Malaysian GP Race discussion

Kuwashima · Post by **Kuwashima** » 05 Apr 2009, 10:42

(Or what constituted the Malaysian GP).

So.... thoughts? Until the downpour, we seemed to think that it was a cracking race - with plenty of overtaking, not exclusively due to the weather I might add, with KERS actually playing a useful role for once.

As I type this - it is unclear whether we will get a restart, but I think that the timings mean that we won't get to full distance before the 2 hours is up considering that a 10 minute warning must be given to the teams.

We certainly have a ROTR in mind!

Cheers,
Jamie.

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 05 Apr 2009, 10:44

In case the race in interrupted, does the 2-hour rule still apply?

Post by **Nuppiz** » 05 Apr 2009, 11:01

CarlosFerreira wrote:In case the race in interrupted, does the 2-hour rule still apply?

SPOILER ALERT:
The race clock was also stopped when the race stopped, so IF the race would have continued, there would still have been some 50 minutes to finish the race. But the race was not continued.

nit · Post by **nit** » 05 Apr 2009, 11:02

a good race, totally enjoyed the battle that lewis and mark we're having. The ending of this racing has been a slight farce in my view with not knowing who finished where (apart from button), also why did Bernie have this grand prix at this date and time of the years?? doesn't he do research?? even i could of told you that having the race at this date in the year and time wouldn't be a clever move!!. ROTR? has to be Bernie as we have been robbed of a full race.

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 05 Apr 2009, 11:04

Nuppiz wrote:
CarlosFerreira wrote:In case the race in interrupted, does the 2-hour rule still apply?

SPOILER ALERT:
The race clock was also stopped when the race stopped, so IF the race would have continued, there would still have been some 50 minutes to finish the race. But the race was not continued.

Thanks for the spoiler. I don't watch it live, but wait for the BEEB to put it on i-player. So, it's shortened? Bernie's a good candidate, all right.

Enforcer · Post by **Enforcer** » 05 Apr 2009, 11:08

ROTR has to be the race start time. Okay, no one could've predicted a few months ago when it was going to rain today, but they could've predicted what rain during the race would do to the light and visibility.

Although Kovalainen deserves an honourable mention for ROTR for falling off the track after just 2 corners.

LukeB · Post by **LukeB** » 05 Apr 2009, 11:11

Mark Webber looked very strong in the wet, I think he could have made a run for third place if the race had gone the distance. So lucky for him it was called off and he got some points before he inevitably broke down

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 05 Apr 2009, 11:14

LukeB wrote:Mark Webber looked very strong in the wet, I think he could have made a run for third place if the race had gone the distance. So lucky for him it was called off and he got some points before he inevitably broke down

There's a video of him being interviewed on the grid after the race was stopped saying the temperature, water and visibility just didn't allow the race to go on, and that it shouldn't be stopped because the important was no one getting hurt. Maybe he was thinking the same as you?

Kuwashima · Post by **Kuwashima** » 05 Apr 2009, 11:19

Nuppiz - where did you read that? That's not what the commentary was saying, although not that they know anything!

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 05 Apr 2009, 11:24

Well, well, well. Half-points!

http://www.formula1.com/results/driver/

How long has it been?
Note Trulli and Glock menacingly holding on to the Brawns - and when the European season comes we'll see if Toyota's large bank account helps or what. Also, 3 points already for STR, 2 for Buemi and 1 for Bourdais. Didn't expect that!
And I also noticed: still no points for Ferrari!

nit · Post by **nit** » 05 Apr 2009, 11:26

Martin Brundle and Jonathan Legard mentioned it in their commentary, that the race clock was stopped but the another clock which i can't remember the name of didn't and was still counting.

rffp · Post by **rffp** » 05 Apr 2009, 11:26

Enforcer wrote:ROTR has to be the race start time.

Couldn't agree more!
FIA needs urgently to consult an almanac and start scheduling races at decent times. They have a trend to ignore the local weather conditions, as they did for more than a decade here in Brazil.

RejectSteve · Post by **RejectSteve** » 05 Apr 2009, 11:27

As far as I know the clock continues to run, fortunately at the 2006 European GP, race control kindly disregarded the two hour rule and went a few extra minutes.

When consulting that almanac, they should pick race days in the rainy seasons only... and start them at the proper time. We gave Bernie some rope with the Singapore night race. Bernie took a little bit more of that rope for Albert Park and now he's hung all of us with it.

Post by **Nuppiz** » 05 Apr 2009, 11:34

Kuwashima wrote:Nuppiz - where did you read that? That's not what the commentary was saying, although not that they know anything!

It's what the Finnish commentary said. And I trust that Oskari Saari and especially JJ Lehto know what they are talking about.

