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#951 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix

2023-01-06 00:00

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#2016, Fulvio Conti,

#951 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix

The Malaysian Grand Prix, after fifteen spring editions, returns to the original place in the calendar, which in the debut year, 1999, and the followi

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The Malaysian Grand Prix, after fifteen spring editions, returns to the original place in the calendar, which in the debut year, 1999, and the following, saw it scheduled in October. Almost two weeks before the Singapore Grand Prix, before a one-two finish in Japan, the Malaysian race will be hosted as usual by the Sepang International Circuit, one of the most technical tracks of Formula 1 where last year Sebastian Vettel won with Ferrari. Following the controversy surrounding the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix on the quality of the pavement, the organizers decided to asphalt the entire track again. New problems, however, occurred during other tests, carried out with the bikes, at the beginning of July. The organizers have ensured that, thanks to new interventions on the drainage of the track, the track does not present problems. The resurfacing of the track, in addition to removing the areas in which the road surface was not in perfect condition, also led to the new profiling of nine curves. Turn 2 has been redesigned, making the incoming curb more visible; at turn 3 the central part of the track was elevated to allow better drainage; at turn 4 the curbs were redefined and the escape route widened; between turns 5 and 6 the slope of the track has been redesigned; at turn 7 the kerb on the left has been reconstructed, as well as at turn 9 the curb on the right; at turn 12 a curb has been redone, while it has been modified, again for drainage reasons, the slope at turn 13; finally at the last curve, the shape and slope of the same have been changed. The drivers expressed a positive opinion for the new asphalt of the track, except for the new re-layout of the last bend: the road, raised by a meter at the inner curb, brings a strong slope that drives riders to use the outside of the bend. Combining long straights and tight and complex turns, Sepang is ideal terrain for on-track duels. Together with the unpredictability of the weather, which here can give authentic showers of water, the high temperatures and the high humidity put a strain on the endurance of the riders. Sebastian Vettel explains on the eve of the race that a year ago gave him his first victory with Ferrari:

 

"Normally the Malaysian Grand Prix is the hottest race of the season. Last year we did well and this year we will try to do the same. No doubt the first victory with Ferrari was particularly exciting. We had a great race and then we had a great evening. I have some good memories and I can’t wait to get back on that track".

 

Wednesday 28 September 2016, on the eve of the Malaysian Grand Prix, the FIA announced some changes to the regulations for 2017 relating to the choice of tires, the start of the race with Safety car and the accumulation of penalties in the same race due to the replacement of the power unit components. It is also announced the calendar for the 2017 season with the Italian Grand Prix confirmed and scheduled for Sunday, September 3, 2017. The World Championship will begin in Melbourne, Australia on Sunday 26 March 2017. The choice of tires for the first five races of the season will not be the teams choosing the number of tires among the three compounds available, but the same Pirelli. It will also no longer be possible to see a team circumvent the rule of penalties for engine replacement by adding them all together in the same race weekend: during each Grand Prix if a driver has more than one element of the power unit subject to penalties, only the last mounted element can be used in subsequent races without incurring other penalties. Another rule concerns helmets, that is, riders must present their helmets with the same livery at each race to allow easy recognition, but at a special Grand Prix, such as the home race, will be allowed to prepare a special helmet. The departures behind the Safety car for prohibitive weather conditions will no longer be there: you will ride a few laps behind the safety car and when the conditions allow the cars will line up on the grid for the traditional start from a standstill. The procedure will see the return of the Safety car in the pit lane and the cars will take position on the grid for the start. Returning to the next Malaysian Grand Prix, whether it is the second round of the World Championship or the sixteenth, it does not matter: the feeling of Sebastian Vettel with the Malaysian Grand Prix, which is held on the Sepang circuit, remains unchanged. The Ferrari driver won the 2015 edition, collecting the fourth success in the Asian race. The German arrives at the 2016 appointment with the intention of confirming the good results of the last races:

 

"In recent races we have seen that we are growing again, so the mood is positive, the car works well".

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The Maranello team presents some news:

 

"We have some new parts, and we hope they will help us be even more competitive". Speaking of the weekend:

 

"You have to find the rhythm right away. There is always a chance to win, because anything can happen on Sunday afternoon. That’s why we’re here, that’s how I feel on the grid: you can always win. There are six races left, the goal is to do well in all and try to get first: I know that it is very ambitious, but we will continue race by race and we will see what we can do".

