Australian Grand Prix winner Kimi Raikkonen was the fastest driver at Sepang at the end of the first day of practice.
Raikkonen set a best lap of 1’36.569 on medium tyres, beating the benchmark set by Mark Webber in the first session.
The session got off to a busy start as rain was expected and teams wanted to ensure they had a chance to lap on the softer tyres. Raikkonen was among the last to do so, setting his best time on medium tyres as the rain began.
The rain fell lightly at first but grew heavy enough to force everyone into the pits shortly after the halfway point.
Nico Hulkenberg slipped up on the way back to his garage, spinning in the pits and ending up broadside to oncoming cars. The Sauber driver was able to extract himself and continue his afternoon’s work.
Team mate Esteban Gutierrez’s session was also disrupted due to an exhaust fault, but he was able to return to the track after it was repaired.
Adrian Sutil was not so fortunate, however, managing just ten laps before a technical problem halted his progress at Force India.
After a brief break the track was soon busy again but the damp conditions caught several people out. Sergio Perez caught a snap in the middle of turn ten but was caught out at the same corner a few laps later, ploughing through the gravel.
Giedo van der Garde also had a spin at turn four, and Romain Grosjean had a trip across the grass at the following corner.
By the final ten minutes the track had dried sufficiently for drivers to switch to slick tyres. Daniel Ricciardo was first to make the switch and was soon followed by almost all of the runners.
A significant exception was Fernando Alonso, who remained in the garage in the closing stages.
2013 Malaysian Grand Prix
Image ?é?® Mercedes/Hoch Zwei
MB (@muralibhats)
22nd March 2013, 7:37
1,6 Lotur
2,5 Red Bull
3,4 Ferrari..
Palindrome :)
MB (@muralibhats)
22nd March 2013, 7:37
*Lotus
Enigma (@enigma)
22nd March 2013, 7:58
More like a sandwitch :)
Enigma (@enigma)
22nd March 2013, 7:59
Sandwich, rather
XR650
22nd March 2013, 8:20
That’s got me thinking.
Whats the lowest average finishing position a team has won the WCC with?
Also which driver has had the lowest average finishing position and won the WDC with?
SempreGilles (@sempregilles)
22nd March 2013, 11:10
Since 1980 (before that they used a strange points system for constructors) the 3 worst average finishing positions (counting only classified results, so no DNF’s or anything) are:
-2012 Red Bull 5.27th place
-2008 Ferrari 5.22th place
-1981 Williams 4.88th place
The best is Ferrari in 2002 with a 1.79th place on average. Although the average finishing position in general has become worse since more positions started offering points.
David not Coulthard (@)
22nd March 2013, 14:52
As for the WDC my feeling tells me it’s Rosberg or perhaps Rindt.
Traverse (@)
22nd March 2013, 11:00
@enigma
I’ll have a Lotus Sandwich (positions 1-6), with a side order of Mercedes Salad (positions 7-12). :)
Nomore (@nomore)
22nd March 2013, 10:48
this is a Palindrome because:
1. Lotus 2. Red Bull 3. Ferrari 4. Ferrari 5. Red Bull 6. Lotus
if you read it from the left to right you will notice a certain order…if you read it from right to left you will notice the exact same order
I just explained what palindrome is, for someone they didn’t know yet
Massonen
22nd March 2013, 7:39
I didn’t catch practice on TV. How did Bottas end behind Bianchi?
Brace (@brace)
22nd March 2013, 15:03
He wasn’t fast enough.
Traverse (@)
22nd March 2013, 15:43
Bianchi is better than Bottas, that’s how.
testguy (@testguy)
22nd March 2013, 17:13
Williams didn’t put a gearbox on their car.
Alexander (@)
22nd March 2013, 7:40
Looking good for Kimi, fastest in FP2 with both the hard and medium tires.
Kingshark (@kingshark)
22nd March 2013, 7:41
Damn, it’s close up at front.
Hopefully we’ll see the same in the rain.
