Rogues Review: Malaysia 2008: Back to normal

After the start of term, life is back to normal. Malaysia without rain is always going to be dull and this year’s was no exception. Miles and miles of gravel and a track so wide it would rival Heathrow’s main runway, means that the racers have no excuses but to avoid each other, ample space for all with even enough room to park a Minky Whale in between the cars.

Back in the good old days of Michael Andretti, we were treated to an off track moment right from the second the race started. When Andretti left F1, complaining something about having to turn right as well as left we thought those days were over. Now we have Bourdais. Now, in the last race he impressed everyone at F1 Rogues, this race he impressed us yet more. Almost at the very start, Bourdais managed to find the gravel and an early shower by himself.

After that the race slipped into the usual pattern, some cars going off and then on again. The off again, then on again and so on. Glock was mostly helped off the track by Rosberg who ended up with a trip to the pits to put a new nose on as a result. By lap 19 we were up to the first round of stops. Hamilton, desperate to make up time after suffering a 5 place grid penalty, had an agonizingly slow pit stop. The right front tyre men had trouble with their job and it was a 20 second pit stop from hell. Oh, how we love it!!!!

For the remainder of the race not much happened, a few more offs and ons and off and ons later, Massa managed to park it well and truly in the gravel. Never quite being as good as his teammate is beginning to show already… Vettel was next to in suffering from a blown engine which was the same fate that met his teammate in Australia.

Lastly we pay special homage to Barrichello. In the last race, he got a stop go penalty and was disqualified and this race he continued his new tradition. A drive though for speeding in the pit lane will easily see him become F1 Rogues top driver of 2008…

What's hot and what's not in the race

*Still* Man of the year Not good enough! Pit stop from hell Path to glory Back on top Barrichello Massa Hamilton Kubica Räikkönen Less penalties. Overall improvement Beached whale Need a new pit crew! Good start to the year The Ice Man is back...

Posted by Jules at March 25, 2008, 12:05 am
Tagged as: formula one, formula1, f1, 2008, hamilton, kubica, barrichello, rosberg, raikkonen, malaysia