Formula One World Championship 2011

[Duracell]

Vettel on pole again in Melbourne, McLaren's doing much better than expected.

Pos Driver Team Time

1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m23.529s + 0.778s

2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m24.307s + 0.866s

3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m24.395s + 1.250s

4. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m24.779s + 1.445s

5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m24.974s + 1.718s

6. Vitaly Petrov Renault 1m25.247s + 1.892s

7. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m25.421s + 2.070s

8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m25.599s + 2.097s

9. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m25.626s + 3.537s

10. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m27.066s + 2.442s

Q2 cut-off time: 1m25.882s

11. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m25.971s

12. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m26.103s

13. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m26.108s

14. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m26.739s

15. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m26.768s

16. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m31.407s

17. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth

Q1 cut-off time: 1m27.222s

18. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m27.239s

19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m29.254s

20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m29.342s

21. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m29.858s

22. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m30.822s

DNQ. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m32.978s

DNQ. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m34.2932

107% time: 1m31.266s

It's interesting to see just how close D'Ambrosio was to the dreaded 107% time.

Hamilton's grid position was made all the more impressive by the fact he had lost KERS, causing a break imbalance.

The Red Bulls, interestingly, didn't use KERS at all, intentionally.

[Wilko]

It's interesting to see just how close D'Ambrosio was to the dreaded 107% time.

Hamilton's grid position was made all the more impressive by the fact he had lost KERS, causing a break imbalance.

The Red Bulls, interestingly, didn't use KERS at all, intentionally.

Rumour is the Bulls have a "start-only" system, which is used once in qualifying for a flying lap and off the start line, then relying on their aero downforce throughout the race.

Fingers crossed Lewis can beat Seb to the line tomorrow and he'll have an advantage, but I cannot wait to see how the pitstops mess everything up

[CumbrianRam]

Vettel wins, Hamilton second, Petrov an excellent third. Button 6th after a drive through penalty.

Classified results:

Pos Driver Team Time

1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h29:30.259

2. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 22.297

3. Petrov Renault + 30.560

4. Alonso Ferrari + 31.772

5. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 38.171

6. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 54.300

7. Perez Sauber-Ferrari + 1:05.800

8. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1:16.800

9. Massa Ferrari + 1:25.100

10. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap

11. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap

12. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1 lap

13. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap

14. Heidfeld Renault + 1 lap

15. Trulli Lotus-Renault + 2 laps

16. D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth + 3 laps

Fastest lap: Massa, 1:28.947

Not classified/retirements:

Driver Team On lap

Glock Virgin-Cosworth 50

Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 49

Rosberg Mercedes 22

Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 19

Schumacher Mercedes 19

Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 10

[Perky1106]

A shame about Button's error and the Ferraris pitting so he had to do a drive through. :frown:

But generally a good drive from Lewis. It seems Red Bull have built a great car again. Can't see Vettel being beaten to this world championship.

[Duracell]

A shame about Button's error and the Ferraris pitting so he had to do a drive through. :frown:

But generally a good drive from Lewis. It seems Red Bull have built a great car again. Can't see Vettel being beaten to this world championship.

It's a shame, yes, but if Button just gave the place back to Massa it would have saved himself an awful lot of time.

And I agree, I do think Vettel's going to win it this year, but it's going to be close. McLaren's rate of development is always highly impressive, and already they're not as far back on the Red Bulls as they were last season.

A shocker from Ferrari though wasn't it!?

[ramexpat]

IMO Button will struggle this year as will Massa

[smiffy]

It's a shame, yes, but if Button just gave the place back to Massa it would have saved himself an awful lot of time.

And I agree, I do think Vettel's going to win it this year, but it's going to be close. McLaren's rate of development is always highly impressive, and already they're not as far back on the Red Bulls as they were last season.

A shocker from Ferrari though wasn't it!?

What put Button off was the fact that Alonso overtook Massa more or less at the same time, so that meant he would have to let both of them through.

He may have thought he would play for the team and hold both of them up for as long as he could , after his mistake.

Also team orders are allowed now I believe

[CumbrianRam]

Vettel on pole in Sepang Malaysia, Hamilton not for behind.

Grid

1 Sebastian Vettel 1 Red Bull-Renault 1:34.870

2 Lewis Hamilton 3 McLaren-Mercedes 1:34.974

3 Mark Webber 2 Red Bull-Renault 1:35.179

4 Jenson Button 4 McLaren-Mercedes 1:35.200

5 Fernando Alonso 5 Ferrari 1:35.802

6 Nick Heidfeld 9 Renault 1:36.124

7 Felipe Massa 6 Ferrari 1:36.251

8 Vitaly Petrov 10 Renault 1:36.324

9 Nico Rosberg 8 Mercedes GP 1:36.809

10 Kamui Kobayashi 16 Sauber 1:36.820

11 Michael Schumacher 7 Mercedes GP 1:37.035

12 Sebastien Buemi 18 Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:37.160

13 Jaime Alguersuari 19 Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:37.347

14 Paul Di Resta 15 Force India-Mercedes 1:37.370

15 Rubens Barrichello 11 Williams-Cosworth 1:37.496

16 Sergio Perez 17 Sauber 1:37.528

17 Adrian Sutil 14 Force India-Mercedes 1:37.593

18 Pastor Maldonado 12 Williams-Cosworth 1:38.276

19 Heikki Kovalainen 20 Lotus-Renault 1:38.645

20 Jarno Trulli 21 Lotus-Renault 1:38.791

21 Timo Glock 24 Virgin-Cosworth 1:40.648

22 Jerome d'Ambrosio 25 Virgin-Cosworth 1:41.001

23 Vitantonio Liuzzi 23 Hispania-Cosworth 1:41.549

24 Narain Karthikeyan 22 Hispania-Cosworth 1:42.574

107% of Q1: 1:43.516

[David]

UK time what time does it start tomorrow?

