Felipe Massa isn’t the only one who says it:
"Melbourne is a difficult moment we need to erase quickly, our championship begins in Malaysia".
It’s a thought shared by everybody in Ferrari. To go back to win races and fight for the title, the first step was finding the problem that made the first round of the season true hell, with the failure of both engines. After accurate analysis, Ferrari identified the problem and prepared the solution. It wasn’t a lack of communication with the McLaren control unit, but an error in the engine mapping, less suitable for the high temperatures of Melbourne. The mistake caused the failure of the valve that regulates the injection of fuel in the engine, with the result that the fuel didn’t arrive to the propeller. A problem that involved both cars and caused them to retire in the same moment. But now that the problem and the way to solve it have been found, the techs seem more relaxed. Kimi Räikkönen goes back to being aggressive in Sepang. Lewis Hamilton, after his triumph in Melbourne, has been bragging for days.
"My car is incredible, this year McLaren is much stronger than Ferrari".
The cold Kimi listens, but he doesn’t lose his composure. And he replies in a resolved way:
"He feels strong? I think my Ferrari is very fast as well. After Australia, I was worried because Sunday’s car wasn’t the one I knew, but now I feel relieved. The problem with the engine wasn’t serious, we can go back to being reliable and competitive immediately. We still have seventeen races, there’s time to come back to the top".
He’s not even worried about the fact that the forecast predicts pouring rain.
"Our performance changes very little both in dry and wet conditions. We’re still fast".
If anything, the problem is the lack of traction control that makes driving more difficult. Kimi Räikkönen admits:
"We haven’t had a race in wet conditions without electronic help in years, it can be a matter of uncertainty".
But then he remembers that a driver can’t be scared:
"Otherwise, he should find another job".
After all, he’s the first one who’s ruthless with himself. Lauda, after the Australian Grand Prix, said:
"I wasn’t expecting a similar mistake from Räikkönen".
Michael Schumacher said he was being too optimistic. And he replies:
"I wasn’t expecting certain mistakes from myself either. The lack of engine brake has nothing to do with it, it happened, it will happen again, making mistakes is a part of racing. The important thing is that it doesn’t happen here in Malaysia".
The Finnish driver wants to win. As much as Massa, who scored the pole position in Sepang last year, before the collision with Fernando Alonso at the first curve. Now he wants to redeem himself, more so because there have been voices about a possible substitute for him (Alonso according to the Spanish, Vettel according to the other side of the world).
"I’m absolutely not nervous, I have a three-year contract, should I be worried?"
Of course, Jean Todt (his manager’s father) isn’t the CEO anymore, but what does this have to do with anything? Felipe Massa claims:
"Todt will still have a lot of influence on the important decisions regarding Formula 1".
It won’t be a big change for him. For Kimi Räikkönen too:
"We have many competent people in Ferrari, there won’t be any problems".
Nevertheless, Fernando Alonso (who Jean Todt doesn’t like very much) sees a crack through which he can slip, but he remains diplomatic.
"As of now, I’m only thinking about Renault".
There’s no niceness, instead, between Felipe Massa and David Coulthard. The Scottish driver hasn’t forgotten about the accident in Melbourne.
"He’s not apologising? I would kick his ass".
And the Brazilian replies:
"I only apologise when I do something wrong. He didn’t see me, I was on the inside. I won’t change my mind: in that move, I was right".
Friday, March 21, 2008, in the first session Felipe Massa was fastest on a lap of 1'35"392, which was over a second faster than any of his rivals. Räikkönen ended up second, despite running out of fuel during the session, and Kovalainen ended up third, just under a tenth of a second slower than his fellow Finn. Also, during the session, the Red Bull Racing machine of David Coulthard suffered a track rod failure on the curb of turn 12, and forced the team to show the FIA clarification that their car design was safe for the Grand Prix, under Article 2.3 of the 2008 Formula One Technical Regulations. Coulthard sat out the second practice session, which saw Hamilton top the timesheets with a lap of 1'35"055, beating Massa by 0.151 seconds, with Räikkönen a further two tenths back in third. This time it wasn’t about the engine. In Ferrari’s traumatic approach to Malaysia, with Kimi Räikkönen forced to park after 42 minutes of the first free practice session, it was the fuel’s fault. A misunderstanding in the garage: nobody gave the Finnish driver the order to get back in, Räikkönen stayed for one more lap on the track and he ran out of fuel. The problem is trivial, but from this year external help to declare the end of the session is no longer allowed. It’s a shocking beginning, but the rest of the Friday sees again a Ferrari that is fast, competitive, reliable, second only to Hamilton’s McLaren - he suffered from problems to the gear too - and only because Massa, on his fastest lap, was disturbed by the English himself.