 

Nico Rosberg’s priority at Sepang is not to win the Drivers' World Championship. Despite the double overtaking of Lewis Hamilton, who went on stage in Singapore, the German driver wants to bring another World Constructors' Championship to Mercedes:

 

"It was another incredible season. Every time we’re told we can’t repeat ourselves, we do. Being able to win the constructors' title so soon would be great, everyone has done an incredible job".

 

As for the ranking of the Drivers' World Championship, the German driver clarifies:

 

"It’s not that I don’t think about it. I’m aware of the situation, the ranking, the points. But well then, I just think about focusing on the race weekend in front of me, so far it has worked well to do so and not think about anything else. I want to win at Sepang and I will try to succeed".

 

Lewis Hamilton promises battle:

 

"It’s time to get back in the head and stay there".

 

But this year Nico Rosberg is proving to be a worthy rival:

 

"We are proud fighters. Some weekends prevail one, others prevail the other. Every race has its own story, I don’t know when the inertia will come back in my possession, but in the past I have often experienced situations like this coming to the head so I’m confident. I have to give my best in the six races that remain available".

 

At Sepang, Lewis Hamilton won only once in his career, in 2014, a rare statistic for such a winning driver.

 

"I’m usually pretty good in Kuala Lumpur, it could be a nice weekend for me. We will see if it will be the right one to start reversing the trend".

 

On the eve of the Malaysian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg took on the role of mechanics in a pit stop challenge that saw the Englishman take 2.5 seconds to change the rear left. Nico Rosberg, beaten by journalist Rachel Brookes. The atmosphere at the event is relaxed, although the two drivers are always heated by a strong rivalry, even when playing. Says Nico Rosberg:

 

"It is not so extreme the situation, it is not that we try to beat there too, they were jokes. But surely yes, it is a great battle, we try to fight in every circuit and everything can make a difference. Our relationship? Our relationship always goes up and down, but our basis of respect is always there. There are always moments a little more relaxed, it’s normal".

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On Friday 30th September 2016, during the first free practice session Nico Rosberg set the fastest time, ahead of his team-mate Lewis Hamilton by 0.494 seconds. The two Ferraris follow, with Kimi Raikkonen ahead of Sebastian Vettel. The Finn is 1,088 seconds behind. The session was interrupted in the first minutes by a fire on Kevin Magnussen’s Renault, which occurred in the pits at the end of the installationlap. The session resumed after a quarter of an hour, necessary to clean the pit lane, from the foam used by the mechanics to extinguish the flames. Regarding the choice of tyres, Nico Rosberg and the Ferrari drivers set their best times using Soft tyres, while Lewis Hamilton uses Medium tyres; the Briton is also the author of a track excursion. Daniel Ricciardo, sixth, tried the Hard tires. During the second practice session Lewis Hamilton is the only driver to fall below the limit of 1'35"0, turning in 1'34"994; in this session the Briton scores the best time with Soft tyres. Lewis Hamilton leads Nico Rosberg, 0.233 seconds behind. Ferrari confirmed its position as the second force on track, thanks to the third best time of Sebastian Vettel and the fourth best time of Kimi Raikkonen. Sebastian Vettel’s lead over Lewis Hamilton was 0.661 seconds. Red Bull Racing drivers follow, with Max Verstappen able to keep a very high pace in his race simulation. The swing is the watchword for free practice at the Malaysian Grand Prix. If Nico Rosberg prevailed during the Malaysian morning, Lewis Hamilton responded to his rival in the afternoon. The tropical rain saved Kuala Lumpur. On the contrary, the temperature has risen compared to Thursday, and the teams had to take this important detail into account. The point is that the forecast for the weekend foresees rains, and this too will have to be taken into account in the strategies and in the correct use of tyres. In the paddock there is peace before the storm: in the sense that Mercedes, the team of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, is just a step away from winning the Constructors' World Championship, the limit that the team had put on its two drivers to prevent them from damaging each other. If on the Sepang circuit the two Mercedes were on the podium the Constructors' World Championship would be mathematically won, and therefore the drivers could be free to race at will without damage for the team. With easily imaginable consequences. Meanwhile, at the end of FP2, Nico Rosberg talks about the characteristics of the renewed Malaysian track, tried for the first time just at the beginning of the day:

 

"The new asphalt makes driving on this track really fun. It’s a challenge, but there’s still good grip. Finding the setup was complicated given the many unknowns, but we are definitely on the way".

