'Magico' Malaysia

I think I've just about caught my breath back from last week! Malaysia was an absolute rollercoaster of emotions - if you ever needed proof of how great a sport Formula 1 is, you had it all in that race. A must-watch for any newbies to the sport out there.


Q1) We saw two incidents involving the HRT of Narain Karthikeyan and a 'front runner' during the race today, none of which appeared to be the HRT's fault. What is your view on the incidents? Do you think that the front runners were overconfident that the HRT would be easy to pass, and that's what caused the incidents, or was it purely just driver error?

A: Both incidents were due to overconfidence and driver error. The awful conditions at Sepang were a big influence but it should never be assumed that passing back-markers will be easy, which Button and Vettel did to some extent. They were unfortunate incidents but that's racing, it happens.

A rather different finger than what we've been used to...

On a side-note, as a big Vettel fan I was very vocal on Twitter in my disappointment with his behaviour and comments about Karthikeyan. Fair enough, it had been a tough race for him and it must be very frustrating being in a car that isn't where you want to be at the moment, but that doesn't give you the right to flip your middle finger up at someone and call them silly names (a cucumber? Really?). It made him look like a child and it certainly isn't the behaviour one would expect of a double world champion. I sympathised a lot with Karthikeyan's comments about some front-runners "bullying" back-markers into slowing down, it must be incredibly difficult to be effectively running two races at once - trying to do the best you can with your own machinery, while trying not to mess up the others' strategies. I just hope that the matter can be put to bed and that any grudges will be settled sensibly and/or forgotten about, so we can all concentrate on the racing.


Q2) With Sergio Perez completing an incredible race and battle with rumoured future team-mate Fernando Alonso, do you think this adds extra pressure on Felipe Massa and do you think we will see a mid-season driver change at Ferrari?

A: Firstly a big congratulations to Perez on such a brilliant drive, keeping Alonso honest is no mean feat! It definitely puts a heap of pressure on Massa to perform, as if he didn't have enough already. I don't know whether it's because of his awful accident a couple of years ago but he just seems to have lost something, he doesn't seem like the same guy who was fighting Lewis Hamilton for the championship back in 2008. I wouldn't be surprised at all if Perez replaced him in 2013, but coming in mid-season this year would be a disaster. Not only is Perez still young and in need of the continuity Sauber are providing, but the last time Ferrari had to make a driver change mid-season it didn't go all that well... good things come to those who wait, so I think it would benefit everyone if Ferrari waited until the end of the season to make a decision.


Q3) The mixed weather conditions really played into the midfield teams' hands, with 9 different constructors making up the top 10 in the results. Do you think this trend will continue across the season or do you think the top teams will pull away from the pack?

A: In short, no. It's tradition that the teams bring massive updates for the Spanish GP so I think we'll see the top 4 teams (McLaren, Red Bull, Mercedes, maybe Lotus at the expense of Ferrari this year) pull away from the rest of the pack from that race on. I hope not though, would be nice to see a season as close as the first couple of races!


BONUS) Who was your driver of the day and why?

A: It would have been Perez, had he not gone wide when it counted. I'd like to think that the radio message given to him didn't put him off, but I think it might have done in some way (I don't subscribe to the whole team orders rubbish here, though). Such a shame because without that little mistake he would have got the win, without a shadow of a doubt. So because of that, my driver of the day was Fernando Alonso, as he did what he does best - getting the absolute best out of a dog of a car. Flawless.

Well done these men! © Pirelli