SimHQ.com - Motorsports Zone - Preview: 2004 Malaysian Grand Prix

That was not what was supposed to happen! Before the season it was widely expected that this would be even closer than last year. As it was Bridgestone gave its teams a distinct advantage in the race ad Ferrari romped home to a win so dominant it had not been seen since Hakkinen and Coulthard lapped the field at the beginning of the 98 season. Bridgestone spent the winter alternately testing its tires construction and compounds alternately. This resulted in the tires never seeming particularly fast whilest still allowing the scientists plenty of data to perfect their experimentation. The only hint at what lay ahead was when Ferrari went comfortably quickest in the final test at Imola. With a car new from the nose back (despite its similarities to last year's F2003GA) and two winning drivers it is easy to see another year of domination. If Ferrari win in Malaysia in the same way that they won in Australia we may as well give up watching now!

1. M. Schumacher

A great 71st win for Schumacher showed that he is still the class of the field. Schumi was happy to admit that he found the new qualifying procedures almost as boring as the viewers (There are rumors of some of the drivers dozing of in the garages whilest waiting!). The stop start nature of the Albert Park track coupled wit the low temperatures meant that the situation was perfect or Ferrari and Bridgestone to exploit. In Malaysia the temperatures will be far warmer and many of the turns are longer and more sweeping. As a result it is hoped that the other teams will at least be able to challenge Ferrari even though beating Schumi may be more difficult.

2. Barrichello

One of the performances of the weekend came from Rubens Barrichello. Although Rubens was left by his team leader he managed to easily fend of Ferando Alonso's Renault despite having fading brakes that had worn to almost nothing by the checkered flag. Barrichello seems highly motivated at the moment and it is clear that, although he can't always beat his team leader, he can at least challenge him and be a thorn in his side to a far greater degree than Trulli at Renault or Coulthard at McLaren. Al it would the take is a few lucky races and Rubens could have a shot at the championship.

BMW Williams F1 (Dark Blue and White with Compaq and Allianz graphics)

Although they are certainly the ugly ducklings of the paddock, Australia showed that there was nothing wrong with the Williams FW26. The cars were regularly slower than the Ferraris but were the best of the rest when it cam down to pure speed of design. the BMW engine ran like a train and it was only impetuousness on the part of Montoya and Ralf's trouble with his tires and traffic that resulted in such a relatively lowly showing. The car will certainly get better and the team seem pretty adept at setting it up. Whether the team can yet challenge Ferrari (something they themselves are unsure of) remains to be seen.

3. R. Schumacher

Although this was not one of Ralf's totally anonymous races, he still seemed relatively pedestrian compared to his team mate. Schumi Jr had a almost race long battle with, Jenson Button's BAR (which was suffering badly on its new Michelin tires) until he finally got clear of him. Both Ralf and Montoya suffered from graining tires at the end of their stints but unlike Montoya who can still drive the wheels of a car with only three wheels fitted(!), Ralf found that his problems cost him time. Ralf does look more resolute this year and this may well be due to his feeling he is on his way to Toyota. Expect an announcement about Ralf's future in the week after this race.

4. Montoya

Strangely the overriding impression gained by watching Montoya in action all weekend was how poorly the car seemed suited to him. Juan Pablo must have wondered why on earth he signed for McLaren as the grey cars spluttered slowly around the circuit all weeked and it was possibly because he knew that he may suffer next year that he attempted to wring all he could from the car all weekend. Despite this the stability offered by the twin keel design seemed curiously at odds with Montoya's driving style and JPM seemed to always be unsure of just where the limits of the car were. Malaysia requires plenty of front end grip and JPM could be due a well deserved debut win there this weekend.

West McLaren Mercedes (Grey with West graphics)

An appalling week for McLaren was salvaged by a distant eighth place finish for Coulthard. After the race both drivers admitted that the MP4/19 was efficient in every area with aerodynamic grip poor, mechanical grip worse and the engine clearly down on its rivals. It was in Malaysia last year that McLaren scored it last win and, considering their win in Australia a fortnight previously, it seemed unfathomable that they should not be regular winners throughout the rest of the year. This year the fact that he team has been testing most of the MP4/19's components for a year makes their poor race pace in Australia equally unfathomable. A common criticism laid at the door of the team is that its principal Ron Dennis has been too involved in other aspects of the organization. He will have to concentrate hard on the team if he is to return them to their winning ways.