 

The German praises his own turn 15, which could open up to interesting overtaking possibilities:

 

"Now you can try different trajectories to jump over a car that is in front of you, and then it will be interesting to overtake".

 

As for the race, Nico Rosberg is rather calm:

 

"Even the softest tires work pretty well, so we don’t expect any big surprises. From the point of view of strategy, we will certainly have to use the hard, but everything seems quite linear".

 

Compared to his teammate, Sebastian Vettel had a more marked improvement during the first day of practice. The German driver looks more satisfied than Kimi Raikkonen

 

"I think she was discreet. We had a lot of things to try and the pace didn’t seem bad, at least according to what I was told when I was in the car. Mercedes still looks very strong, both in the fast laps and over the distance. As for us, we are happy with the short sequences, but we still don’t know much about what others have done in race simulation. I think there is still some improvement to be made, especially to 'put the car together', but I’m sure we can still find something for tomorrow".

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Vettel then returns to talk about the hopes of victory:

 

"We always aim to win, but at the same time we must be realistic and realize that we can not come here and say right away that we will win: we saw the Mercedes competitive both in short and long runs. If there is a chance, under any circumstances, we must be ready to take it".

 

To help Ferrari, it could be the heat:

 

"Historically we do well when it’s hot, and today it was pretty good. But in Malaysia it is always hot: these conditions suit us and therefore the fact that the climate is warm here could be a good thing".

 

Talking about the renewed circuit of Sepang, the German confirms the pitfalls of the last corner and admits he found himself better with Soft tires:

 

"The new asphalt looks better, although the last corner is a bit tricky. In the afternoon I did not use the toughest tires, the Soft seems to be the best: now we have to see which strategy to aim for Sunday".

 

Kimi Raikkonen, however, is not satisfied with his first day on the renewed Malaysian circuit and is surprised to have gone so fast:

 

"A rather chaotic day, at least for me, was not a very linear day. The sensations haven’t been very good all day. So, I’m a bit surprised that lap time is not bad compared to the sensations I had. It was a far from ideal day"

 

However, the Finn also promotes the new Sepang, while not commenting on the results of opponents:

 

"The new asphalt is quite similar to the old, but it is smoother and there is more grip. I didn’t see what the others did, I was focused on my program. Now we need to sit down together and analyze the data: there is work to be done, but I am sure that we can improve by tomorrow".

 

The great heat that the drivers are encountering in Sepang and the new very dark asphalt that retains the heat could play in favor of the SF16-H, who loves this kind of conditions. Kimi Raikkonen confirms this, but does not expect miracles from this climate situation:

 

"If you look at the last races, it’s probably better for us if it’s a bit warmer, but I don’t think that suddenly you go to change the whole situation".

 

Kimi Raikkonen is the protagonist of a singular episode that makes him lose time during the second session of free practice. In fact, the Finn would have found in the cockpit a small bulb, a tool usually used by mechanics when they intervene to carry out repairs or operations inside the cockpit of the driver’s seat. Interventions that, in many cases, require additional lighting. The bulb left incorrectly in the cockpit would then slip under the accelerator pedal of the SF16-H locking it. Obviously a misunderstanding, but it cost precious minutes to Kimi Raikkonen at the beginning of the afternoon rehearsal in Sepang.

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"I had a lot of problems, including not being able to push the accelerator because of a tool that was forgotten in the cockpit. Which one? A lamp".

 

Attention will also have to be paid to Red Bull Racing, as Daniel Ricciardo admits that the work has not yet been completed:

 

"There’s still a little bit to find ultimately. I think in both configurations, with low and high fuel loads, we didn’t find a big gain with the Soft tire. This is something that we still have to address, but with the full load we have struggled a little, not so much for what concerns finding the right window of operation of the tires, as in getting the grip".

 

Daniel Ricciardo finished sixth in the first free practice session, with a delay of 1.7 seconds compared to Nico Rosberg, but with Hard tyres, not Soft tyres. In the second session the Australian, with Soft tyres, was 1.4 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton.

