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Formula 1
F1: More Surprises In Malaysia?
McLaren was even stronger than some observers expected in the 2012 opener, while some midfield teams also turned heads...
Pastor Maldonado performed surprisingly strong in Australia. (Photo: LAT Photographic)
Written by Negative Camber for F1B
McLaren’s victory in Australia may have signaled a changing of the guard in Formula One. At least that’s the thinking of Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel. The two-time, defending champion feels McLaren has made the jump in performance needed to be the team to beat in 2012:
“Surely they look very strong, they had an excellent winter,” Vettel said. "Preseason testing was very good for them and they seem to be in very good shape, whereas there are a lot of things we need to do to catch up. Hopefully, we will be able to do that and beat them.”
This is quite a change from the domination Red Bull experienced in 2011 when Vettel's famous wagging finger, signaling “number one,” started to become a recurring theme at each Grand Prix. For McLaren’s Jenson Button, removing that finger from the lexicon of 2012 victories is his mission, but his own trademark “W” was a little rusty in Australia.
“Yes, it was not ideal was it — but I am planning to have a lot more practice,” he said. “We don’t want to see the crooked finger any more this year, and I hope that we can see the end of that.”
The question heading into this weekend is what storylines were learned in Australia and what can be taken from the race that will translate to purpose-built circuits like this weekend’s Sepang track? Will Mercedes’ rear wing design really come to fruition in Malaysia? Two long straights and DRS could be the real test for Mercedes' stalled-wing system.
There's also Red Bull’s pace during the race. RBR's qualifying suffered in Australia but the race itself seemed to be a redemptive pace for both Vettel and teammate Mark Webber. Can Red Bull be dangerous on Sundays while struggling on Saturdays?
As for McLaren, no team develops a car over the season better than the folks in Woking. If McLaren was that close to pace with Red Bull out of the box in Australia, could this be McLaren's year? What will McLaren do in Malaysia? Will the street circuit performance seen in Australia translate for a proper circuit? Even if it doesn’t, is McLaren close enough to Red Bull that their development war will take the day?
What of the midfield? Sergio Perez and Sauber, Kimi Raikkonen and Lotus, Pastor Maldonado and Williams, Daniel Ricciardo and Toro Rosso? These teams showed real fortune in Australia, and could they make life difficult for a floundering Ferrari?
McLaren’s victory in Australia may have signaled a changing of the guard in Formula One. At least that’s the thinking of Red Bull Racing’s Sebastian Vettel. The two-time, defending champion feels McLaren has made the jump in performance needed to be the team to beat in 2012:
“Surely they look very strong, they had an excellent winter,” Vettel said. "Preseason testing was very good for them and they seem to be in very good shape, whereas there are a lot of things we need to do to catch up. Hopefully, we will be able to do that and beat them.”
This is quite a change from the domination Red Bull experienced in 2011 when Vettel's famous wagging finger, signaling “number one,” started to become a recurring theme at each Grand Prix. For McLaren’s Jenson Button, removing that finger from the lexicon of 2012 victories is his mission, but his own trademark “W” was a little rusty in Australia.
“Yes, it was not ideal was it — but I am planning to have a lot more practice,” he said. “We don’t want to see the crooked finger any more this year, and I hope that we can see the end of that.”
The question heading into this weekend is what storylines were learned in Australia and what can be taken from the race that will translate to purpose-built circuits like this weekend’s Sepang track? Will Mercedes’ rear wing design really come to fruition in Malaysia? Two long straights and DRS could be the real test for Mercedes' stalled-wing system.
There's also Red Bull’s pace during the race. RBR's qualifying suffered in Australia but the race itself seemed to be a redemptive pace for both Vettel and teammate Mark Webber. Can Red Bull be dangerous on Sundays while struggling on Saturdays?
As for McLaren, no team develops a car over the season better than the folks in Woking. If McLaren was that close to pace with Red Bull out of the box in Australia, could this be McLaren's year? What will McLaren do in Malaysia? Will the street circuit performance seen in Australia translate for a proper circuit? Even if it doesn’t, is McLaren close enough to Red Bull that their development war will take the day?
What of the midfield? Sergio Perez and Sauber, Kimi Raikkonen and Lotus, Pastor Maldonado and Williams, Daniel Ricciardo and Toro Rosso? These teams showed real fortune in Australia, and could they make life difficult for a floundering Ferrari?
Spanish Grand Prix
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