The Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix 2012

[Caesar 0]

spot on brad!!. I'm sure he's hoping for rain to save Alonso - although why he thinks an undrivable Fiat is any better in the rain, god knows

[AleHop 0]

I think lapped cars never do a good job. It should be them who leave the racing line for the faster cars not the other way round. Having said that... Vettel,you****editup.

[HandyNZL 1]

Much safer for them to stay on the line, otherwise the following car will have no idea which way they will peel off the line - will it be the inside or the outside, when will they peel off, should I peel off instead and just pass them, ok I will, here I go, going to the outside, oh **** they pulled off the line to the outside to let me by, damn, oh ****, just hit his gearbox, oh look ma, I'm flying!! whheeeeee....ouffff...landing was a bit rough....here comes the tyre wall...this is gonna hurt...if only that lapped car had stayed on the racing line I would have passed him easy, but now here I am in the wall.

[Quiet One 15]

I think lapped cars never do a good job. It should be them who leave the racing line for the faster cars not the other way round. Having said that... Vettel,you****editup.

NK mentioned that he not only tried his best to leave the racing line for the lead cars, he even knew better than posing actual fights for position against faster cars. I could not tell whether that's true or not, but I tend to believe him on that one.

In Vettel's case, he moved aside. It was Seb who did something many front drivers (even Alonso) do sometimes out of pure frustration which is overtaking the car and then cutting in violently on front of them. That is hardly a wise move as, as happened this time, it is very likely that the car behind runs out of space, thus being tangled into an accident they did not want to and for which they will be very likely end up being blamed for.

[AleHop 0]

Incidents will happen from time to time but the idea is not mine. GPDA President, Mr. Pedro de la Rosa, has said it hundreds of times.

[HandyNZL 1]

Vettel is trying to flex his weight around now that he is numero uno top dog...and some pesky little chihuahua held him up for a corner so must die...die...die...achtung!!!

[HandyNZL 1]

Incidents will happen from time to time but the idea is not mine. GPDA President, Mr. Pedro de la Rosa, has said it hundreds of times.

That's because old men become blithering idiots....

[AleHop 0]

In Vettel's case, he moved aside. It was Seb who did something many front drivers (even Alonso) do sometimes out of pure frustration which is overtaking the car and then cutting in violently on front of them. That is hardly a wise move as, as happened this time, it is very likely that the car behind runs out of space, thus being tangled into an accident they did not want to and for which they will be very likely end up being blamed for.

I think it happened to Alonso not long ago and nobody asked for penalties. I think it was not when he was back on the racing line but when he was leaving it to pass, he screwed his FW. Not the same thing but you still can say it's someone else's fault.

@HandyNZL

He's numero uno top dog but he's Newey's lost his mojo.

About PDLR... Jeez, leave the elderly alone. I heard Schumi saying just that same thing... Wait...

[Kopite Girl 0]

Vettel is trying to flex his weight around now that he is numero uno top dog...and some pesky little chihuahua held him up for a corner so must die...die...die...achtung!!!

So it's not just me that sees it. But some would say that he's earned the right to do just that. I begrudgingly agree with that. Doesn't make me like him though. He irks the heck out of me. Wow. I didn't swear/cuss once there. Well done me. *mod Stephy hat on*

[pabloh20 1]

Much safer for them to stay on the line, otherwise the following car will have no idea which way they will peel off the line - will it be the inside or the outside, when will they peel off, should I peel off instead and just pass them, ok I will, here I go, going to the outside, oh **** they pulled off the line to the outside to let me by, damn, oh ****, just hit his gearbox, oh look ma, I'm flying!! whheeeeee....ouffff...landing was a bit rough....here comes the tyre wall...this is gonna hurt...if only that lapped car had stayed on the racing line I would have passed him easy, but now here I am in the wall.

Aye indeed. By all means, if the (about to be) lapped cars want to give up the racing line into a corner, that's fair enough, as there is usually only way to get out of the way in that instance. However, on the straights, as you say, just stay on the line and then there is no second guessing.

[pabloh20 1]

So it's not just me that sees it. But some would say that he's earned the right to do just that. I begrudgingly agree with that. Doesn't make me like him though. He irks the heck out of me. Wow. I didn't swear/cuss once there. Well done me. *mod Stephy hat on*

Does anyone ever earn the right to be a c#ck??

I like the kid, but not 1 of his finest moments. Looks like the midas touch as turned to a sadim touch at the moment.

[pabloh20 1]

Anyway, awesome drive from Alonso. The difference between him and Massa in the same car at the moment......wow.

Perez - great drive. Was so close to being absolutely top notch, but great all the same. His engineer must have the commentator curse syndrome

Macca are starting to feel like Red Bull 2010, blinding pace, but circumstances seem to be conspiring against them in the races, some self afflicted, some not. Again, Lewis didn't do an awful lot wrong today, but ultimately I don't think any pit stop foibles mattered too much as he just didn't have the pace, strangely enough.

Of course we all know, that without a French kiss (I think it was) Schumi would have wiped the floor with them all

[dribbler 6]

Lots happened.I had a mid-race erection. 2012 is splendid. It's all good.