Kingshark (@kingshark)
22nd March 2013, 7:41
*race.
JCost (@jcost)
22nd March 2013, 7:56
And Mercedes was looking at tyre management, not 1 lap times I guess. We should add a fourth car fighting for pole tomorrow.
nidzovski (@nidzovski)
22nd March 2013, 8:20
Great point! I hope so.
Damien Blackman (@hyakuyagami)
22nd March 2013, 10:26
They have said as much in the interviews after the session. It remains to be seen if they will be as quick as they hope when they do push though.
BasCB (@bascb)
22nd March 2013, 7:41
Kimi was fast in the lotus on Mediums, then he was fast on the inters too, and then on the mediums again on a drying track. On track for the win then?
McLaren can be a bit hopefull for some signs they can get a bit of pace from the car. Sauber look solid on a damp track, FI is well in the midfield mix. Mercedes seemed to struggle a bit more with long runs and they were not looking good on a damp track either. Ferrari and Red Bull are very solid, although it seems Lotus is up front (not sure for pole though)
Sounak Chakrabarty (@sonkky)
22nd March 2013, 7:42
Kimi ran the New Exhaust for Lotus while Grosjean didn’t.. So, new development for Lotus already worth 0.6 s
Candice
22nd March 2013, 9:51
i remember romain got new upgrade package first in valencia while Kimi didn’t. And kimi qualified just 1 tenth behind him.
Dev (@dev)
22nd March 2013, 7:51
Kimi vs Alonso fight at the top… Massa can fight at the top if Alonso is far away from his battle at the front. Vettel & Webber still need to get more life out of tires. Force India could be surprise… di Restas lap was on the hard tires so potentially the car can gain 0.5s on the medium tires.
robfff
22nd March 2013, 12:19
I dont think Massa has Alonso’s race pace or wits when it comes to on the spot race strategy calls. Last week we saw how Massa made the wrong call on strategy, electing to stay out for too long, while Alonso made the best call by coming in extra early.
The fact that Massa did not move over for Alonso proves that the team has not yet decided which driver they want to pack for the title challenge.
JCost (@jcost)
22nd March 2013, 7:54
I’m lovin’ it!
1. Kiimi and Lotus are on fire
2. Red Bull is good as always but not far from the rest
3. Ferrari looks good and Alonso is motivated (Massa looks happy too)
4. Hamilton looks fress and happy at Mercedes. Plus, the car is not as bad as some predicted (Lewis included)
The only bad thing is McLaren, we need them as podium contenders ASAP.
nidzovski (@nidzovski)
22nd March 2013, 8:21
+1 :)
nickfrog (@nickfrog)
22nd March 2013, 8:05
Bianchi solid again.
nidzovski (@nidzovski)
22nd March 2013, 8:23
Bianchi is the next best thing in F1. I think that he won’t driver with the back-markers next season.
Aish Heydrich (@aish)
22nd March 2013, 9:29
Look at Bianchi. Amazing.
SeaHorse (@seahorse)
22nd March 2013, 8:13
I am unable to comprehend why do the car numbers run from 1 through 23 skipping 13 in between?
Alfie (@alfie)
22nd March 2013, 8:16
Superstition.
SeaHorse (@seahorse)
22nd March 2013, 8:25
@alfie Really? If then do they follow this every year?
Aish Heydrich (@aish)
22nd March 2013, 9:31
@Alfie: For a sport that is living at the edge of technology and science for the last five decades, they are quite unnaturally superstitious.
Cobra77
22nd March 2013, 11:21
Especially when there are different unlucky numbers in different cultures, If I remember correctly it was Takuma Sato that got nr. 8 one season and would have liked to trade that number for another because nr. 8 is unlucky in Japan. :)
It would be interesting to know what numbers could you use if all unlucky ones would be removed.