5. Coulthard

Many thought that Coulthard would turn up to Australia in some way different from his usual self. The only thing different about DC ended up being his having got engaged to his long time girlfriend Simone. Coulthard made a bit of a hash of qualifying (again) when he ran wide on the final turn. Even so the team admitted that he had just about wrung everything he could out of the chassis and engine and it was with a sense of resignation that he lined up on the grid. DC did fight well but with Button's BAR as well as the Renault's, Ferraris and Williams all ahead of him eighth place was all he could realistically hope for. Coulthard has already virtually admitted that this will not be his year and his sights must now be set on where he goes next year.

6. Raikkonen

Engine failure may have ruined his race but his season had been ruined ever since he realized how far behind the MP4/19 really was. The design could well be McLaren's worst since the triplane MP4/10 of 1995! McLaren have got the resources to get it right and Pedro de la Rosa wet fastest in testing in Spain last week at a test attended by Williams and Barrichello's Ferrari amongst others so it is clear that the car has potential. Unfortunately the car seems nervous and difficult to set up and, although once it is set up it goes like the clappers there is too limited an amount of running in the new race weekend scenario to allow it to be so finely honed. Another difficult weekend in Malaysia looks assured.

Mild Seven Renault (Dark and Light Blue and Yellow with Mild Seven graphics)

Easily the most convincing team behind Ferrari, the Renaults looked easy to drive and quick throughout the weekend. The team have managed to get around the ban on launch control by controlling the ignition system of the engine at the start rather than the throttle. As a result the driver can be said to start manually even though complex electronics will minimize wheelspin away from the grid! The "old" Supertec engine seems to have plenty of poke and, had Michelin supplied a tire close to being on a par with Bridgestone, Alonso may well have challenged Schumacher (and would certainly relieved Barrichello of second place).

7. Trulli

Compared to his team mate Trulli had a pretty anonymous race. At the Jarno flat spotted both front tires in order to avoid his team mate ad was rewarded for this by a smack up the bum by Sato's BAR which broke his diffuser (oo-er!). Unable to set close to representative times because of this (the diffuser is some aerodynamic bodywork under and at the back of the car which greatly helps stability and downforce). He had a pretty quiet run dropping back to seventh by the flag. Trulli believes he could have won in Malaysia last year and his second place qualifying (on a lot more fuel than his pole sitting team mate) backs this up. With Renault looking even better this year a win is just about possible.

8. Alonso

A brilliant start on the grass past Montoya saw Alonso race up to third. Although he couldn't keep pace with the Ferraris he was notably faster than them through the quicker corners. Like Trulli, Alonso could well be the best chance of a thorn in Ferrari's side this weekend though an awful lot will depend upon Michelin. Having been caught on the hop in Australia he tire company looked pretty flat footed compared to their Japanese rivals and it was notable that almost all of the teams running at the recent Spanish test revolved around tire compounds and testing. Having three of the top four teams to test for you will help Michelin but it will be too much to expect an immediate catch up this race.

BAR (White with Red Lucky Strike roundels)

A fantastic start to the season for BAR saw Button line up 4th on the grid with Sato only three places behind. In the race things were not quite so rosey unfortunately. Although Button finished 6th and gained three valuable points for the team, both drivers were in the wars and the car used its tires too hard which led to wear problems and a lack of grip in the latter parts of the race. The team managed to sort many of their problems in Spain and Anthony Davidson provided plenty of feedback to allow the team to look happy and confident for Sepang. All in all points seem likely and a podium is not beyond the bounds of possibility. A welcome fillip for the team after years of underperforming and allegations of running underweight through the winter.

9. Button

Jenson seems as fired up as his team going into the second race. With one of the best test drivers on the grid backing him up and compliments from all and sundry ringing in his ears it is not surprising that Jenson is considerably more chipper than he has been since racing for Williams in 2000. "After the encouraging start we had in Melbourne, the Malaysian GP is looking good for us. It's great to be on the scoreboard already and we are going to Sepang with an even better package, so there is no reason to think we can't qualify and race well again. It's given me confidence that the BAR Honda 006 was so reliable, and now that we have more experience with the car and Michelin tires, we should be able to further improve on our race pace."

10. Sato

Although the team enjoyed a great weekend it is difficult to see how Sato can have felt he lived up to his potential. Sato said he was planning on outqualifying and outracing his team mate. As it was Sato was not only slower than Jenson Button but was also outpaced by tester Anthony Davidson for much of the weekend. Sato's kamikaze attack on Trulli's rear diffuser damaged his nose and he was easy pickings for Coulthard's McLaren as well as Trulli and Ralf Schumcher. For Malaysia Sato will be hoping that his experience and formidable fitness will help him. Even so it is difficult to see Takuma do anything more than occasionally get near his tea leader until the mid season at the earliest.