[CumbrianRam]

UK time what time does it start tomorrow?

9am.

[Duracell]

Fantastic to see McLaren closing the gap.

A dry race tomorrow should see a decent measure of how effective these new rules are.

If they don't work, then surely it's time for a back-to-basics approach? Skinny tires and no aero?

[David]

I've actually woke up in time for it, stuck to 1 can last night to make sure I'll be up.

[CumbrianRam]

Vettel wins, Button 2nd, Heidfeld 3rd. Collison between Hamilton and Alonso towards the end of the race

PROVISIONAL RACE RESULTS

The Malaysian Grand Prix

Sepang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;

56 laps; 310.408km;

Weather: Dry.

Classified:

Pos Driver Team Time

1. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1h37:39.832

2. Button McLaren-Mercedes + 3.261

3. Heidfeld Renault + 25.075

4. Webber Red Bull-Renault + 26.384

5. Massa Ferrari + 36.958

6. Alonso Ferrari + 37.248

7. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes + 49.957

8. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari + 1:07.239

9. Schumacher Mercedes + 1:24.896

10. Di Resta Force India-Mercedes + 1:31.563

11. Sutil Force India-Mercedes + 1:45.000

12. Rosberg Mercedes + 1 lap

13. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap

14. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari + 1 lap

15. Kovalainen Lotus-Renault + 1 lap

16. Glock Virgin-Cosworth + 2 laps

17. Petrov Renault + 4 laps

Fastest lap: Webber, 1:40.571

Not classified/retirements:

Driver Team On lap

Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 47

D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 43

Trulli Lotus-Renault 32

Perez Sauber-Ferrari 24

Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 23

Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 15

Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 9

World Championship standings, round 2:

Drivers:

1. Sebastian VETTEL 50

2. Jenson BUTTON 26

3. Lewis HAMILTON 24

4. Mark WEBBER 22

5. Fernando ALONSO 20

6. Felipe MASSA 16

7. Vitaly PETROV 15

Nick HEIDFELD 15

9. Kamui KOBAYASHI 4

Sébastien BUEMI 4

11. Adrian SUTIL 2

Michael SCHUMACHER 2

Paul Di RESTA 2

Constructors:

1. Red Bull Renault 72

2. McLaren Mercedes 50

3. Ferrari 36

4. Renault 30

5. Force India Mercedes 4

Toro Rosso Ferrari 4

Sauber Ferrari 4

8. Mercedes 2

[CumbrianRam]

Hamilton and Alonso given 20 second penalities, Alonso still 6th, but Hamilton down to 8th.

[Duracell]

Hamilton and Alonso given 20 second penalities, Alonso still 6th, but Hamilton down to 8th.

We were dangerously close to having a Grand Prix without any post-race controversy there

[David]

That Petrov is a crazy man, see the speed he tried to get back on the track, he'll have a sore arse tonight

[CumbrianRam]

Vettel on pole (again), Button 2nd, Hamilton 3rd. Scot di Resta 8th. Webber struggling down in 18th!

Pos Driver Team Time Gap

1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m33.706s

2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m34.421s + 0.715

3. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m34.463s + 0.757

4. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m34.670s + 0.964

5. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m35.119s + 1.413

6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m35.145s + 1.439

7. Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m36.158s + 2.452

8. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m36.190s + 2.484

9. Sebastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m36.203s + 2.497

10. Vitaly Petrov Renault No time

Q3 cut-off time: 1m35.858s Gap **

11. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m35.874s + 1.388

12. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m36.053s + 1.567

13. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m36.236s + 1.750

14. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m36.457s + 1.971

15. Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1m36.465s + 1.979

16. Nick Heidfeld Renault 1m36.611s + 2.125

17. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1m36.956s + 2.470

Q3 cut-off time: 1m36.147s Gap *

18. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m36.468s + 1.196

19. Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1m37.894s + 2.622

20. Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1m38.318s + 3.046

21. Jerome D'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1m39.119s + 3.847

22. Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1m39.708s + 4.436

23. Tonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1m40.212s + 4.940

24. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m40.445s + 5.173

107% time: 1m41.941s

* Gap to quickest in Q1

** Gap to quickest in Q2

[David]

Have the Red Bull cars had the KERS fixed yet?

[dcfcdavecov]

Mark Webber is the unluckiest guy...but he's Australian so it makes me laugh.

Anyone else sick of Vettel getting pole, leading at the first corner, pulling away, pitting, winning? It's a bit boring.....i think the winner of the previous race should have to carry more weight.

[David]

I wanted Vettel to win last year (if neither Button or Hamilton could win it), this year I must admit I wouldn't mind seeing them take 1 wheel off him to slow him down and make it abit more open.

Maybe that should be a new rule, if you become Champion you have race next season with just 3 wheels.