 

"There will be some work to do tonight and find improvements for tomorrow. It's hard to say how much and where we’re going to end up. We certainly want to be faster. It’s a bit like in Singapore where weweren’t happy enough on Friday but we managed to figure out the problems on Saturday and for the rest of the weekend. We are probably - or at least as far as I am concerned - not yet at the pace we would like to have, so I think we can get closer".

 

And speaking of the circuit, the Australian says:

 

"The new asphalt is good. It gives you a bit more grip which is always fun, even though I couldn’t find the same grip as others. The last corner is not the nicest on the calendar but it is challenging and that’s positive. If you take the inside out it seems to knock you out with the new negative banking, But if you go outside, you go a lot further, so it’s all about finding a good compromise that keeps you away from mistakes. The track has hit 61 degrees, I’ve never seen a number that high before, It was pretty hot out there. I think Sunday will be fun and also staying hydrated will be a nice challenge".

 

Saturday, October 1, 2016, during the third and final session of practice Lewis Hamilton again marks the best time. The weather conditions are less torrid than the previous day. Nevertheless, the temperature of the asphalt exceeds 50 °C, only 10 /c. Nico Rosberg, who marked the third time, precedes the two Ferrari drivers, Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen, and Daniel Ricciardo, who tests the Soft tyres in the initial phase of the session, with the track still not rubberized. Sebastian Vettel is the author of a spin, at the entrance of the pit lane, as well as Esteban Gutiérrez. A few hours later, qualifying took place with an asphalt temperature of 42 °C. The two Mercedes drivers soon took the lead of the time ranking, with a wide margin compared to the competitors. Several drivers are involved in spin-offs, while a rearview mirror detaches from the Haas of Romain Grosjean. In the final moments of Q1, the two Ferrari drivers, in the shadow of the first part of the session, climbed in third and fourth position, while the two Saubers of Felipe Nasr and Marcus Eriksson, the two Manors of Esteban Ocon and Passar Wehrlein, were eliminated, Jolyon Palmer, and Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard, who is already penalized for replacing several components of the power unit, and therefore sure to start from the last position, faces the session only to get a good time for the deployment. At the end of the session, Jenson Button complained that he had been blocked by Esteban Ocon, but no penalty was imposed on the French driver. In Q2, with the threat of rain still present, the Mercedes drivers immediately set a time of reference, with Lewis Hamilton ahead of Nico Rosberg. Nico Hülkenberg was penalized by the presence of Felipe Massa on the trajectory, during his launch lap, but again no decision was taken by the college of commissioners. 

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In this phase, the two Red Bull Racing drivers managed to score a better time than the times scored by the two Ferrari drivers. The final minutes involve almost all the drivers engaged in making one last attempt, to gain access to the decisive phase. Valtteri Bottas and Esteban Gutiérrez make some driving mistakes that do not allow them to move to Q3: Romain Grosjean, Kevin Magnussen and the two Toro Rosso of Daniil Kvyat and Carlos Sainz Jr are also eliminated.. In Q3, in the first attempt Nico Rosberg makes a slow lap, due to a mistake made in the second sector, while Lewis Hamilton topped the time table, ahead of the two Red Bull Racing drivers and Kimi Räikkönen. Then the first raindrops start to fall on the circuit, without worrying the drivers. Nico Rosberg still faces a fast lap but, again, a mistake at the last corner, penalizes him, so much so that he remains 0.4 seconds behind Lewis Hamilton, who wins the pole position. The Red Bull Racing drivers are confirmed in the second row, ahead of the Ferrari drivers, who monopolize the third. Waiting for the rain that never arrived, the Malaysian Grand Prix qualifying, deliberately postponed by two hours compared to the race, recorded the decisive return of Lewis Hamilton (pole number 57 in his career, the number 8 in the season) who drove his Mercedes with pride and authority. Nico Rosberg can’t say the same, forced to face problems of grip of his car, so much so as to be always behind the Briton and even, after the first lap of Q3, fifth to 0.5 seconds from his rival, surpassed also by Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Raikkonen. The German, rushed back to the pits, tried to take pole position but only managed to win the first row, so as to try to make the most of the start and try to put pressure on Lewis Hamilton.

