop strategy to give the ultimate flexibility. Either way, I expect a lot of the teams to start on a heavy fuel load to maximise their pit window in the event of rain.
If there is rain, I predict chaos now that TC has been outlawed - when it rains in Malaysia it pours, and I foresee at least one safety car period. The wet should benefit Fernando Alonso, who is usually very good in changeable conditions. Thinking back to Fuji last year, Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen, and Sebastian Vettel were all pretty handy in the wet, so they might show well. It might be a struggle for Sebastien Bourdais who, although they have raced in the wet in CCWS, will be on largely unfamiliar ground if it rains. So, my predictions for the race are Raikkonen for the win, followed by Kovalainen, Alonso, Hamilton, Massa, Vettel, Trulli, Button. Those are with the assumption that it will rain.
Let's see what the weather man brings!
Provisional Starting Grid
1-stop 27-33 laps
2-stops 16-27, 35-41 laps
3-stops 14-19, 25-30, 38-43 laps.
Last year's winner was Fernando Alonso, and the fastest fastest lap of the race was set by Lewis Hamilton (1:36.701). The lap record is held by Juan Pablo Montoya (1:34.223, set in 2004).
The weather for the race is likely to be wet: according to Accuweather, there will be showers and thunderstorms at 3 pm local time, and they will last the rest of the day. According to Weather.com there will be scattered thunderstorms with a 50% chance of precipitation throughout the race. According to Weather Underground there will be thunderstorms with an 80% chance of precipitation, and according to the BBC there will heavy rain and thunderstorms.
So, predications for the race. The Ferraris looked strong in qualifying, but Raikkonen said he was not happy with his car. It might be possible, seeing as he was so much slower than his team mate that the Ferraris are on a split strategy (Massa on 3 stops, Raikkonen on 2), but it seems more likely that both are on 2 stops. I'd imagine the rest of the players are on two stops also, but some teams may opt for a 1-stop if persistent rain is likely to give themselves more flexibility. If the rain is not persistent, then it might be prudent to be on a three stop strategy to give the ultimate flexibility. Either way, I expect a lot of the teams to start on a heavy fuel load to maximise their pit window in the event of rain.
If there is rain, I predict chaos now that TC has been outlawed - when it rains in Malaysia it pours, and I foresee at least one safety car period. The wet should benefit Fernando Alonso, who is usually very good in changeable conditions. Thinking back to Fuji last year, Lewis Hamilton, Heikki Kovalainen, and Sebastian Vettel were all pretty handy in the wet, so they might show well. It might be a struggle for Sebastien Bourdais who, although they have raced in the wet in CCWS, will be on largely unfamiliar ground if it rains. So, my predictions for the race are Raikkonen for the win, followed by Kovalainen, Alonso, Hamilton, Massa, Vettel, Trulli, Button. Those are with the assumption that it will rain.
Let's see what the weather man brings!
Provisional Starting Grid
| Row 1 | Massa (pole) | Raikkonen |
|---|---|---|
| Row 2 | Trulli | Kubica |
| Row 3 | Heidfeld | Webber |
| Row 4 | Alonso | Kovalainen |
| Row 5 | Hamilton | Glock |
| Row 6 | Button | Coulthard |
| Row 7 | Piquet | Barrichello |
| Row 8 | Vettel | Rosberg |
| Row 9 | Fisichella | Bourdais |
| Row 10 | Sato | Sutil |
| Row 11 | Davidson | Nakajima |
Labels: Formula 1, Grand Prix, Malaysia
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