ROUND 2 - MALAYSIAN GP
Now to rank the drivers again. This is hard.
DRIVER RANKINGS:
Self-Explanatory really. Here we go again:
24.Felipe Massa (Ferrari)
Felipe Massa finished the 56 lap Malaysian Grand Prix 97 seconds behind the race leader. The problem with that is that the race leader was his team-mate Alonso! While Massa finished 15th and nowhere near the points, Alonso was winning the race. Giancarlo Fisichella would have done better (not literally in 2012 with 2 years away maybe), for all the stick he came in for. Alonso now leads the championship in about the 7th-9th best car. Felipe is yet to challenge for a point... At least he qualified not all THAT far behind (just 4 positions).
23.Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber)
A fastest lap whole SECONDS behind his team-mate, thrashed by him in dry qualifying, and not able to score a point regardless of his retirement. Kobayashi was utterly destroyed and can kiss a Ferrari seat goodbye. If Kubica doesn't get it, as looks likely, it will go to Perez instead.
22.Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
Sadly totally weak and left spinning by his team-mate in both qualifying and much more so, the race. For his sake, hopefully there was a technical problem. It's not over for him yet as some are claiming, but I am thinking what is the future holding for him? Continue being beaten by Michael in future years, or be teamed with Hulkenberg or di Resta and beaten by them? If the latter happens, it's pretty much game over for any championship...
21.Pedro de la Rosa (HRT)
Maybe I need to reconsider these two. It does seem a real cop-out to put them both last just because they drive HRTs so it's easier to not care about them (EDIT - Now 22nd and 21st). Outqualified Karthikeyan by a good margin. Did nothing wrong, so maybe I will place Pedro higher.
20.Narain Karthikeyan (HRT)
Though he qualified last, he appeared to really take to the rain and outperform de la Rosa. So I think he deserves to be ranked marginally ahead given that he has less experience. It was a shame (for him) that he collided with both Button and Vettel (who I am now thinking the title will come down to and increasingly in Button's favour!)
19.Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham)
The www.crash.net hate brigade will no doubt be verbally stoning the Caterham team again. But this team have really made progress. It is only a matter of time now before they start to mix it with the established teams. Things look bad because so many established teams have made big leaps forward. But talent can't be hidden forever - that goes for teams as well as drivers, and these guys will get there. I really can't tell how well Kovalainen is doing though because Petrov is actually performing well against him.
18.Charles Pic (Marussia)
Deserved to be ranked in the top 20. Appeared to take to his difficult situation with maturity and no complaining. Qualified 0.8sec off Glock which was respectable. Much more so was that his fastest lap was just 0.1sec away from Glock, a driver considered to race better than he qualifies. What's more, he again kept the car on the track and brought it home without drama, and was fast to boot. I am watching this guy and think he deserves more attention. I was unhappy with Marussia's decision to replace Jerome D'Ambrosio for this year, but now I'm changing my mind. I hope they stick with Pic next year. (oh check out the accidental rhyme :) )
17.Timo Glock (Marussia)
Well done to Timo for finishing in front of Kovalainen, whatever the reason. It's been a while since that's happened, and it will no doubt lift Timo's spirits further, which makes me happy to see. I want to see him hungry and going forwards and not feeling sorry for himself for not signing for Renault/Lotus for 2010. He can gain more respect by what he does for Marussia than what he would have done there.
16.Vitaly Petrov (Caterham)
Qualified less than 2 tenths off Kovalainen, then outraced him again. Has already proven Caterham were right to replace Trulli - money or no money.
15.Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso)
Outqualified the vaunted Vergne again, but finished some way behind. But that's due to strategy really. Still a good job, but not amazing enough by his own admission.
14.Pastor Maldonado (Williams)
Another good performance, proving faster than Senna again (if it was Ayrton Senna, that would REALLY be something to write home about). Ranked down here because he blew it on race day by taking his team-mate off! Then tipped Paul di Resta into a spin too. But points would have been the case had he not been robbed for the second weekend in a row in the final throes of the race. I predicted elsewhere on this site that Maldonado would score 9 points this year. Had he made these finishes, he would already have reached that total!
13.Bruno Senna (Williams)
Disappointingly again not on the pace of Maldonado in the dry. But I don't think he hit anyone and the rain allowed him to shine to take a good 6th, which he scored from the back having been hit by Maldonado! Still isn't looking outstandingly special however, in the sense that teams have just GOT to sign him. I'm interested to see though whether there is a treasure trove of latent talent in there. It could be that Bruno is like some tyres: Slow to warm up but when they're there, they fly!
12.Nico Hulkenberg (Force India)
Not as quick as Paul di Resta this time, but 16th to 9th ain't bad at all.
11.Romain Grosjean (Lotus)
Slightly off the pace of Kimi, but there's no shame in that, especially since he started 7th. But spoiled it by colliding with Michael then dumping the car off the track. The Sepang track is old-fashioned in that it has some gravel traps meaning that drivers actually get punished when they make a mistake - you know, liked it used to be...