[Massa 0]

I'd like to see Hamilton win the title without a single race victory. That would be hilarious.

[Quiet One 15]

Macca are starting to feel like Red Bull 2010, blinding pace, but circumstances seem to be conspiring against them in the races, some self afflicted, some not. Again, Lewis didn't do an awful lot wrong today, but ultimately I don't think any pit stop foibles mattered too much as he just didn't have the pace, strangely enough.

They should avoid panic. then. The car is obviously faster than anybody else's so it will naturally make them winners, whether they like it or not. That is, unless Lewis really starts to work on it, in which case they are doomed

The lack of pace I guess was more down to a dry race basic configuration (a mere assumption), if that's the case, then it was a fundamental failure of team strategy, because Fridays are not for making pretty numbers on the timesheets, but to test possible configurations for racing day's most probables scenarios and in this case, rain should have been prioritary. Then again, maybe they DID have a wet track configuration in which case I don't have the smallest furking clue on why they lacked the pace.

Of course we all know, that without a French kiss (I think it was) Schumi would have wiped the floor with them all

It seemed more like Greek sex, to me

[yurp 0]

Still haven't seen the race - was watching the live timing on my phone on an 8 hour bus ride.

Got a bit dull in the middle for a while but then - woah nelly!

Looks like fun.

Not surprised about all the talk about Perez, and haven't seen the Vettel/Karth incident, so can't comment. Just wondering why I've seen no one write anything about Senna in 6th for Williams? Was it just a matter of inheriting positions from unfortunates ahead of him, or did he handle the conditions particularly well?

Vergne also scored some points I see - good work in his 2nd ever F1 race.

Anyway - that's it for now, will write more when I've seen the race.

[Insider 0]

Vettel is out of order. The Kart has been punished by the stewards and there's an end to it. Personal insults are a sign of massive immaturity in my book. Button accepted he was to blame for his shunt with the HRT pilot and that was that. He'll be extremely hard on himself for that washout. SV has descended into 'spoilt brat' territory and needs to sort himself out. His team mate stayed out of trouble and got himself another 4th place. The race itself was great, loads of battles all down the field. Alonso demonstrated why he is the best driver in F1 at the moment, wringing the neck of an atrocious car in changing conditions and not a hair out of place. Perez showed us a turn of pace not seen since the days of Senna and Mansell and Ayrton's nephew put in a mature yet highly competitive performance for a worthy sixth place. Kimi in fifth posted the fastest lap of the race and clearly earned his wages after another early off from the promising Grosjean. A highly professional job from the Finn. Hamilton did nothing wrong, hit a traffic jam when the Bulls pitted in line and grabbed a second podium in third again. He said he was happy with that. I wouldn't have been. For the team who locked out the front row in the oppressive heat of Saturday, McLaren show a distinct lack of race pace once the track had dried. Button put in a raft of fastest laps chasing up through the pack from 22 to 14 on a set of inters but neither he or Hamilton seemed to make much progress on the medium compound as the day wore on. Three weeks to China and new bits for everyone. Will Ferrari snaffle Perez up now? I doubt Alonso would like that or Peter Sauber for the matter. Massa was a lowly 15th after another port race. Di Resta and Vergne in 7th and 8th respectively can be happy with their days's work.

[HandyNZL 1]

I'd have to challenge you a bit there on the McLaren "pace when it was drying" bit...yes they blitzed on Saturday in the dry....with rubber down. Sunday, the track was entirely different, plus who knows what mapping they had put the engines into, or if any wing changes were made during the red flag period - it could quite well have been a case of the wings wound up, and therefore they didn't have the speed they had in true dry trim. That and the Saturday times are all set with DRS being open whereever they please, then on Sunday it is only in one place, and only if following a car - perhaps it is also a case of the McLaren being very effective with the DRS open over a lap more than the others?

That, and maybe Lewis was happy with third - got through the rain, picked up a chunk of points, and a comfortable space back to 4th once Vettel wiped his butt on Narain's wing tips. Seems to me that he has learnt a lot from Button over the winter in terms of race management. He's driving far more maturely thus far.

(Not directed at you here Sean) - As for comments throughout about this or that car being faster than this or that car, and Macca is like RBR 2010...come on folks.....that was the second race, in very changeable conditions, and basically a lottery. We can draw no conclusions here apart from Massa is lost, Alonso is driving as good as he ever did, and Williams scored more points in two races than they did all season last year.

[BradSpeedMan 6]

"Some people (Karthikeyan) need to look more where they are going"

Two guesses who said that ^^^^

Seriously Seb? Narain wasn't looking where he was going when you cut across him and drove over his front wing? Seriously?

Me thinks Mr Vettel is under the pump, and his usual demeanor is gone....he know's the RBR is not fast at the moment, and a threepeat is slipping away by the race weekend....

That Narain guy is a complete idiot, plus he is atrocious as a backmarker to leading cars. That guy has whiff as a brain!!!! How can you speed and not lift when a faster car overtake you????????????

[HandyNZL 1]

Do you not see the contradiction in your question there Brad?

