2008 Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix

[Jack_Bauer]

Originally Posted by Zytek_Fan

Ferrari is definitely running light when Raikko puts up a 1:34.1

It's Q2. Everyone is running light.

[Zytek_Fan]

Definitely watch for either BMW to snatch pole in Q3.
Currently 2nd and 4th.

[Zytek_Fan]

Button, Coulthard, Glock, Piquet, Barrichello, Vettel, Rosberg out.

Webber barely made it.

[Jack_Bauer]

Q2 over. Rosberg, Vettel, Barrichello, Piquet, Coulthard, Button are out.

Bit of a shocker for Williams coming 16th and 18th, and Nakajima will start last anyway due to his penalty from last week. Less than a second covering the top 10 drivers, so it's still mighty tight out there. Good performance from Alonso to get through as he looked to be fighting with the car all the way around the circuit.

[Zytek_Fan]

The Renault is looking very twitchy...

[Jack_Bauer]

Felipe Massa has secured pole position in a thrilling qualifying session for the Malaysian Grand Prix, and he did it with room to spare. He finished up almost half a second faster than his teammate Raikkonen so must surely be the lighter of the two red cars. It was a throughly convincing performance from Ferrari as they fended off McLaren comfortably where Kovalainen beat Hamilton for the first time. Hamilton ended the session in fourth, almost a full second behind pole-sitter Massa. McLaren had better hope that Massa is running VERY light for the first stint tomorrow.

The star of qualifying was undoubtedly Jarno Trulli. He finished top in the first session and will start the Grand Prix in a superb fifth place. The BMWs follow Trulli closely with Webber, Alonso and Glock rounding out the top ten.

The session ended dramatically with the unusual situation of Heidfeld, Trulli and Glock all on hot laps while the rest of the cars were chugging along trying to save fuel. Heidfeld in particular had difficulties on the approach to turn 4 having to weave his way through a gaggle of cars, certainly compromising his braking and corner entry. Some cars were off line and trying to stay out of the way but interestingly it was the two McLarens of Kovalainen and Hamilton who were virtually parked on the racing line on the way to the braking zone. I just wonder whether they could be in some serious trouble if BMW lodge a complaint for being blocked. It would certainly mix things up in terms of the race if that were to be the case, though it would hand the race on a plate to one or other of the Ferrari drivers.

[Kitdy]

It really looked like Heidfeld was impeded.

Action had better be taken.

If guilty, will they get knocked off 10 places?

[faksta]

Originally Posted by Kitdy

It really looked like Heidfeld was impeded.

Action had better be taken.

If guilty, will they get knocked off 10 places?

Yep, that was a strange situation. If to take action, then against who exactly? There were 3 or 4 cars he had to overtake (tho, on the left side of the track, IIRC, were just both McLarens?).
Also interesting to see both Toyotas in Q3. I have almost forget how Trulli always used to look in qualifications.

[Zytek_Fan]

Originally Posted by Kitdy

It really looked like Heidfeld was impeded.

Action had better be taken.

If guilty, will they get knocked off 10 places?

Heidfeld was definitely impeded.
Every car that was running slow deserves a penalty. I'm not kidding. They knew other drivers would still be on a hot lap, but they remained on the racing line running slowly.

[Kitdy]

Originally Posted by faksta

Yep, that was a strange situation. If to take action, then against who exactly? There were 3 or 4 cars he had to overtake (tho, on the left side of the track, IIRC, were just both McLarens?).
Also interesting to see both Toyotas in Q3. I have almost forget how Trulli always used to look in qualifications.

Originally Posted by Zytek_Fan

Heidfeld was definitely impeded.
Every car that was running slow deserves a penalty. I'm not kidding. They knew other drivers would still be on a hot lap, but they remained on the racing line running slowly.

I only saw two actually impede him, it seems as though they were the two McLarens; there was also someone on the right, but they didn't seem to be in the way.

Was anyone else in the way?

[Wouter Melissen]

Originally Posted by Kitdy

I only saw two actually impede him, it seems as though they were the two McLarens; there was also someone on the right, but they didn't seem to be in the way.

Was anyone else in the way?

The guy on the right was off the racing line, while the McLarens were on the line. They should be punished.

[Zytek_Fan]

Originally Posted by Wouter Melissen

The guy on the right was off the racing line, while the McLarens were on the line. They should be punished.

Yeah, the McLarens were and Massa was for a bit, but I think he was off it by the time Heidfeld came through.

[Wouter Melissen]

Originally Posted by Zytek_Fan

Yeah, the McLarens were and Massa was for a bit, but I think he was off it by the time Heidfeld came through.

Massa was way off the line when Heidfeld blasted by.

[Ferrer]

Apparently both McLarens have been penalised with a 5 place drop in the grid.

[Wouter Melissen]

Originally Posted by Ferrer

Apparently both McLarens have been penalised with a 5 place drop in the grid.

That will make for a good race. Hamilton is quite good at fighting back from down the order. His GP2 race at Monza in 2006 is already legendary.