10.Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso)
Disappointing qualifying. Race worked out well and now has double the points of team-mate Ricciardo. Team boss Franz Tost clearly seems more excited over Vergne, which is very telling...
9.Paul di Resta (Force India)
Outqualified and outraced Hulkenberg. Finished 7th from 14th even though Maldonado spun him round early on. A commendable job.
8.Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
Nothing stellar in a 2011 sense. Qualified a little behind Webber on a harder tyre and would have finished a little ahead in the race. Interestingly, he's not quite so sunny now things aren't all going his way, as seen with his brush with Karthikeyan and the tumble out of the points.
7.Mark Webber (Red Bull)
Aided by a softer tyre, outqualified Vettel again and in a repeat of last weekend was just a few seconds adrift of Lewis at the flag.
6.Jenson Button (McLaren)
Just a tenth shy off Lewis in quali, and looking quicker than him in the race. He would have ranked ahead. But the altercation with Karthikeyan put paid to that, and his bid for points. But the same thing happened to Vettel so the title is still on! I now predict that Jenson is still the most likely man to take the title this year. He has the look of a guy who means business, much more than the others, and certainly his team-mate.
5.Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
Hamilton's pole to 3rd effort simply wasn't good enough for him to be ranked higher than 4th. With all the (rather unfair) criticism that Vettel came in for for apparently "only being able to win from pole", sadly Lewis can't even seem to manage that at the moment...
4.Michael Schumacher (Mercedes)
Not bad for an "old" guy - 2 tenths off pole, then finishing almost 30 seconds up the road from Rosberg even though he was taken off by Grosjean early on!!! He can't be too far from his best form now. I did think there was no way he can miss out on a big result yet again, but sure enough it happened. But this will just make it all the sweeter when he does get that podium - it will be one of the feel-good stories of the season. All these things that keep happening to Michael though - it does beg the question: Where WERE they in 2002?!!
3.Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
Had the measure of Grosjean on just his second race back. Equalled Webber's time in qualifying - less than 1/4sec off pole! He even set fastest lap in the race, proving the ability of his Lotus to treat tyres well - but more importantly, going quite some way towards proving that the real Kimi is back.
2.Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)
Won in a car that had no right to. Massa was 15th. Enough said.
1.Sergio Perez (Sauber)
I won't bother using a load of superlatives. Would have won the race. In a Sauber, that is incredible (ok I used one). His future in F1 has surely been secured.
MALAYSIAN GP 2012 RESULT
1.Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 2:44:51.812 56 laps
2.Sergio Perez (Sauber) + 2.263
3.Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) + 14.591
4.Mark Webber (Red Bull) + 17.688
5.Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) + 29.456
6.Bruno Senna (Williams) + 37.667
7.Paul di Resta (Force India) + 44.412
8.Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) + 46.985
9.Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) + 47.892
10.Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) + 49.996
11.Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) + 1:15.527
12.Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso) + 1:16.828
13.Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) + 1:18.593
14.Jenson Button (McLaren) + 1:19.719
15.Felipe Massa (Ferrari) + 1:37.319
16.Vitaly Petrov (Caterham) - 1lap
17.Timo Glock (Marussia) -1 lap
18.Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham) - 1 lap
19(Rtd).Pastor Maldonado (Williams) - Engine
20.Charles Pic (Marussia) - 2 laps
21.Narain Karthikeyan (HRT) - 2 laps
22.Pedro de la Rosa (HRT) - 2 laps
Rtd.Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) Lap 46 - Brakes
Rtd.Roman Grosjean (Lotus) Lap 3 - Spun Off
2.Sergio Perez (Sauber) + 2.263
3.Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) + 14.591
4.Mark Webber (Red Bull) + 17.688
5.Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) + 29.456
6.Bruno Senna (Williams) + 37.667
7.Paul di Resta (Force India) + 44.412
8.Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) + 46.985
9.Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) + 47.892
10.Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) + 49.996
11.Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) + 1:15.527
12.Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso) + 1:16.828