 

"The second place has repeatedly shown in the season to be a position from which you can safely aspire to victory. Something wasn’t right for me at the last corner, maybe my setup wasn’t ideal, I always had a lot of oversteer at that point. Clearly I was aiming for the pole, what else could I do? Why would I drive if I didn’t. But I knew that Lewis' lap was very fast so it would still be difficult, I could have come closer. But I am very optimistic about tomorrow".

 

In fact, whether it is the fault of the car or of human error, it can be said that the two Mercedes drivers were not impeccable, between errors and adherence to the new track of Sepang. However, they were still far too superior to the rest of the group, held at a distance of 0.8 seconds. And he warned Lewis Hamilton:

 

"I could have gone even faster. Anyway, I thank the team that throughout the year is continuing to improve, and getting here this year with the best car we have ever had is really great".

 

In Malaysia there are English flags in the stands, an extra charge for Lewis Hamilton:

 

"Absolutely yes and I have to thank all the fans who came here, I see a lot of English flags and it’s very exciting".

 

What about Ferraris? The image of Kimi Raikkonen shows that at the last qualifying attempt he closes the lap returning to the pits, without even crossing the finish line: sixth, behind Sebastian Vettel, who will start from the fifth position.

 

"Surprised to have the Red Bulls in front of us? No, I think we were very close. I’m fairly happy with the lap I did, but it was a tenth or two to get a row ahead. I could have taken it somewhere, but it was a good session and tomorrow’s race should be very close. What can you dream about? It will depend on the race pace. First we need a good start and then we’ll see, it’s a long race and many things can happen. It will be interesting to see what the conditions will be like tomorrow. Disappointed? Yes, a little bit, because we thought we could fight more with Red Bull, since Q1 we have always been a bit behind, we got closer but not enough".

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The last attempt for Kimi Raikkonen lasted a few hundred meters, due to a mistake. Added to this disappointment was the loss of a position to Sebastian Vettel.

 

"Everything was fine until my last attempt, then I found a bit of traffic in the launch lap and I struggled to get the tyres in temperature in the first two corners, so I ended up wide. It was a decent qualifying session, but it’s bad to go wrong on the very last lap. The behavior of the car was pretty good and I expected something more, but tomorrow we will try to do better. We do not know what will happen and obviously our starting position is not ideal. The asphalt is new, so it is difficult to know how it will evolve and which will be the best tire: much will depend on the conditions. We will do our best and see how it goes".

 

In front of the Maranello cars, in addition to the two Mercedes, Red Bull Racing will also start, with Max Verstappen third and Daniel Ricciardo fourth. Says the Australian driver:

 

"Being in front of both Ferraris is a surprise, yesterday I didn’t expect it. Last night we changed a lot on the car and I must say that I also improved a bit and I found the speed today, certainly half a tenth less would be better...".

 

Speaking of his team-mate, Max Verstappen, who finished ahead in qualifying for the third time in the last seven races, Daniel Ricciardo is synthetic, immediately shifting focus to the race:

 

"Max was good all weekend and being in front of Ferrari for the team is great. Tomorrow we have to do even better but for today we are very happy. Of course, I do not know if we will be able to get closer to those who precede us. I hope so, but for me the race tomorrow is with Ferrari, not Mercedes".

 

His teammate, Max Verstappen, said:

 

"The weekend has been very positive so far. After Singapore we made some changes that seem to work well. The pace on the long run seemed very positive from the start while we still had to improve on the dry lap. Today, however, we found a good set-up and, of course, I am very pleased to have qualified behind Mercedes".

 

And it is precisely to the setup changes made after the last practice, that the Dutch driver attributes much of the credit for the third position on the grid:

 

"It’s always a matter of attention to detail. You can never change the car much in qualifying, just the incidence of the front wing. And anyway you have to go through trial and error... After FP3, sometimes, you make decisions about the set-up that, if they don’t work, you can’t change anymore. And this is something that has often happened to me until now. Sometimes the changes work, sometimes they don’t".

 

A bad qualifying, without high notes and with the feeling that this Malaysian Grand Prix will not be like the one in 2015, when Sebastian Vettel succeeded in imposing himself. Unless help comes literally from the sky, in the meteorological sense of the word: the rain could disappear the balances, otherwise you do not see how and who can stop Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg. 