In the end, the Brazilian is second only by 0.151 seconds, Kimi Räikkönen is third by 0.373 seconds, gaps that foreshadow a ruthless fight to gain the pole position but that are promising for the race, given that when it comes to rhythm and continuity the Ferraris, particularly Räikkönen, seem faster than the McLarens. Hamilton, however, seems smug:
"Ferrari doesn’t scare me".
Problems for Red Bull Racing: David Coulthard was the victim of a spectacular accident that aroused suspicions in the race officials. His front suspension fell apart on a curb, the Scottish driver ended up in the gravel and destroyed the front of the car. The team now must prove that the suspension doesn’t have a structural defect: the risk is that he'll miss the race.
"Ferrari has become my life. Here I got to know the real Formula 1. Here I immediately won. Here I feel so good. Why should I ever change? I have two more years in my contract, I still don’t know for how long I am going to race. But one thing is certain: here I will end my career".
The cold Kimi is also able to give something away. It may be because he’s a man and a driver of few words, but his sentences are never banal, inconsistent or uncertain; he has chosen peremptoriness as a lifestyle. Räikkönen - eight years in Formula 1 and a world championship gained on the first try with Ferrari - is only cautious if you ask him predictions about the race or the fight for the forthcoming pole position.
"We’ll wait and see".
It’s his typical answer, as if surrounding his future performance by mystery was an obligation. Whether it will be exceptional or lacking, he hasn’t made predictions so nobody will be able to accuse him of anything. But there’s no need to be cautious about his future in the sport. Only Ferrari, he has already decided - his past wins and the ones that are coming only reinforce his confidence. The curious thing is that he pronounces this sentence with a wide mouth, his teeth showing, a sign that the cold Kimi, the man that always prefers whispers to screams, can also smile. And yet, the regret for what happened during the Australian Grand Prix should have left a mark. Was he expecting that his debut as a World Champion would be so troubled?
"I had imagined a completely different Sunday. And I have to admit I was a bit worried, because the car I was driving wasn’t the Ferrari I knew. Now I am much calmer. The techs have found out what happened to the engine, here in Malaysia we can fight for the win again".
But the first approach in Sepang has been traumatic as well. Parking because you have run out of fuel isn’t something normal for Kimi.
"There was a misunderstanding in the garages, a problem in communication between the people in the pit wall and the ones in the telemetry, nothing serious. I was out on the track one more lap and it was fatal".
Isn’t there a risk he will change his mind about his future in Ferrari?
"The matter is simple, I know I am driving a myth, racing with Ferrari gives you emotions you cannot find in any other team. Moreover, there’s the chance to win and success is what stimulates me, what propels me. I have fun racing. But if I come in first, I get even more excited".
If triumphs are his motivations, during his five years in McLaren he must have been tempted to stop many times.
"I achieved little, it’s true. But even being out on the track, for somebody as competitive as me, was enough. Of course, now that I have fulfilled my dream - to win the world championship - I can say it: being victorious with Ferrari is even better".
In McLaren he had gained the label of unlucky driver.
"I know many people called me that and when I won the championship thinking about that made me smile. Because I don’t believe in good or bad luck, it’s a concept that doesn’t exist. If I retired, if the car broke, it was because we weren’t working in the right way. In Ferrari it hasn’t happened. And I won with full credit".
Taking the championship away from McLaren. Delicious, right?
"What matters to me is standing out, not who you’re defeating. If I had prevailed over another team, it would have been the same thing. I wasn’t looking for revenge".
But did he prevail or did Hamilton ruin his own race?
"We didn’t start well, but then we closed the gap/got back on track. It’s not something I think about. I only watch the standings. And the joy I brought forth for the Tifosi".
How much has this triumph changed his life?
"If I think about myself and my character I can’t say much. But I admit that for the people around me everything has changed. Now people recognise me in the streets, my popularity has grown. Sometimes you have to dodge the affection, but I don’t mind it. I know that this is part of Formula 1 too, I can’t be bothered by the enthusiasm of the fans".