Sauber Petronas (Mid Blue with a yellow airbox, white nose and front wing with Credit Suisse Red Bull and Petronas graphics)

An interesting weekend for Sauber in Australia must give hope or another good performance at their principal sponsor's track this weekend. Although Fisichella was stuck fighting it out in a rather physical battle with Heidfeld's Jordan for much of the race, Massa incredibly managed to get a few places higher and was taking on Raikkonen and Coulthard for much of the race. It was in attempting to pass Massa that Raikkonen's engine blew early in the race and it seems more a matter of bad luck and having the wrong driver in front that led to the team being denied points. With Petronas doing their usual excessive show of sponsorship this weekend the drivers will be expected to perform on Sunday (particularly considering that they are in a car not entirely different from the class of the field at the moment and powered y the same engine.

9. Fisichella

It must have been pretty galling for Fisichella after his months of dejection seeing out the season with Jordan to have found himself tucked up behind a Jordan after a few laps in Australia! Although Fisi eventually nerfed Heidfeld out of the way it wasn't the most genteel of overtaking maneuvers and spoke volumes of Giancarlo's frustration at the situation in which he found himself. Fisichella usually goes well in Malaysia and Ferrari have proved that Bridgestone are the tires to have. With such a huge supporter as Peter Sauber behind him it seems clear that the only things stopping Fisi from a potential podium are his fitness and himself.

10. Massa

A year away testing with Ferrari and Felipe Massa has returned as wild and woolly as ever! In his duel with Raikkonen it was difficult to see how Massa was keeping the car on the track and if I were Raikkonen I would have been terrified as Massa never went through the same corner the same way twice! Not surprisingly his engine failure late in the race was eventually found to be from over revving it and, although Massa is certainly spectacular (& great fun) to watch, he needs to calm down if he is to forge a career for himself in Formula 1.

Jaguar (Green with HSBC graphics)

The teams early testing problems seem largely to be a thing o the past and Webber produced his usual scintillating performance in the early part of the race. It was apparent throughout the weekend how important test driver (and F3000 champ) Bjorn Wirdheim was to the team's preparation and this is clearly a new structured way to heavily involve test drivers within the race team (this also illustrates why the team were so keen to allow Justin Wilson to test for them until he was deemed ineligible). On a day when Michelin showed that they were some way behind Bridgestone it was good to see Jaguar starting this season fighting above its weight (and its paltry budget). Webber can be expected to look confident for this race.

14. Webber

Qualifying sixth ad racing eighth until his gearbox let go showed Webber has lost none o the grit and determination (not to mention speed) that made him such a popular driver last year. This year the media attention for the homecoming hero was huge and there was a sigh audible above the remaining 18 engines when Webber retired after a freak problem on lap 27 robbed him of gears. Webber went well in Malaysia last year and the R5's run in Klein's hands suggests that the team have done much to prevent the car from eating its tires whilest still allowing it to keep a good pace. In keeping close to Montoya's Williams (and ahead of Schumacher's) Mark is illustrating how desirable it would be to have him replace one of these drivers for next year.

15. Klein

With a pay driver tag around his neck like a latter day albatross Klein was always going to struggle on his first outing. As it was most pundits reckon he id pretty decently. Although he never really got within a second of Webber he id at least give it his best shot, beat Wirdheim in the same machinery and didn't make any mistakes on his run to 11th. Malaysia is going to be a tricky track to learn and Klein's fitness level will be sorely tested in the humidity and heat. The R5 seems a pleasant car to drive and Klein seems to be taking to it well. Unfortunately Christian's learning curve may well expect to be accelerated in he next few races as Ford are not well known for giving their new drivers much time to get settled (no matter how much money is behind them) and Klein will be expected to perform in one or two races time.

Panasonic Toyota (Red and White with Toyota and Panasonic logo graphics)

Easily the second most disappointing team in Australia after McLaren, Toyota left the Australian grad prix with a hell of a lot of work to do to make their car competitive. The main failing of the TF104 seemed to be a lack of aerodynamic grip. Amazingly new technical boss Mike Gascoyne did not have a clue about the deficiencies of the car before it hit the track and, although the car was designed prior to his arrival, he says h fully expects question marks to appear in the media about his future in the team. Luckily both the board at Toyota and the drivers are sure that Gascoyne will be able to effect the much needed changes in both the team and the design of the car but it will be several races until the red and white cars are anything other than back markers.

