Thursday, March 20, 2008
# posted by Rich @ 1:39 PM
2008 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix: Preview
The Formula 1 travelling circus arrived in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week, on the back of the dramatic and at times chaotic Australian Grand Prix. With only one race completed so far it is difficult to make any predictions about the relative pace of the cars and drivers, especially given the large number of retirements last week, but some observations can be made.
The first is about tyres. When they were actually running, the Ferraris appeared to be very kind to their tyres. Kimi Raikkonen put in a long first stint on heavy fuel with the softer "option" tyres, and appeared to make them work well. This is hardly surprising, as it is a known Ferrari trait that they have excellent aerodynamic grip, although this is often to the detriment of mechanical grip (see Monaco 2007). In contrast, the BMW Saubers seemed to use their tyres up too quickly. They had excellent one-lap pace, but their race pace faded too quickly. This could possibly be ascribed to having quite a hard set-up on the cars, which will give good one lap pace, but will be harsh on the tyres.
Another observation is how well the teams and drivers adapted to the lack of traction control. There were relatively few spins throughout the weekend (although there were a number of offs), but the team that seemed to struggle the most was Ferrari. It could just have been that the drivers needed more time to adjust their driving styles to the new rules, but it is a somewhat worrying sign for a team that is usually so well prepared, as was the technical failures that blighted Kimi Raikkonen during the weekend.
One of the stand out performers in Melbourne was Sebastien Bourdais. In his debut Grand Prix, he ran as high as fourth, and successfully managed to fend of Fernando Alonso until engine failure robbed him of an excellent finish. Bourdais is no slouch, having been CCWS champion four times, and if Toro Rosso can supply a decent car, he may be in with a chance of regular points finishes.
So, what can we expect from Sepang this weekend? Well for one thing, rain. It has been raining since the teams arrived earlier in the week, and the weather forecast predicts almost continuous rain and thunderstorms for the rest of the week. Therefore there is a high probability of a wet race, and with no traction control we could be in for a weekend of drama.
In terms of the teams, McLaren will be aiming to capitalise on their early momentum, and cement themselves at the top of the constructors' championship; Ferrari will be looking to bounce back from their abysmal start to the 2008, but with only a handful of days since the last race, it might be a tall order for the team to fix their mechanical issues. If anyone can though, it's Ferrari; BMW will be looking to improve upon their race pace; Williams must surely be looking forward to scoring another clutch of points, but they may be disappointed if there is low attrition; and finally, Fernando Alonso must be looking to steal more points from the big boys. He's one of the best racers in the wet, and so if the race is indeed wet, he stands a good change of taking home some decent points.
The first is about tyres. When they were actually running, the Ferraris appeared to be very kind to their tyres. Kimi Raikkonen put in a long first stint on heavy fuel with the softer "option" tyres, and appeared to make them work well. This is hardly surprising, as it is a known Ferrari trait that they have excellent aerodynamic grip, although this is often to the detriment of mechanical grip (see Monaco 2007). In contrast, the BMW Saubers seemed to use their tyres up too quickly. They had excellent one-lap pace, but their race pace faded too quickly. This could possibly be ascribed to having quite a hard set-up on the cars, which will give good one lap pace, but will be harsh on the tyres.
Another observation is how well the teams and drivers adapted to the lack of traction control. There were relatively few spins throughout the weekend (although there were a number of offs), but the team that seemed to struggle the most was Ferrari. It could just have been that the drivers needed more time to adjust their driving styles to the new rules, but it is a somewhat worrying sign for a team that is usually so well prepared, as was the technical failures that blighted Kimi Raikkonen during the weekend.
One of the stand out performers in Melbourne was Sebastien Bourdais. In his debut Grand Prix, he ran as high as fourth, and successfully managed to fend of Fernando Alonso until engine failure robbed him of an excellent finish. Bourdais is no slouch, having been CCWS champion four times, and if Toro Rosso can supply a decent car, he may be in with a chance of regular points finishes.
So, what can we expect from Sepang this weekend? Well for one thing, rain. It has been raining since the teams arrived earlier in the week, and the weather forecast predicts almost continuous rain and thunderstorms for the rest of the week. Therefore there is a high probability of a wet race, and with no traction control we could be in for a weekend of drama.
In terms of the teams, McLaren will be aiming to capitalise on their early momentum, and cement themselves at the top of the constructors' championship; Ferrari will be looking to bounce back from their abysmal start to the 2008, but with only a handful of days since the last race, it might be a tall order for the team to fix their mechanical issues. If anyone can though, it's Ferrari; BMW will be looking to improve upon their race pace; Williams must surely be looking forward to scoring another clutch of points, but they may be disappointed if there is low attrition; and finally, Fernando Alonso must be looking to steal more points from the big boys. He's one of the best racers in the wet, and so if the race is indeed wet, he stands a good change of taking home some decent points.
Labels: Formula 1, Grand Prix, Malaysia
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