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 05 Apr 2009, 11:55

ROTR goes to Bernie for sure. On the broadcast I think Jonathon mentioned something about the locals wanting to start the reace at 4pm rather than 5pm but Bernie decided to go aheead with the 5pm plan anyway.
Edit: Oh and I forgot to mention when was the last time that a GP only gave out half points? I remember Brazil 2003 came mightily close to that situation as the race finished after the 75% mark had been reached but the backtrack lap was below it.

Post by **Nuppiz** » 05 Apr 2009, 11:59

Wizzie wrote:Edit: Oh and I forgot to mention when was the last time that a GP only gave out half points? I remember Brazil 2003 came mightily close to that situation as the race finished after the 75% mark had been reached but the backtrack lap was below it.

Australia 1991. Only 14 laps out of 81 were raced. Another thing I heard from the commentary.

Stewart · Post by **Stewart** » 05 Apr 2009, 11:59

Whole race starting at 8am > half a race starting at 10am. RotR must go to Bernie and FOM for proposing holding the race at peak thunderstorm time.

The race was looking very good until the red flag came out. I was pretty confident that Button could make up the positions he lost at the start, but I was amazed at how much time he pulled back in the two laps he had after Trulli's stop. Great race pace once again from Brawn.

Don't know what Ferrari were thinking with Raikkonen...surely if you wanted to take a punt you'd choose the inters, which would probably last more than a couple of laps before disintegrating. Going straight to full wets on a dry track was suicide.

TomWazzleshaw · Post by **TomWazzleshaw** » 05 Apr 2009, 12:08

I've just noticed that this is a Button Trifecta. Hmm... I wonder when the last time a new team scored a trifecta in their debut season. Bad luck for Timo though. One more lap and he would have had 2nd in the bag. But as the backtrack would have it Heidfeld finished 2nd and Glock 3rd.

Nin13 · Post by **Nin13** » 05 Apr 2009, 13:14

FERRARI reject of the race..........................

Choose your Funniest moment in the highlight of Ferrari's weekend?
Your options are :
1) Not sending Massa out in Q3 while all others were doing runs.
2) Sending Kimi out on a dry track on wets.
3) Felipe getting nervous in the car "Felipe baby, stay cool".
4) Raikkonen having an ice cream and Coke while everybody was out waiting for a restart.

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 05 Apr 2009, 13:26

You may have a point there, Nin. Guess what? Lottery race with changing conditions and the team where Ross Brawn's calling the shots got the best out of it. Hmm... didn't that used to be, I don't know, Ferrari?

Gives a pretty good clue as to how important is the person calling the shots on the pit wall.

Yannick · Post by **Yannick** » 05 Apr 2009, 13:30

This race surely was a good one. It was the right decision to put the red flag out because of the downpour.
Heidfeld and Glock were both making up the best strategies as they went along, just by looking at the number of times that they stopped and where they came from. Alonso deserves a mention for making the best start. Rosberg does for leading in the early stages. Kimi, well, he and his strategist are another nominee for ROTR, just like the unlucky Kovalainen and the late starting time of the race. I would have preferred to get up earlier in the morning to watch the race here in my Central European residence. Still, it was a good race, with lots of overtaking, and KERS contributing like charm to the exitement, including the off that Heidfeld had in the early stages of the race, about which Ralf Schumacher said on German TV (RTL) that it looked like it was down to KERS having jumbled up the breaking balance. Trulli's performance was just fine, too, and he was rather unlucky having to pit at the wrong time. Barrichello, well, he kind of replied strongly to the 5 grid place penalty for his gearbox change, whereas the other changee, Vettel, provided some interesting overtaking, but without getting a result in the end. In an interview on RTL, he said that he wanted the clutch pedal back, because just like in practise in Australia, the electronics on the car didn't keep the engine running during the spin.
Surprisingly for me, the most impressive overtaking move of the race came from Mark Webber without KERS overtaking the KERS-employing Alonso (I think it was) on the outside, going through the final corner onto the front straight in a wonderful alternate line, making it look as if Alonso was off the racing line, which he wasn't.

Debaser · Post by **Debaser** » 05 Apr 2009, 13:42

From Ferrari's standpoint the race was disastrous-They were a complete shambles. The car is competitive but not a race-winner and the strategy in both races so far has been poor. For ROTR they should win,despite the FOM being stupid enough to hold a race at a time when rain and darkness comes and the FIA delaying the inevitable abandonment of the race.Ferrari rivalled Australia's batting effort today in the cricket-rubbish.

Captain Hammer · Post by **Captain Hammer** » 05 Apr 2009, 15:17

Debaser wrote:FOM being stupid enough to hold a race at a time when rain and darkness comes and the FIA delaying the inevitable abandonment of the race.