13.Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) + 1:18.593
14.Jenson Button (McLaren) + 1:19.719
15.Felipe Massa (Ferrari) + 1:37.319
16.Vitaly Petrov (Caterham) - 1lap
17.Timo Glock (Marussia) -1 lap
18.Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham) - 1 lap
19(Rtd).Pastor Maldonado (Williams) - Engine
20.Charles Pic (Marussia) - 2 laps
21.Narain Karthikeyan (HRT) - 2 laps
22.Pedro de la Rosa (HRT) - 2 laps
Rtd.Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) Lap 46 - Brakes
Rtd.Roman Grosjean (Lotus) Lap 3 - Spun Off
1.Fernando Alonso (Ferrari) 2:44:51.812 56 laps
2.Sergio Perez (Sauber) +
3.Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) + 14.591
4.Mark Webber (Red Bull) + 17.688
5.Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) + 29.456
6.Bruno Senna (Williams) + 37.667
7.Paul di Resta (Force India) + 44.412
8.Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) + 46.985
9.Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) + 47.892
10.Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) + 49.996
11.Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) + 1:15.527
12.Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso) + 1:16.828
13.Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) + 1:18.593
14.Jenson Button (McLaren) + 1:19.719
15.Felipe Massa (Ferrari) + 1:37.319
16.Vitaly Petrov (Caterham) - 1lap
17.Timo Glock (Marussia) -1 lap
18.Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham) - 1 lap
19(Rtd).Pastor Maldonado (Williams) - Engine
20.Charles Pic (Marussia) - 2 laps
21.Narain Karthikeyan (HRT) - 2 laps
22.Pedro de la Rosa (HRT) - 2 laps
Rtd.Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) Lap 46 - Brakes
Rtd.Roman Grosjean (Lotus) Lap 3 - Spun Off
2.Sergio Perez (Sauber) +
3.Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) + 14.591
4.Mark Webber (Red Bull) + 17.688
5.Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) + 29.456
6.Bruno Senna (Williams) + 37.667
7.Paul di Resta (Force India) + 44.412
8.Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso) + 46.985
9.Nico Hulkenberg (Force India) + 47.892
10.Michael Schumacher (Mercedes) + 49.996
11.Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull) + 1:15.527
12.Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso) + 1:16.828
13.Nico Rosberg (Mercedes) + 1:18.593
14.Jenson Button (McLaren) + 1:19.719
15.Felipe Massa (Ferrari) + 1:37.319
16.Vitaly Petrov (Caterham) - 1lap
17.Timo Glock (Marussia) -1 lap
18.Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham) - 1 lap
19(Rtd).Pastor Maldonado (Williams) - Engine
20.Charles Pic (Marussia) - 2 laps
21.Narain Karthikeyan (HRT) - 2 laps
22.Pedro de la Rosa (HRT) - 2 laps
Rtd.Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber) Lap 46 - Brakes
Rtd.Roman Grosjean (Lotus) Lap 3 - Spun Off
Free Practice Times
Round 2: MALAYSIA
=================
Free Practice 1
============
1.Hamilton 1:38.021
2.Vettel +0.514
3.Rosberg +0.792
4.Schumacher +0.805
5.Grosjean +0.898
6.Webber +1.071
7.Raikkonen +1.107
8.di Resta +1.277
9.Button +1.302
10.Hulkenberg +1.419
11.Bottas +1.703
12.Maldonado +1.762
13.Massa +1.875
14.Kobayashi +1.889
15.Alonso +1.959
16.Vergne +2.078
17.Kovalainen +2.226
18.Ricciardo +2.448
19.Petrov +2.836
20.Perez +3.064
21.Glock +5.149
22.Pic +6.559
23.Karthikeyan +7.339
24.de la Rosa +7.507
Free Practice 2
============
1.Hamilton
2.Schumacher +0.361
3.Button +0.363
4.Rosberg +0.524
5.Ricciardo +0.681
6.Alonso +0.719
7.Webber +0.961
8.Vergne +1.125
9.Grosjean +1.139
10.Vettel +1.230
11.Maldonado +1.274
12.Hulkenberg +1.294
13.di Resta +1.453
14.Kobayashi +1.515
15.Raikkonen +1.524
16.Massa +2.099
17.Senna +2.506
18.Perez +2.775
19.Petrov +3.292
20.Glock +3.509
21.Kovalainen +4.422
22.Pic +4.702
23.Karthikeyan +5.486
24.de la Rosa +5.651
=================
Free Practice 1
============
1.Hamilton 1:38.021
2.Vettel +0.514
3.Rosberg +0.792
4.Schumacher +0.805
5.Grosjean +0.898
6.Webber +1.071
7.Raikkonen +1.107
8.di Resta +1.277
9.Button +1.302
10.Hulkenberg +1.419
11.Bottas +1.703
12.Maldonado +1.762
13.Massa +1.875
14.Kobayashi +1.889
15.Alonso +1.959
16.Vergne +2.078
17.Kovalainen +2.226
18.Ricciardo +2.448
19.Petrov +2.836
20.Perez +3.064
21.Glock +5.149
22.Pic +6.559
23.Karthikeyan +7.339
24.de la Rosa +7.507
Free Practice 2
============
1.Hamilton
2.Schumacher +0.361
3.Button +0.363
4.Rosberg +0.524
5.Ricciardo +0.681
6.Alonso +0.719
7.Webber +0.961
8.Vergne +1.125
9.Grosjean +1.139
10.Vettel +1.230
11.Maldonado +1.274
12.Hulkenberg +1.294
13.di Resta +1.453
14.Kobayashi +1.515
15.Raikkonen +1.524
16.Massa +2.099
17.Senna +2.506
18.Perez +2.775
19.Petrov +3.292
20.Glock +3.509
21.Kovalainen +4.422
22.Pic +4.702
23.Karthikeyan +5.486
24.de la Rosa +5.651