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With the first favorite this time on the second, confirming an increasingly close duel between the two former friends. For British Jenson Button, 2009 World Champion, this year’s Malaysian Grand Prix will be a race to remember. One of the last, because at the end of the year he leaves F1 (as well as Felipe Massa), but also because he will celebrate the Grand Prix number 300. Not bad for a bright-eyed, fit pilot. With his colleagues he has already made a fuss, Thursday, thanks to the party that gave him his team, McLaren-Honda, who decorated for the occasion his hospitality: all at The Dog and Button, in the classic style of English pubs all wood, wallpaper and vintage paintings. It will close with 305 Grand Prix to the credit in the end. But will it close? In fact, the British driver has left a gap in the door open, although - after Abu Dhabi - it will be difficult to see him on track. Says Ron Dennis:

 

"Don’t use the word withdrawal. Jenson will work for us in 2017, he will be our testimonial and then, in 2018 we will see".

 

But Jenson Button is too good a guy, and he’s too sensible to know that his racing history ends this year.

 

"I have so many things to do that I couldn’t because of F1. Finally I will have my time". 

 

There will also be girls, for this lady with the face and the way of being nice.

 

"I’m happy with what I did, with my sporting life. But it would be too good to win this weekend".

 

Sunday, October 2, 2016, before the start of the Malaysian Grand Prix an accelerator problem forced Felipe Massa to start from the pits, while also Carlos Sainz Jr. risks not starting from the grid. The Spaniard manages to get the car moving, without the starting procedure having to be repeated. At thestart, Lewis Hamilton took the first position, while Nico Rosberg’s car was hit by Sebastian Vettel’s Ferrari, which missed braking times at the first corner. The German is forced to retire, while the Mercedes driver is forced to start from the last positions. The race direction neutralizes the race with the Virtual Safety Car regime, to allow the commissioners to clean up the track. Lewis Hamilton continued in disturbed first position, followed by Daniel Ricciardo, Sergio Pérez, Kimi Räikkönen, Max Verstappen, Jenson Button, Nico Hülkenberg and Valtteri Bottas. At the restart, after two laps, Max Verstappen passed Kimi Räikkönen. In the following laps Sergio Pérez sold his position to both Max Verstappen and Kimi Räikkönen. In the rear Fernando Alonso enters, already in lap 4 in the top ten, while Nico Rosberg is the author of an extraordinary comeback, which soon brings him to the margins of the top ten. During lap 9 a brake problem forced Romain Grosjean to retire: the Frenchman came out at the last corner. The race direction imposes again the regime of the Virtual Safety car. Max Verstappen takes advantage of the situation and returns to the pits, to mount Soft tires. Other drivers make the same choice, such as Sergio Pérez, Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg. At the end of the Virtual Safety car regime, Lewis Hamilton went into first place undisturbed, followed by Daniel Ricciardo, Kimi Räikkönen, Max Verstappen and Valtteri Bottas. Rosberg is now 14th, ahead of Fernando Alonso. Meanwhile, Nico Rosberg recovered several positions, so much so that, during lap 18, he was already sixth, behind Valtteri Bottas. Max Verstappen approached Kimi Räikkönen, but the Finn was back in the pits on lap 20. In the following laps Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo also made the stop, allowing Max Verstappen to take the lead of the race. During lap 21, meanwhile, Nico Rosberg overtakes Valtteri Bottas, and takes fifth place. The Dutchman led the race until lap 28, when he returned to the pits, for the second time, mounting Hard tyres, and returned to the track in third position, ahead of Kimi Räikkönen. Nico Rosberg changes his tyres again, but remains fifth. During lap 38 Nico Rosberg climbed up to fourth place, after passing Kimi Räikkönen thanks to a splendid maneuver in turn 1. However, the German was penalized by ten seconds of race time. Therefore, the Mercedes driver tries to widen the margin on the Ferrari driver. Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo resists the attack of his teammate, Max Verstappen. 