In all seriousness, I think Ecclestone and FOM should get some credit here. If they want to bring bigger audiences to the races, that can only be a good thing. Sure, they shot themselves in foot a little here, but I don't think they could have predicted the rain like that when they sat down and discussed the concept of twilight races.

tc3j3r · Post by **tc3j3r** » 05 Apr 2009, 16:13

Rain in Malaysia is more likely to happen in the evening than the afternoon, so they knew that they were increasing the chances of a wet race...

Stewart · Post by **Stewart** » 05 Apr 2009, 16:21

Captain Hammer wrote:
Debaser wrote:FOM being stupid enough to hold a race at a time when rain and darkness comes and the FIA delaying the inevitable abandonment of the race.

In all seriousness, I think Ecclestone and FOM should get some credit here. If they want to bring bigger audiences to the races, that can only be a good thing. Sure, they shot themselves in foot a little here, but I don't think they could have predicted the rain like that when they sat down and discussed the concept of twilight races.

Except that, from what I understand, it rains EVERY evening in Malaysia at this time of year. Several journalists have commented that the locals thought they were crazy for trying to host an F1 race in the evening.

FOM (and Bernie in particular) have problems because the money on the race-hosting side is all in the middle- and far-east, whereas the TV audience is mainly in Europe. He tried to pressure the Australian GP organisers to arrange a night-race, but they wouldn't do it; twilight was the compromise. While that worked relatively well in Australia, it was always likely to be a disaster in Malaysia.

Ross Prawn · Post by **Ross Prawn** » 05 Apr 2009, 17:19

Having been there I can confirm it rains every evening. Bernie must be favorite for ROTR.

Incidentally, did you see the interview BBC did with Bernie. He looked a bit frail, I thought.

No point in nominating Kimi for ROTR. He wouldn't care.

I also enjoyed the following bit of commentary, Legard - 'Gosh, he's spun off AGAIN', Brundle, - 'Its a replay Jonathan'.

Good race, pity it was cut short.

Chilled Phill · Post by **Chilled Phill** » 05 Apr 2009, 17:55

BBC have plenty of alternative commentaries via the red button. However, whilst 5-Live Radio commentary was to be expected, curiously a CBBC (that's the branch of the BBC for children's programming for those non-UK residents

) commentary was available as well and I must say it was slightly better than Mr. Legard. :roll:

Well, from the times I felt like listening to them - I mostly had it on the 5-Live one if I'm honest as the two commentators on there have better chemistry than Legard-Brundle combo.

Great race, but once again a race which should've been better for Rosberg, brilliant start but a poor tyre choice gave him a single point from a possible four or five.

Klon · Post by **Klon** » 05 Apr 2009, 19:06

Well, I would have to agree that the start time wasn't chosen very well, but we had finally something like a exciting race in Malaysia ... WTF? XD
But we need to look at something else: at Q1 - I think we have found ourselves a nice moment of F1 punditry. Buemi at his best...

"Three and a half tenths .... NOOOOOO!"

Salamander · Post by **Salamander** » 05 Apr 2009, 20:53

Klon wrote:Well, I would have to agree that the start time wasn't chosen very well, but we had finally something like a exciting race in Malaysia ... WTF? XD
But we need to look at something else: at Q1 - I think we have found ourselves a nice moment of F1 punditry. Buemi at his best...

"Three and a half tenths .... NOOOOOO!"

It went more like, "Three and a half tenths .... nooooo." Which just makes it better, in my opinion.

RejectSteve · Post by **RejectSteve** » 05 Apr 2009, 21:00

Ross Prawn wrote:I also enjoyed the following bit of commentary, Legard - 'Gosh, he's spun off AGAIN', Brundle, - 'Its a replay Jonathan'.

Murray did that at least once and I'm sure he did it far more often than that.

The race was very entertaining while it lasted. Heidfeld played the strategy very well and deserves plenty of credit along with BMW for not going to full wets. KERS showed itself to be effective in Alonso's hands, but would it have been all that much to talk about if everybody passing him had it as well? Webber's pass around the outside of Alonso was a brilliant piece of driving, as Yannick wrote. Vettel's comment about a clutch pedal is interesting. It seemed quite a few drivers had problems getting out of the pits quickly, notably Glock, and of course Kubica barely moved from the grid until he finally gathered it up and went.
Its a little bizarre, the anti-stall kicks in when they don't want it to, yet it doesn't when they need it.

Towards the end, I think the FIA were just milking it to waste time. They could have given an announcement to restart the race and just crawl around behind the safety car. The weather for the last 15 or 20 minutes wasn't that bad. Could they have completed 12 laps to get 75%? Probably not, but why not try anyway? Even with the relative darkness at the end, all the cars would have the rear lights on, except for the jingle of Raikkonen's ice cream truck. So what if the grand prix goes 2 hours and 15 minutes?

BB01 · Post by **BB01** » 05 Apr 2009, 23:08

RejectSteve wrote:So what if the grand prix goes 2 hours and 15 minutes?

