Malaysia always seems to bring with it certain challenges that are unmatched anywhere else on the Formula One schedule. Drivers, crew and personnel alike must battle the oppressive humidity and the lingering threat of a sudden storm, not to mention the actual track layout.
It's a mix of nearly everything, as the circuit features two very long straights coupled with some slow left- and right-handers. Nico Rosberg, who finished on the podium there last year, recently told reporters, "To be honest, Sepang is my favorite circuit on the Formula One calendar. It's fast and challenging with a nice layout and a real variation of corners, which make it an exciting track to drive."
It's a locale that no one team has dominated lately, as evidence by five makes claiming the past five victories there. Of all the tracks on this year's schedule, that's the longest such streak. Last year, it was Red Bull that cleaned up there, but the year before Brawn GP won a rain-drenched race that saw half points awarded. Between 2006 and 2008, Renault, McLaren and Ferrari all saw the top step.
The combination of the adjustable rear wing and KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems) weren't a huge force in Australia, but they could be in Malaysia, as the track has some good overtaking opportunities, especially heading into the first turn. After all, that straight last year showcased the classic battle between Lewis Hamilton and Vitaly Petrov, with Hamilton making several moves to block the Russian from overtaking.
Defending winner Sebastian Vettel is no doubt the favorite heading in, but only once has a defending winner made it back-to-back victories (Michael Schumacher in 2000 and 2001). Of the others who have tried, only two have finished on the podium the next year, with Fernando Alonso in 2006 the last man to do so. Six others finished between fourth and eighth, while Kimi Raikkonen struggled the most, retiring in 2004 and checking in 14th in 2009 in the years immediately following his victories.
One team certainly looking for an excellent showing here will be Mercedes. This is the home nation of backer Petronas, and the team faired very poorly in Australia. Rosberg's retirement was uncharacteristic, while Schumacher was counting on a strong start this year to silence the doubters. His three wins at Sepang are the most among all drivers, but those were earned in quite a different situation.
Vettel's biggest challenger in Australia could easily play that role again in Malaysia. Although he's never won at Sepang, Hamilton staged a solid race there last year, finishing sixth after starting the race in 20th. It matched a personal best for the most positions gained in a race, and in each of his past three trips there, Hamilton has gained at least four spots in relation to his starting position. If he can qualify well this time around, he'll save himself a considerable amount of effort during the race.
It would be something if Hamilton were to score his first Malaysia win Sunday, as it would come on the birthday of Great Britain's first F1 champion, Mike Hawthorn.
A prominent question heading into this race is whether Petrov can shine again. It had been well over two years since a driver earned his first race podium (Vettel with his 2008 win in Italy), and remarkably, four drivers found themselves on the podium for the first time in their careers that season (Vettel, Glock, Piquet Jr. and Rosberg). None were able to follow it up with another podium result in the next race, however, and all finished fifth or worse.
Petrov should take heart in the fact that Lotus Renault is bringing with it a few upgrades for Malaysia, including changes to the front and rear wings.
