Malaysian GP Preview
Widely regarded as a benchmark for other Grand Prix venues, the Sepang circuit boasts superb pit garage and media facilities, as well as impressive grandstands and patron amenities.
The circuit, normally raced in a clockwise direction, is 5.54
kilometres long, and is noted for its sweeping corners and wide straights. The layout is quite unusual, with a very long back straight separated from the pit straight by just one very tight
hairpin.
This is the venue for the second and next race of the 2007 FIA Formula 1 Championship. Fernando Alonso arrives here with a perfect start to the season with victory at Melbourne. His team-mate and rookie driver Lewis Hamilton secured fourth place in that race to take Mclaren to the top of the constructor's standings with 15 points.
Recently Sepang hosted its first official Formula 1 test which ran from 27-30 March. The testing was initially dominated by the Williams team but Mclaren took over in the final two days. Toyota were also impressive with Jarno Trulli going as high as second fastest on the last day of testing.
2006 Lookback
In what a was very surprising qualifying session, Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella took pole position while his team-mate and defending World champion Fernando Alonso had to settle for seventh after a fuel miscalculaton meant he was carrying too much fuel for that session. Michael Schumacher was penalised 10 places for changing his engine dropping him from fourth to fourteenth place. Britain's Jenson Button was second while the Mclaren duo of Juan Pablo Montoya and Kimi Raikkonen were fifth and sixth respectively. Nico Rosberg and Mark Webber were the surprise packages with third and fourth place on the grid.
The race began with Rosberg and Webber being caught out by Alonso coming into the first corner, who managed to grab 3rd from his starting position. Fisichella and Button maintained their spots, but further back R?ikk?nen's day ended early having been hit by
Christian Klien during the first lap. Klien's car was badly damaged, but the Red Bull mechanics repaired the car enough to send it back out, although he later retired due to a hydraulics problem. More problems followed for the better qualifiers, as Rosberg's engine blew on the 6th lap, while Webber also retired nine laps after his teammate. Further down the field, Massa and the Schumacher brothers made their way up the field throughout the day. The lead was only held by three people throughout the race, with Alonso's fuel problems actually giving him the advantage over Button, with Alonso managing to take second by staying out longer.
Several other cars retired during the race, with only 14 cars remaining at the end.
Takuma Sato managed to finish another race in his Super Aguri. Ralf Schumacher managed to get his Toyota into 8th place, having started dead last. Schumacher threatened
Jacques Villeneuve towards the end laps, but was not able to pass for 7th. The two Ferrari?s were able to pull themselves into 5th and 6th place, but it was Massa who claimed the higher spot, beating Michael Schumacher despite pressure at the end. Juan Montoya was unspectacular once again, but another strong performance allowed him to reach 4th.
Fisichella scores his first victory of the season
After the pit stops were completed, it was never doubted that Fisichella would win, and with Button slowing off the pace, content with third, it fell to Renault to pick up their first one-two finish, with the World Champion going clear at the top of the points table by seven points, despite only finishing second to Fisichella.
