Formula 1 2006 - Sepang Race Over [F1 Champ Edition]

[treva]

Ferrari and Renault dominate 1st Qualifying Session

The two Ferrari's of Felipe Massa and Michael Schumacher dominated the first qualifying session, posting 1:32.313 and 1:32.553 respectively. The Renault team were not far behind as Giancarlo Fisichella and Fernando Alonso came in 3rd and 4th. Kimi Raikonnen dropped off the pace he set in practice, posting a time of 1:33.053.

Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello struggled in the Honda car which didn't seem to match the pace of Bahrain. Spyker, Toro Rosso and Super Aguri all failed to qualify for the 2nd session, with Takuma Sato the man to start at the back of the grid.

Qualifying Session 1 Times

Massa sets the early pace

? The Official Formula 1 Website​

 

[treva]

Ferrari stay on top

Ferrari continue to show their pace as both Massa and Schumacher top the pack going into the final qualifying session. Massa posted a 1:32.253, six hundredths of a second faster than his 1st session time. Schumacher and Alonso were second and third fastest, whilst Fisichella dropped to 6th place. Toyota joined Ferrari and Renault by having both their cars in the last session after Ralf Schumacher posted the 5th fastest time of the session with Jarno Trulli 9th.

Button's day went from bad to worse as he crashed at turn 14 after posting a time way off the pace. He will start from 16th on the grid, with Villenueve ahead of him. Montoya was way off the pace set by his team mate Raikkonnen, missing out on the final session by one tenth of a second.

Qualifying Session 2 Times

Button will start 16th for Sunday's race

? The Official Formula 1 Website​

 

[Jaztheman]

I haven't a clue what I'm reading but it seems good.

Massa and Schumacher are just owning the circuit at the moment but I think Alonso or Raikonnen will catch them up soon.

 

[saladguy]

I haven't a clue what I'm reading

Haha same but I'm feeling that I am knowing a bit more about the sport than usual because of the new season.

 

[treva]

Massa takes pole in Malaysia

Felipe Massa will start from pole position in tomorrow's race at Sepang after he went almost .500 faster than his team mate Michael Schumacher. Winner of the first race in Bahrain, Giancarlo Fisichella, will start in third.

Massa and Schumacher topped all three qualifying sessions as Ferrari dominated in baking conditions out on the Sepang circuit. Massa's fastest time of the day came in the second qualifying session where he posted a time of 1:32.253. Schumacher's fastest time also came in the second qualifying session, setting a time .200 behind Massa.

Fisichella had a mixed day, going third fastest in session one only to drop down to sixth in the second session, almost a second off the pace. He picked it up again in the final session to put himself third on the grid for Sunday's race. His team mate Fernando Alonso went third and fourth in sessions one and two, but dropped to fifth in the final session, losing out to Nick Heidfeld, who .140 faster to put himself on the second row of the grid.

The Toyota cars kept up their pace from Bahrain by putting themselves in the top 10. Ralf Schumacher will start in seventh place while Jarno Trulli is a row back in 9th.

Kimi Raikkonnen made it 1-1 for higher qualifying positions between himself and Juan Pablo Montoya, who was way off the pace, failing to make the final session in 12th place.

Rubens Barichello made up the top 10, considerable faster than team mate Jenson Button who couldn't get to grips with the Sepang circuit. Button could only post a time of 1:36.361, some 4 seconds off the pace in session 2. A crash with five minutes to go in the second session cost him any chance of making it into the final ten.

Jacques Villenueve also had a torrid time of things, qualifying 11 places behind his team mate Nick Heidfeld thanks to a brake problem. It is not expected that he will be forced to move to the back of the grid, and it appears his car will be ready to race tomorrow.​

 

[m_vaughan]

4 second off the pace does not look very good. Hope you are able to find some magic in the race. I think the Renaults will take one two again.

 

[treva]

I was just all over the place in qualifying. But as I got used to the track I got into my groove, so I'm not that slow in the race.

Cheers for the comment

 

[treva]

Massa leads from start to finish in Sepang win

Massa celebrates his first win of the season​

Felipe Massa lead from the very beginning to the very end picking up a superb victory in the Malaysian heat, wrapping off a fine weekend for himself and the Ferrari team. Fernando Alonso picked up second place, moving up three places from where he started, and Michael Schumacher dropped a place to third making up the podium places.

Massa began on pole after a fine Qualifying performance on Saturday, with team mate Michael Schumacher also on the front row. Massa came against little competition as he and the Ferrari excelled round the twisting Sepang circuit. Massa barely put a foot wrong, and fully deserved the win.

He said that he was delighted with the result and that the team had worked very hard in order to get the car in the position to finish the race in first. "It is a fantastic result for myself and the team. We have worked very hard to make this victory possible, and hopefully we can pick up more wins in the next few races."

Fernando Alonso also put in a solid drive to take second place, just five seconds behind the race winner. He showed his intentions early, moving past Nick Heidfeld and team mate Giancarlo Fisichella on the start line. He then managed to come out ahead of Schumacher after his second pit stop, handing him eight championship points.

The main of the action came in the middle of the field where Jenson Button had a fine race to finish 9th, needing a photo finish to decide whether or not he had past Ralf Schumacher to pick up the last championship point. Earlier he battled it out with Jarno Trulli and Christian Klien, as well as swapping places with Juan Pablo Montoya in the middle of the race.

Both Christian Klien and Takumo Sato were unable to finish the race. Sato retired with a engine failure whilst Klien managed to wreck his Red Bull by putting it into the wall after catching the curb at turn five.

Mark Webber had a miserable day, dropping from 8th on the grid to 15th after he lost his front wing in a tussle with Ralf Schumacher early in the race.

Felipe Massa goes into Melbourne with the lead of the Championship on 18 points. Giancarlo Fisichella is in second with 15 points, and Fernando Alonso third with 12 points.

1) F.Massa
2) F.Alonso
3) M.Schumacher
4) G.Fisichella
5) K.Raikkonnen
6) R.Barrichello
7) N.Heidfeld
8) R.Schumacher
----------------
9) J.Button
10) J.Montoya
11) D.Coulthard
12) J.Trulli
13) N.Rosberg
14) J.Villenueve
15) M.Webber
16) V.Luizzi
17) S.Speed
18) T.Monteiro
19) C.Albers
20) Y.Ide
---------------
21) C.Klien
22) T.Sato

Race Highlights: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3erADrEBGpc
Note: The action is mainly of the middle of the field and Button because that's all I knew where stuff was happening.​

 

[m_vaughan]

Shame Button didn't get that final point. But good race for Massa and Alonso.

 

[treva]

Was a fun race as I really got used to the track and had some awesome battles with Trulli, Klien and Montoya. It really is worth watching the last bit of the highlights showing me and Ralf Schumacher crossing the line. Our times were identical but I'm guessing he won because he came out of the last corner ahead.

 

[Manly]

Sepang is the worst track in F1, always sim over it.

KIU though bud

 

[m_vaughan]

Jack, the video does not seem to be working. For me atleast.

 

[treva]

It works for me:

 

[m_vaughan]

Excellent. Dont know why it was not loading in office. Great fun though!

 

[harrisb]

this is shaping up to be another great story, if you have a pc game called 'rfactor' it could come in useful for the next seasons, you can download the 2007 cars and tracks and the same for 08 and 09.
KIU