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Then, during lap 40, the Mercedes engine explodes on the car of Lewis Hamilton, who is forced to retire. The race direction imposes, for the third time, the Virtual Safety Car regime. During this time, Esteban Gutiérrez’s car pulled off the left front wheel, but the Mexican managed to park the car without damage. At the end of the short period, the classification sees Daniel Ricciardo in the lead, ahead of Max Verstappen, Nico Rosberg, Kimi Räikkönen and Valtteri Bottas. In the final laps Max Verstappen still tries to trouble Daniel Ricciardo, but fails to pass him. So Daniel Ricciardo wins the Malaysian Grand Prix and triumphs for the fourth time in his career, while for Red Bull Racing it is the first brace since the 2013 Brazilian Grand Prix. Nico Rosberg, third, won the fastest lap and widened the margin on Lewis Hamilton. Kimi Raikkonen is fourth, followed by Valtteri Bottas, Sergio Perez, Fernando Alonso, Nico Hulkenberg, Jenson Button and Jolyon Palmer. At the end of a Malaysian Grand Prix under the banner of twists, comes the first seasonal success for Daniel Ricciardo, who arrives after four second places (the last in the previous stage of the Circus, in Singapore).

 

"It’s a big win. I’m exhausted because it’s a really hot race here. It was a race of challenges, great challenges, because Lewis took the lead but then he had that problem. I’m not one of those who believes in karma, but it went the other way in Monte-Carlo, and I’m happy to take what happened today. No hard feelings about Hamilton, but I’m taking the win today. It’s been two thrilling years since I won last time, we’ve come close many times. We said two races ago that we would win this year and we finally succeeded. I have to thank Red Bull and all those who supported me on this path. Suzuka? I think that now we will think about having some more whiskey to celebrate, then a good sleep and tomorrow we will think about the flight to Tokyo, but I must take a day off".

 

Max Verstappen, who completes the triumphant day of Red Bull Racing, has to settle for second place:

 

"We pushed from start to finish, it was a difficult and tiring race. How do I feel? Now after drinking the champagne on the podium let’s say I woke up. I pushed hard to catch up after what happened in thebeginning. I think it was clear what happened with Vettel, he braked late, had a block and hit Nico. I tried to avoid the accident because it would hit me too. Duel with Ricciardo? It was nice the respect we had with each other without touching, he defended himself but that’s how it is in the race. It’s great for the team, we scored important points for the Constructors' World Championship".

 

Beyond the conciliatory statements of the after-race, Max Verstappen expresses harsher words addressing Sebastian Vettel, while talking to his mechanics:

 

"Vettel is a fool".

 

Said the Red Bull Racing driver via radio, while the German ended up against Nico Rosberg.

 

"I don’t think I need to comment. The race did not last long, I started well, I wanted to overtake Max in braking, the front car was Rosberg’s Mercedes, I was taking the inside but I could not slow down and avoid the impact. It was a chain reaction, a shame for me and Nico. At that point I couldn’t do much, I was side by side with Max, I did my best in braking, but I slipped a bit long and I hit Rosberg".

 

If the German driver’s race is over at that moment, Nico Rosberg still managed to return to the race and win a precious third place in a world key:

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"Important result, but I thought at the first corner it was all over. I’m glad I managed to react until I got back on the podium, it was great. Thank you so much to all the fans in Malaysia. Now I feel a bit tired now after such a race, but apart from that it is a good time in general and now I look forward to the next race where I will attack to the maximum".

 

Fourth, behind Nico Rosberg, there is a Kimi Raikkonen who can only be satisfied, aware of having done the best possible:

 

"We were missing a little bit of time on every lap and we never had a real opportunity to challenge them for the podium, although we did our best. We lacked a bit of pure speed, then I also had a little damaged car when Rosberg overtook me, but we were a bit short on lap time. It was the best race we could do at the end, it’s useless to talk about ourselves and the gods but the final result is not what we wanted but it was the best we could do. Red Bull double? Of course it doesn’t help, but we did our best and we couldn’t do more".

 

It is much more bitter, however, the comment of Lewis Hamilton, retired while he was in command, who lost valuable points for the fight to the iris:

 

"I feel pain. We worked a lot this weekend, but in the end the engine exploded, mine with many Mercedes engines on track. I didn’t have a clue, I was doing great until then. It’s hard, there’s nothing I can do, keep my head down and keep doing what I did this weekend".