If you are being passed, then you are going slower, so whether you lift or not is irrelevant - you're SLOWER!!!

Vettel chopped him for holding him up, and hit his wing. It was a d#ck thing to do. All he had to do was drive straight, but he is driving frustrated this year - the car is behind the eight ball by a few tenths here and there, and it's adding up over a race distance. The boy want's to win, and it's not yet coming his way this year.

But that doesn't excuse him chopping Narain. I know they all do it from time to time, but a simple middle finger would have sufficed

I know he's your man next to Kimi, but you have to be a little less one eyed. If RBR have used the defense that Narain didn't lift, then they are just clutching at straws to get FIA to punish HRT, a team that the FIA and Bernie don't want in F1. HRT, Caterham, and Marussia have one and all NOT been given a new Concorde agreement to sign onto. And then at the other end of the equation, you have FIA and Bernie fawning over RBR with bonus commercial deals in the next Concorde agreement. You do the math.

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Do you not see the contradiction in your question there Brad?

If you are being passed, then you are going slower, so whether you lift or not is irrelevant - you're SLOWER!!!

Vettel chopped him for holding him up, and hit his wing. It was a d#ck thing to do. All he had to do was drive straight, but he is driving frustrated this year - the car is behind the eight ball by a few tenths here and there, and it's adding up over a race distance. The boy want's to win, and it's not yet coming his way this year.

But that doesn't excuse him chopping Narain. I know they all do it from time to time, but a simple middle finger would have sufficed

I know he's your man next to Kimi, but you have to be a little less one eyed. If RBR have used the defense that Narain didn't lift, then they are just clutching at straws to get FIA to punish HRT, a team that the FIA and Bernie don't want in F1. HRT, Caterham, and Marussia have one and all NOT been given a new Concorde agreement to sign onto. And then at the other end of the equation, you have FIA and Bernie fawning over RBR with bonus commercial deals in the next Concorde agreement. You do the math.

No Handy, a backmarker is suppose to yield, not speed up when overtaken!!!!

EDIT: Anyway, the stewards proves me right, as they have the info that led to the penalty

[Insider 0]

I'd have to challenge you a bit there on the McLaren "pace when it was drying" bit...yes they blitzed on Saturday in the dry....with rubber down. Sunday, the track was entirely different, plus who knows what mapping they had put the engines into, or if any wing changes were made during the red flag period - it could quite well have been a case of the wings wound up, and therefore they didn't have the speed they had in true dry trim. That and the Saturday times are all set with DRS being open whereever they please, then on Sunday it is only in one place, and only if following a car - perhaps it is also a case of the McLaren being very effective with the DRS open over a lap more than the others?

That, and maybe Lewis was happy with third - got through the rain, picked up a chunk of points, and a comfortable space back to 4th once Vettel wiped his butt on Narain's wing tips. Seems to me that he has learnt a lot from Button over the winter in terms of race management. He's driving far more maturely thus far.

(Not directed at you here Sean) - As for comments throughout about this or that car being faster than this or that car, and Macca is like RBR 2010...come on folks.....that was the second race, in very changeable conditions, and basically a lottery. We can draw no conclusions here apart from Massa is lost, Alonso is driving as good as he ever did, and Williams scored more points in two races than they did all season last year.

I posted a general overview of the race as I saw it and analysed it. What you say may have had a bearing on that. I am not technically proficient enough to offer an argument on those grounds. In my view, Pirelli tyres are still a great mystery to most teams and that is the greatest variable I see amongst the top guys at the moment. Sure, RBR have lost their 'sticky' car to an extent and McLaren didn't stick on a funny nose, are sailing close to the wind with their exhaust rig, have got an edge but are still eating tyres like everyone else, except Sauber, of course. Lewis may well be taking a leaf from Jenson's book but by his own admission, he couldn't touch Checo's pace. Sounds a little too pragmatic to my mind. JB had loads of pace at the back when he finally got some tyres switched on but it didn't last. A lot of lessons learned. It was a lottery but a bad call from the Sauber pit wall probably robbed Perez of the winning ticket. Shame.

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Kimi in fifth posted the fastest lap of the race and clearly earned his wages after another early off from the promising Grosjean. A highly professional job from the Finn.

Never thought I'de hear you say that...

[BradSpeedMan 6]

Vettel is out of order. The Kart has been punished by the stewards and there's an end to it. Personal insults are a sign of massive immaturity in my book.

I have to admit I like it! It's different from the norm of F1 drivers behaving like robotic models having to say everything right all the time. I like the venting and the showing of emotion, even if you think Vettel has to grow up and be more mature. He is what he is, the youngest ever double world champion, soon he will add his 3rd.

What I have to agree with him is the following..

1. Narain is a cucumber!!!! No doubt about that.

2. He needed every point he could get while RBR is in this early development form, believe me that car will be the standard again come middle of year. Thats the reason for his show of emotion, perfectly acceptable...

3. Narain IS A CUCUMBER!

and b4 I leave you with this, have I mentioned... Narain IS A CUCUMBER and deserves to be off the grid!!!

[JHS18 0]

Narain is a cucumber.