WE enjoyed a terrific and exciting Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang last Sunday.
Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen did the Prancing Horse team proud and drove the wheels off their cars with a win and fourth place respectively.
Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg did their best to keep the three-pointed star ahead but clever strategy by the Ferrari team regarding pit stops for tyres allowed Vettel to get ahead.
He then continued to drive like a four times world champion should and maintained an approximate 10 second lead right to the end of the race, despite Lewis Hamilton’s and Nico Rosberg’s determined efforts to hang on to the distant Ferrari.
It certainly was a turn up for the books to see Mercedes defeated after such a long run of superiority since Spa last year.
Whether this show of strength by Vettel can be maintained is going to be very interesting to see in the coming races.
I am sure that the German team has taken serious note of the Italian’s intentions!
The race was an exciting one all round, not only for the change in frontrunners but another great showing from the juniors led by 17-year-old Max Verstappen, who once again drove a fantastic race into seventh position, followed by Carlos Sainz Junior in the ‘Junior’ Toro Rosso Redbull team.
They were followed home in ninth and 10th places by the senior Redbull drivers Daniil Kvyat and Daniel Ricciardo.
These young men, and here I must include Marcus Ericsson at Sauber, showed us just how good a young person with the necessary racing upbringing, can be.
Back to fifth position, which was the preserve of Valtteri Bottas, who was again followed by teammate Felipe Massa.
The pair drove a tremendous race with Bottas outwitting Massa in the end.
The race was run in good weather although rain threatened throughout and the pace car had to intervene twice due to minor accidents which gave some people some advantages.
As said earlier this was pounced on by the Prancing Horse team when they sold a dummy and stayed out when most of the cars took advantage of the pace car to make pit stops.
It was yet another race of attrition with only 15 out of 20 finishers.
Sadly, it was again a bad day for McLaren Honda with both cars not making it although both Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso showed some of the potential that is to come from this highly experienced team.
Results
1 Sebastian Vettel; 2 Lewis Hamilton; 3 Nico Rosberg; 4 Kimi Raikkonen; 5 Valtteri Bottas; 6 Felipe Massa; 7 Max Verstappen; 8 Carlos Sainz; 9 Daniil Kvyat; 10 Daniel Ricciardo.