Maybe his wife will complain, if the fans are women.
"She isn’t jealous. Moreover, for me it’s not important whether they are men or women, young or old. Many find me attractive? I let them talk. A lot of things have been said about me and many people don’t even know me. They don’t know anything about my character".
Does he complain more about Finland or Italy?
"In my country, after I won the World Championship, they respected me more. Now they write mean things with less carelessness. I can’t express my opinion about Italy because I’ve only been in Ferrari for a year. But I know that there’s a lot of consideration for those who win with the red race suit. I’ll be honest: after the championship, I think I’ve gained more fans here too".
Is he worried about the possibility that in the future he might be joined by somebody as exuberant as Alonso?
"There’s no problem. He’s one of the strongest drivers, we respect each other and we are friends. I can’t say what will happen in the future, but our relationship is excellent".
His wife doesn’t come often to the races. Does he get back at her by not going to see her horse races?
"I go sometimes, but I’m allergic to horses, I can’t be in contact with them for more than a half hour. And I can’t change my life for my wife".
If he hadn’t become a driver?
"I love ice hockey. But I can’t say I would have become a hockey player because, when I was a kid, I was aware of what I wanted. I hated waking up early in the morning and I started missing the trainings. Without sacrifices, you cannot reach the top professional league".
And reaching Formula 1 was easy instead?
"No. But it was different: I took advantage of my talent. I hear people say: his secret is an incredible mental strength. It may be, I simply drive. Trying to overtake everybody else".
Saturday, March 22, 2008, in preparation for the qualifying session, many teams put their cars on soft tyres for the third practice session. The soft tyre gives better performance than the harder type of tyre but is less durable than the harder compound. Just like in Australia, the BMW of Heidfeld was fastest, setting a lap of 1'35"019, edging out the Ferraris of Räikkönen and Massa with Jarno Trulli's Toyota fourth, ending up just one-thousandth of a second behind Massa's time. A few hours later, in qualifying, Felipe Massa earned his tenth career pole position, after recording a lap of 1'35"748 during the third and final session. He was joined on the front row by teammate Räikkönen, although the Finn's fastest time was more than half a second slower than that of Massa. Third and fourth had originally gone to the McLarens of Kovalainen and Hamilton, however post-qualifying, both drivers were demoted five places on the grid for dangerous driving; having completed their flying laps, the McLaren pair and other drivers slowed to conserve fuel on their in-laps, and impeded Nick Heidfeld of BMW Sauber and Fernando Alonso of Renault whilst they were both on flying laps. This led to a new rule being introduced for Bahrain giving drivers a set time to complete in-laps in. McLaren's misfortune was to the gain of the Toyota of Trulli, both victims of the impeding (Heidfeld and Alonso), Heidfeld's teammate Kubica and Webber's Red Bull machine. Timo Glock rounded out the top ten in his Toyota. Says Nick Heidfeld, on the McLaren drivers' antics:
"The first corners of my last lap went smoothly, but then there were several cars driving very slowly on their in-laps. Apparently, they had no information that the qualifying was still going on. Before Turn Four I lost a lot of time because both McLarens were cruising on the racing line. I think this has cost me about two tenths of a second, which would have meant being third instead of seventh. I just couldn't drive on the line I wanted and, even more importantly, could not brake where I wanted”.
A Ferrari one-two in the qualifying of the Malaysian Grand Prix: Felipe Massa first, Kimi Räikkönen second. The McLarens were soundly defeated, a proof of the strong will of the Maranello team to erase with a good performance the shame of the previous Grand Prix with the double retirement because of the engine failures. And for the English cars, after the defeat on the track, there’s also the mockery. Anyway, Heikki Kovalainen will start in front of Lewis Hamilton and, on top of the double cold shower of the demotion, there’s also the abysmal difference in times: Lewis Hamilton had a gap of one second from Felipe Massa.
An incredible performance that arouses suspicions about the fuel load: it’s likely that the Brazilian started with less fuel. Which would also explain the gap of 0.5 seconds over his teammate, Kimi Räikkönen. The Brazilian’s time was, in fact, 1'35"748, Räikkönen stopped at 1'36"230. Heikki Kovalainen marked a time of 1’36"613 and Lewis Hamilton’s time was 1'36"709. We’ll see during the race who will be the first one to stop. In any case, Felipe Massa’s performance was still excellent, especially because here it’s very important to start immediately at the front. Another excellent performance was the one by Jarno Trulli, fifth in front of Kubica and Nick Heidfeld, the terrible BMW pair. The Toyota driver was always very strong, both in the first part of the qualifying and the second and his Toyota seems to have been revived. A shame for Giancarlo Fisichella, though, who almost made it but ended up being knocked out of the first 16 on the starting grid for 5 hundredth of a second, basically nothing.