That would tick off the TV people, probably, and as we know, the sport is secondary to ratings these days.

Captain Hammer · Post by **Captain Hammer** » 05 Apr 2009, 23:28

BB01 wrote:That would tick off the TV people, probably, and as we know, the sport is secondary to ratings these days.

Maybe. The Australian broadcast of the race was delayed half an hour because So You Think You Can Dance is in the habit of ignoring its broadcast time and running for however long it likes.

KSvt · Post by **KSvt** » 05 Apr 2009, 23:43

LukeB wrote:Mark Webber looked very strong in the wet, I think he could have made a run for third place if the race had gone the distance. So lucky for him it was called off and he got some points before he inevitably broke down

Ha--no kidding! And I would like to personally thank Mark for being the most entertaining driver of the race (non-ROTR division)--on the feed shown on the U.S. SPEED broadcast, anyway, it seems like we saw way more of Webber's various fights for position than we did of the leaders.

Stewart · Post by **Stewart** » 05 Apr 2009, 23:47

RejectSteve wrote:Towards the end, I think the FIA were just milking it to waste time. They could have given an announcement to restart the race and just crawl around behind the safety car. The weather for the last 15 or 20 minutes wasn't that bad. Could they have completed 12 laps to get 75%? Probably not, but why not try anyway? Even with the relative darkness at the end, all the cars would have the rear lights on, except for the jingle of Raikkonen's ice cream truck. So what if the grand prix goes 2 hours and 15 minutes?

What would be the advantage of crawling around behind the safety car? Is that somehow more interesting to spectators than the cars sitting on the pit straight? I can't think of anything more ridiculous than sending the drivers out to complete 12 laps in those conditions just to get to the 75% distance.

CarlosFerreira · Post by **CarlosFerreira** » 05 Apr 2009, 23:51

Finally caught up with actually seeing the race. Very impressed by the pace of Rosberg, the Toyotas and the Red Bull - God, that car looks nice! - but not at all impressed by the pace of the Renaults (Alonso putting a brave fight, doing the usual Trulli number, "mobile-chicane"), MacLaren and Ferraris.
But, the way Jenson pulled away in those two laps between Nico's stop and his own - Blimey!, that's quick. He was playing it cool all along, and the car with no wet tires testing whatsoever was flying. Also, I hardly remember so much water on a track, and only from a 5 minute pour.

Best drive out there? Webber. Cool, collected, in control, fighting all the way and putting Vettel to shame, penalty or not. Never put a foot wrong and overcame KERS people without the funny diffuser. And, when he was out of the car, he was still limping! Hands up to him and Adrian Newey, they deserved much better than what they got.

BB01 · Post by **BB01** » 06 Apr 2009, 01:11

Captain Hammer wrote:
BB01 wrote:That would tick off the TV people, probably, and as we know, the sport is secondary to ratings these days.

Maybe. The Australian broadcast of the race was delayed half an hour because So You Think You Can Dance is in the habit of ignoring its broadcast time and running for however long it likes.

Ok, well for Channel 10, the F1 is probably tertiary (or whatever comes after that) rather than secondary...

minrdi · Post by **minrdi** » 06 Apr 2009, 02:05

BB01 wrote:
Captain Hammer wrote:
BB01 wrote:That would tick off the TV people, probably, and as we know, the sport is secondary to ratings these days.

Maybe. The Australian broadcast of the race was delayed half an hour because So You Think You Can Dance is in the habit of ignoring its broadcast time and running for however long it likes.

Ok, well for Channel 10, the F1 is probably tertiary (or whatever comes after that) rather than secondary...

Ten's HD sports channel - ONE - broadcast the race telecast from 6pm AEST. If you have HDTV in Australia, you didn't have to wait until the junket of reality shows and Rove was out the way.

MrMonza · Post by **MrMonza** » 06 Apr 2009, 04:22

Raikkonen having an ice cream and Coke while everybody was out, wet and shivering, waiting for a restart!

Kimi is my hero.

Captain Hammer · Post by **Captain Hammer** » 06 Apr 2009, 04:33

minrdi wrote:Ten's HD sports channel - ONE - broadcast the race telecast from 6pm AEST. If you have HDTV in Australia, you didn't have to wait until the junket of reality shows and Rove was out the way.

Like I said in the other thread, Ten's One HD isn't available in my region. Staying up late to watch the race beats watching the timing sheets on Formula1.com, even if I have to put up with the moronic Australian commentators, but right now HD-TV is a luxury I don't have and can't ge. Hell, I can't even get Channel Seven (but no-one in my town can with anything resembling a watchable quality ...).

noshpit · Post by **noshpit** » 06 Apr 2009, 09:29

what would happen with bernies medal system if the race only goes half the distance ??
will they only get half a medal (will they need to cut them before the presentation) or will they get a full medal