Klon (@)
22nd March 2013, 12:25
You mean #4, which he had in 2005. Well, that superstition was justified, his 2005 was horrendous. :D
If my memory serves me right, in Italy the number 17 is also considered unlucky.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
22nd March 2013, 8:31
@seahorse
See: Your questions: F1 and the number 13
SeaHorse (@seahorse)
22nd March 2013, 9:20
@keithcollantine
Thanks a lot for that link Keith!
RL
22nd March 2013, 8:15
Force India right now are the top Mercedes customer team. That’s shameful for Mclaren.
MB (@muralibhats)
22nd March 2013, 8:23
Shame for Mercedes too? One of FI has beaten a Merc car
AdrianMorse (@adrianmorse)
22nd March 2013, 8:15
I hope Mercedes is not as far off the pace as it looks at this aero track. I know they were initially focussing on long runs, but judging by the times they did get a lap in on the medium tyres, it just wasn’t very quick. If indeed their qualifying pace is not there at this track, then they will be back where they have been for the past three years: scrapping for P8, P9, unless they manage to pull some Lotus-like tyre management out of the bag.
Jay Menon (@jaymenon10)
22nd March 2013, 8:31
Looks like its going to be a close run thing this weekend. Kimi seems to be very confident up front, Ferrari not far off the pace.
Really impressed with Jules Bianchi. Hope he keeps up the pace all year.
Nomore (@nomore)
22nd March 2013, 8:41
Did Alonso hit trouble that he made 10 lap less than his teammate? i didn’t follow fp2…
Sounak Chakrabarty (@sonkky)
22nd March 2013, 8:53
didn’t run for the Last 10 mins..
As others switched from Inters->Medium/Hard, He came into the Pits after after the Inter Laps and did not go out
Nomore (@nomore)
22nd March 2013, 9:00
@sonkky thank you
it look strange as strategy…but it’s just practice…
by looking at the times it look another Kimi vs Fernando race
MB (@muralibhats)
22nd March 2013, 8:42
Bottas was tipped to be the shining rookie. Bianchi stealing the show right under Bottas nose!
Adam Blocker (@blockwall2)
22nd March 2013, 11:01
To be fair Bottas hasn’t raced in over a year.
Gutierrez looks bad so far as well. Robin Frijns would have been a much, much better choice.
Aish Heydrich (@aish)
22nd March 2013, 9:32
Kimi is great yes, but look at Bianchi. I want him to drive for Lotus next year, replacing the Frenchman.
Aditya (@adityafakhri)
22nd March 2013, 10:17
French replace another French sounds logical IF Total would switch their support from Grosjean to Bianchi. (or Raikkonen leaving, but it almost unlikely in the moment).
Aditya (@adityafakhri)
22nd March 2013, 10:20
French replace another French sounds logical IF Total would switch their support from Grosjean to Bianchi. (or Raikkonen leaving, but it almost unlikely in the moment).
Reply
wsrgo (@wsrgo)
22nd March 2013, 10:26
The only guy never to have driven here before: Jules Bianchi.
Man, I’m lost for words…
mrjlr93 (@mrjlr93)
22nd March 2013, 10:57
The only place Jules Bianchi is going is Ferrari, Ferrari wont let him go to another team like they did with Sergio Perez.
RonBurgundy
22nd March 2013, 11:18
What this article fails to mention is that Kimi was fastest in the dry AND fastest in the wet. Straight ******* excellence !
Dileep Nair (@dileep_nair)
22nd March 2013, 11:51
Enjoying watching Hamilton and Alonso getting beaten by their respective team-mates, on sheer pace. Also surprising since I am a huge fan of both these drivers.
Anyways, it doesn’t happen often. That might probably be the reason why!
N
22nd March 2013, 12:28
Notsureifserious.jpeg
JamieFranklinF1 (@jamiefranklinf1)
22nd March 2013, 19:12
I haven’t seen a ‘back marker’ significantly beat his team mate like that since racing on my career on F1 2010/11/12. Bianchi is either really good, or Chilton is really bad. Though I have to say that I think the former is true. I can’t see him being in the Marussia next year. One of the teams surely has to realise his potential.