"Something of a miracle".
As explained by Giancarlo himself, who was amazed by the performance of his Force India. Finally, another thing worth mentioning was Fernando Alonso’s good ninth place. Considering his Renault’s performance this result can be considered more than acceptable, more so because Alonso finally managed to reach the last part of qualifying. He actually did it for a trifle, but it was still nice seeing him start alongside Kimi Räikkönen and Lewis Hamilton as old times. The red Saturday belonged to Ferrari, wild in the fight for pole position, big front-runner for the race, first on the grid with Massa - happy for the endeavour but sad for the friend it was dedicated to - and second with Räikkönen. The first row is all marked by Maranello, something that hadn’t happened since the 15th of September of last year (during the Belgian Grand Prix, the first one after the fine McLaren received for the spy story). The Saturday painted yellow was the bitter pill to swallow for the English rivals, and particularly their drivers, penalised for being sly (or incautious) in the final seconds of the decisive round of qualifying, visibly slowing down their run but still remaining in the trajectory and in this way disturbing those as Nick Heidfeld with BMW and Fernando Alonso with Renault who were trying to achieve their best time. The judges showed no mercy: both Heikki Kovalainen, who had come in third, and Lewis Hamilton, fourth at the end of the battle on the track, were given a penalty of five positions on the starting grid. The Finn, who was glowing because he had finally defeated his teammate, ended up eighth, while Lewis Hamilton will have to start from the ninth position - the fifth row - alongside the German Timo Glock’s Toyota. And, of course, all of this brought great satisfaction to Fernando Alonso, the first one in chronological order to be summoned by the stewards; for the sake of his old rivalry with Lewis Hamilton and McLaren, he didn’t take a long time to accuse the two rivals. The Spanish, who will start seventh, is very clear from the beginning:
"I must have lost 0.3 seconds, it wouldn’t have changed anything since I have a gap of 1.5 from Webber’s Red Bull, but it’s no way to act, it’s correct to punish the two McLaren drivers".
The same had happened to him in Budapest - from first to sixth - the last August, during the Saturday when Lewis Hamilton had done everything in his power in front of the stewards to steal the pole position from him and now the Spanish has taken his revenge. Nick Heidfeld, the German who drives for BMW who was summoned last by the stewards, was furious as well.
"I would have come in third, now I’m seventh because those two impeded me. How can you behave like this?"
The fifth place from which he’s starting the race is a partial compensation. Two other drivers that don’t complain for the penalty given to Heikki Kovalainen and Lewis Hamilton are Jarno Trulli, a revenant on his Toyota, and Robert Kubica with BMW. They were fifth and sixth and found themselves in the second row, ready to dream to reach the podium. For Jarno Trulli, this is another sign that his fate is changing.
"Finally in Toyota they listen to me after giving me mediocre cars for three years".
Apart from the outsiders’ joy, the real triumphs are the ones of the two Ferrari drivers, perfect on the track (even in stepping aside when Alonso and Heidfeld were arriving) and careful not to comment on what happened to the McLarens. Kimi Räikkönen shows a bit of disappointment for losing the fight with Felipe Massa:
"In Q3 I couldn’t have done more".
But he has a lot of faith in the race:
"The car is great, if I have a good start, I have great chances to win".
Felipe Massa, who was in pole in Sepang last year as well, is really excited.
"My lap was perfect; it was just fair that I left my mark".
His dedication was touching:
"To my friend Giuseppe, who just lost a child".
The child’s name was Luis Antonio (like Massa’s father) Pepe; he died two days before in a car accident. The Brazilian now promises he’ll win. And he’ll not start like last year, when Fernando Alonso got the best of him at the first curve. Jean Todt, who was present in the box in Malaysia, is still a powerful man in Ferrari. The cars of Maranello are back to flying and a glowing Todt prepares to write new pages in the book of the story of his life:
"After living four exciting chapters".
Four?