 

And of course, Christian Horner, the Red Bull Racing team principal, is enthusiastic:

 

"We had a bit of luck with Hamilton, who was unlucky today, but we had to be there to seize the opportunity and we did it perfectly. We had been missing a double on the podium for a long time, it’s fantastic, we had already succeeded here a few years ago and today this gives better sensations. The development is fantastic: the way the team has worked to grow the car, on a track like this, is really amazing".

 

Once upon a time there was a guy who was smiling, even carefree for being a Formula 1 driver. They accused him of not having the killer instinct, yet he was able to win four World Championships in a row.This is why Ferrari chose him last year: he seemed the right man to bring the Red back to the levels of Michael Schumacher. One German pulls the other, according to a too simplistic thought. This was the past. The present is the image of Sebastian Vettel hitting Nico Rosberg’s car in the Malaysian Grand Prix won by Daniel Ricciardo, and it is for the fourth time in this 2016 (China, Russia, Belgium and now Malaysia) that Sebastian Vettel comes out at the first corner, for one reason or another. He no longer smiles, the German. He only responds politely, the tone of his voice seems to fade. Is it his fault, or Ferrari’s? Is it the Maranello team that has sunk the Ferrari driver practically more paid than ever (25.000.000 dollars, but the German then gets to 41.000.000 dollars with the other sponsors)? Or is he losing talent and speed? At Sepang Sebastian Vettel was told that he is crazy and an idiot first by the youngest, Max Verstappen, and then by a legend, Niki Lauda. His maneuver at the start, punished by the commissioners (he will face a relegation on the grid of three places in Suzuka), was unanimously condemned.

 

"He told me that he saw space and tried: he is a pilot...". 

 

He reveals, trying to justify, Maurizio Arrivabene, who adds:

 

"This year is not good, just not good...".

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At this point one cannot but reflect also on the case of Fernando Alonso and on his alleged failures with the Maranello team: there are those who begin to say, albeit quietly, that Ferrari eats the drivers, and not vice versa. The words of Christian Horner, the team principal of Red Bull, a few months ago come back to mind:

 

"I have the feeling that Sebastian is a bit shaken, and I know from experience that he must feel good in order to work well. And I am not sure that the pressure exerted by Sergio Marchionne is making him happy".

 

Why doesn’t Ferrari get out of this vicious circle? Niki Lauda says:

 

"In Ferrari they react instinctively and emotionally to problems. If all goes well then they are relaxed and this is negative for the continuous search for success. Conversely, if things go wrong, it creates a ruthless pressure, from the outside and also inside. So we tend to run for cover with faster solutions, instead of making planned steps forward one after the other".

 

Exactly the opposite of what Red Bull Racing has done in recent years. A team that will go down in history for being the only real opponent of Mercedes domination in this 2016: the Malaysian double, thanks to the burning engine of Lewis Hamilton, rewards the staff of Adrian Newey. A team that last year no longer had an engine, after fierce quarrels with Renault. And that, after the rejection of Mercedes and Ferrari, had to find a compromise with Renault, which no longer wanted to give its name to the power unit (which is called Tag Heuer). They were desperate, those of Red Bull Racing, and now they are the second team. How? Everyone in the choir says:

 

"They know where to put their hands. They have pushed the drivers to the limit, so they intervene at their best. They also made different choices than the other teams, they have a technician who has a vision".

 

While other teams simply record the data, insert it into a software that then releases the solution. Says an engineer from Ferrari, who prefers not to be quoted:

 

"That should be interpreted, not done slavishly, and then they have fast reaction times, which does not happen in some other teams. Shall I tell you the name?"

 

There is no need. Meanwhile, after the tensions, apologies come. Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg, protagonists of the clash at the start of the Malaysian Grand Prix, make peace. The Mercedes driver recounts this in a video message published on YouTube:

 

"Sebastian just called me, he apologized, and it’s a good thing. This won’t return the points I lost, but it was still a gesture I appreciated".

 

After the clash his Mercedes finished in third place at the Malaysian Grand Prix behind Ricciardo and Verstappen, a placement that consolidated him at the head of the world championship thanks to the retirement of his teammate, Lewis Hamilton. Sebastian Vettel, who had apologized. Already publicly, will be penalized by three grid positions in the upcoming Grand Prix, in Japan, scheduled at Suzuka Sunday, October 9, 2016.


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