20. Panis

With several drivers being named as being lined up for the tea or 2005 Panis tried to do the only thing he could & let his driving do the talking. Unfortunately for Panis in order to do this you need a car under you and Olivier's rage when his car wouldn't fire for his qualifying lap was plain for all to see! Being lapped twice on your way to being the last of the classified drivers was bad enough but Panis is fighting or his career in these opening races! At least Olivier can look forward to some aerodynamic tweaks for Malaysia as well as a new front wing.

21. Da Matta

Echoing his team mate's disastrous weekend da Matta at least managed to squeeze a few places up on the grid by having a qualifying run (even though he then ran wide in turn 14!) . With running limited by an electrical problem on Friday and his race being further stymied by stalling the car at his first pitstop. Last year Malaysia was the first circuit at which Christiano really shone and the balding Brazilian will need to produce something pretty decent this time out too. It is clear that the Toyota board are already getting antsy about the enormous budget they are putting into the team and they are already looking at ways of reducing this. The team have already fired both drivers once and it would be a surprise to see this happen again.

Jordan (Yellow with BandH graphics)

What a neat little car the EJ14 is! Consiering the lack of budget it is clear that Jordan know what they are doing in its design. What was interesting at the weekend was noting the Trust logos on the from wing. Trust's sponsorship of the team was initially linked to Jos Verstappen's driving for them this season. It is clear that Eddie Jordan has somehow talked the company around to sponsoring Jordan anyway. Considering both Trust and Jordan were unite in their condemnation o Jos' manager this is not to surprising but a welcome boost to the team anyway. For Malaysia the team will be hoping to produce another spirited performance. The team have always been giant killers and all it would take is a slice of luck for some heavy points to come Jordan's way.

11. Heidfeld

An excellent performance by Heidfeld eventually was stymied by a clutch failure. Nick ran as high as eleventh at one stage and it seems clear that the familial atmosphere suits Nick down to the ground. Heidfel was unfortunate to skid into two mechanics while pulling in to retire but no harm was done either to Heidfeld's reputation or the mechanics (save a little bruising to the mechanics!) and all will be back in action in Malaysia. With the team on Bridgestone tires it would take no more than the monsoon conditions we saw in Malaysia in 2000 for a lucky podium to come their way.

12. Pantano

A steady rather than spectacular performance from Pantano. He qualified two seconds but only one place behind Nick Heidfeld but was fending off Minardis from the start. An unspectacular run at least saw him gain valuable track time and finish a creditable fourteenth. Patano admits that he is likely to suffer on the early flyaway races as he doesn't know the tracks but has suggested that his performances will improve markedly once he gets back to the more familiar stomping grounds of the European circuits used in F3000. For Malaysia another learning experience ca be expected but Pantano should keep his nose clean and provide valuable data both for himself and the team.

Wilux Minardi Cosworth (Black, white and Wilux written in Light Blue on White
on Sides and rear wing)

The team suffered an immediate set back on Friday when test driver Bas Leinders was deemed too inexperienced to be give an FIA Superlicense (this is a licence that allows you to compete or take part in an FIA test session). There were clearly political motives behind this most probably caused by team principal Paul Stoddart's threat to remove his support for the continued use of traction control. Leinders now has his license having completed 3 days running at Vellelunga in Italy ad the team can rely on a full test session prior to qualifying on Saturday. Talking of qualifying it was notable how Minardi did not change engines or play any similar tricks following qualifying. With both their cars on the back row the team would have had nothing to lose by putting a fresh engine in the back of their drivers cars yet they must have been warned off such a measure (or are planning something similar for Malaysia!).

18. Bruni

Paul Stoddart's latest great hope for the future did not have the glittering start that Justin Wilson or Fernando Alonso enjoyed. Bruni was far from dominant in the team through the weekend and it was a surprise to see him occasionally outpaced by his team mate. Bruni has plenty of talent but it seems clear that he needs more running and time to find his feet before he can produce the sort of form demonstrated by his illustrious predecessors in the team. To give him credit Bruni did overtake both Olivier Panis and Christian Klien and was only really hobbled by a misfire which required several laps in the pits to treat. Hopefully Minardi a Bruni ca both tighten up their loose ends and produce a surprise this weekend.

19. Baumgartner

A surprisingly steady run from Baumgartner showed that there is more to this Hungarian than pots of cash. His record in junior series is far from impressive ad his time at Jordan seemed anything but spectacular. That said it is entirely possible that the setup dramas and poor performance of the EJ13 may well have contributed to his lack of comfort in the team. At Minardi the setup options are far more limited (most Formula 1 racing games have more options available to drivers than you would find driving a Minardi) and this may well play into Baumgartner's hands. A ECU failure led to his retirement in Australia and the hot temperatures in Malaysia may lead to more problems for both car an driver this weekend.

Click here to go to top of this page.