"The school, that at the time I used to hate but was really good for me. The fifteen years I spent as a co-pilot in Rally alongside great champions. The twelve seasons of triumphs with Peugeot, in Rally and in races like the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Paris-Dakar. Then the extraordinary cycle with Ferrari".
With the Maranello team he won thirteen World Championships.
"A French leading Ferrari for many years: they would have sent me away if I hadn’t worked well. I’m happy to have worked in the team everybody dreams about, to have made it greater and left it stronger than ever".
Why did he decide to say goodbye?
"It was the right moment to begin the fifth chapter. I’m still a board member, a phase that can last for up to three years, but I have other adventures on my mind".
President of the FIA?
"Neither that - I hope Mosley will stay for much longer - nor the owner of Toro Rosso. I’m still a manager at Ferrari, president of the Asian division. You will see me in Bahrain as well".
Is he still Domenicali’s boss?
"I’m ready to give him plenty of advice, but now he’s the boss".
Will the German Vettel join Ferrari?
"I’ve never spoken to him. Massa is still very strong".
On Sunday, March 23, 2008, at the start of the Malaysian Grand Prix, Massa came across the track to prevent Räikkönen from overtaking him. Further back, Hamilton was able to move up to fifth and Webber up to fourth. Also on the first lap, Sébastien Bourdais spun out of the race. A crash between the Williams of Nico Rosberg and Glock's Toyota happened a few corners later, in which Rosberg destroyed the front wing of his Williams FW30 and forced Glock to retire from the race. On lap four, Alonso and Heidfeld overtook the Red Bull of David Coulthard for ninth and eighth respectively. Adrian Sutil was forced to retire two laps later when he ran off the track and onto the grass, with hydraulic problems. By lap nine Hamilton was within two seconds of Webber and the Ferraris of Massa and Räikkönen had opened up a lead on the rest of the field. Both set new fastest lap times over the next four laps. Webber pitted on lap 16, Massa on lap 17 and Räikkönen on lap 18, coming out ahead of Massa. Hamilton pitted on lap 19 and the team had a problem getting his front right tyre off, forcing him to stop for almost twenty seconds, and in the process, he lost around twelve seconds to the Ferraris, meaning he came out behind Webber in 11th. Räikkönen took the lead for the first time when Kubica pitted on lap 21. He would open up a lead of almost four seconds in the next six laps. Hamilton was up to seventh by lap 26 but was still unable to overtake Webber. Hamilton was within half a second of him by lap 29 but this forced him to brake harder and lose time to the rest of the field. Massa spun out of the race on lap 31 getting trapped in the gravel. This gave Räikkönen a lead of over 20 seconds from the next driver Kubica. Hamilton finally overtook Webber on lap 40 when he pitted. Vettel's engine failed one lap later and he was forced to retire. Hamilton would stay ahead of Webber after his second pit stop on lap 44. He was now six seconds behind Trulli in fourth and began to close that margin in the closing laps. Alonso in eighth now began closing in on Webber. Hamilton was within two seconds of Trulli with two laps to go but was unable to pass him before the end of the race. Räikkönen won the race by nearly twenty seconds from Kubica who had his best ever finish in second; Kovalainen came third. From the dust to the highest step of the podium. In only seven days. It might seem strange, but Ferrari surely doesn’t mind, since transforming the Australian disaster into Malaysian glory was the declared goal. Maybe Stefano Domenicali, who’s excited about his first win as the team manager, is right:
"You should never be too extreme when it comes to judgments. We weren’t stupid before, we’re not heroes now, just people who are able to react with determination to adversities".
The explanation is more likely technical, as strategist Luca Baldisserri explains.
"In Australia the heat was brutal, we weren’t expecting it. In Malaysia, instead, the weather didn’t catch us unprepared. Plus, when you start at the front and you know you have great rhythm, everything’s easier. At the back, you struggle instead. Even if you have a very fast car".
Translated: The Malaysian stroll, with Kimi Räikkönen able to save the engine already from the first half of the race, was made easier because he started on pole, but also by a car that was prepared to perfection, contrary to what had happened in Australia - when an error in the propeller mapping, because of the high and unexpected temperatures had caused the valves to break and both drivers to retire. In Melbourne, Ferrari had made a mistake, in Sepang they were perfect and the triumph, since all the techs state it’s the strongest car, was the logical consequence. Mistakes before, ability then. The important thing is that the real Ferrari is the one we saw in Malaysia, able to mortify McLaren’s ambition and ward off the attack from a rising BMW, monopolise the front row in qualifying and lead the race with ease. Stefano Domenicali says:
"We’ll only have the real picture after the fourth race in Barcelona".
A thought shared by Kimi Räikkönen and the illustrious rival, Ron Dennis, but the situation - given the data collected during the Malaysian Grand Prix - is more than promising. Ferrari has immediately come back in a big way and now in Bahrain, third race on the 6th of April 2008, it promises to repeat what has happened, considering also the fact that it was the only team together with Toyota that tested that circuit during the winter. If anything, the bizarre thing is that now it's clearer than ever the difference between Kimi Räikkönen, a driver so perfect it’s almost disarming, and Felipe Massa, who is on trial for the mistake that made him lose a certain second place - eight precious points in the standings necessary to achieve his world champion dreams and for the desire the team has to be leaders in the Constructors World Championship.
"I jumped too quickly on a curb and suddenly lost control of the car. Now I don’t know if in that moment something broke in the car, we’ll see. In any case, it was a bad start of the season for me. But there are still sixteen races, we need to get back on top and we can do it".
For those who ask if now he’ll take on the next Grand Prix with a desire to redeem himself, Massa has a harsh answer:
"I don’t need to prove anything to anybody, I don’t want to arrive to the next Grand Prix with this feeling, but only with a desire to do as well as I can".
But the mistake was serious and maybe it comes from the big pressure that has fallen over him. He swears:
"I still have three years in my contract, I’m calm".
But the English and the German flaunt Sebastian Vettel, young rising driver from Toro Rosso and Michael Schumacher’s favourite, as his replacement while in Spain the campaign that hopes to bring Fernando Alonso to Maranello has already begun. Massa guarantees:
"Nothing is lost, I won’t give up, from the next race already I will be able to shut up all the critics".
The Brazilian admits, however, that he’s going through a delicate moment, even if he has unconditional support and protection from the team. Kimi Räikkönen, instead, is like that: not many outbursts, a lot of substance.
"In Malaysia Ferrari was perfect".
And when he’s driving the best car, he’s able to act accordingly.
"It was an amazing win. We started well and I got better and better. I drove with an empty highway in front of me. It was easy and the car, which was very fast, proved to be perfect".
Kimi Räikkönen hides the fatigue (even if he got out of the car exhausted because of the heat) and recounts his race this way. At the same time, he doesn’t hide the disappointment for his teammate Felipe Massa’s retirement.
"It’s a shame for Massa. I would have been happier if he had been here beside me. I don’t know what happened to him".
And he adds:
"The difficulties we had in Melbourne have been analysed and the problems solved. Everything went well. I only had some difficulties in extracting the maximum I could get from the tyres".
And he implies that they can win again. That even Lewis Hamilton on a McLaren can struggle, that his yearning to get away from everybody else immediately is still possible. And if Finland can make history too thanks to him and Heikki Kovalainen (never before today had there been a first and third place in an F1 race), that’s even better. Don’t ask him to make an enthusiastic comment, though:
"I had no idea, it doesn’t change anything for me".
It’s already so tiring to rejoice for himself. And for Ferrari. He doesn’t really need the weight of the pride for his own entire country. Going back to Ferrari’s success, the comment from president Luca Montezemolo is immediate:
"That’s the reaction I was expecting from Ferrari, because I know how competitive the team is. I’m happy for Stefano Domenicali and Kimi Räikkönen. This is the best Easter gift we could give to the Tifosi".
In the meantime, McLaren isn’t being dramatic and is already looking forward. The team Principal, Ron Dennis, is sure:
"The team’s worth can only be evaluated after the race in Barcelona, on the 26th of April".
Ron Dennis looks at results. He saw Lewis Hamilton’s first place in Australia, the fifth place in Malaysia and the British’s first place in the Drivers’ Championship.
"We don’t know what our rhythm is right now, we won’t be able to know how competitive our car is until after Barcelona. Australia, Malaysia and the next race in Bahrain are all very different from one another and they don’t reflect the real rhythm of the cars. Barcelona is a circuit where everyone can fight evenly".
And it was Lewis Hamilton himself who described the Malaysian Grand Prix as torture. The English driver complained that he was forced to drive for more than an hour and a half without being able to drink even a sip of water.
"I couldn’t drink, there was something that wasn’t working. When the race ended, I drank a few bottles of water. I was extremely thirsty".