The first free practice session for the Malaysian Grand Prix saw a repeat of Australia, with the Red Bulls of Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel claiming two of the top-three positions.
It was Webber’s turn to top the time sheets with a 1m36.935s whilst his team-mate finished the session in third, behind Kimi Raikkonen who did not join the track until almost an hour into the session due to a KERS problem on his Lotus.
The morning was characterised by teams opting to run long stints on heavy fuel loads, which again as in Australia, saw a severe drop off in pace and high tyre degradation with Lewis Hamilton claiming the Pirellis on his Mercedes were “destroyed”.
Rounding out the top six behind the pace setters were the leading #4 Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, Mercedes Nico Rosberg and Adrian Sutil – who despite front wing damage, continued his smashing return to the sport – in sixth. Massa, di Resta, Hamilton and Grosjean completed the top-10.
Caterham’s Giedo van der Garde finished as best of the backmarkers ahead of Jules Bianchi’s Marussia by .2 of a second, Caterham stablemate Charles Pic and Max Chilton who finished last of the 22 runners.
The second practice session saw Kimi Raikkonen continue his strong start to the season by finishing first in the session ahead of Vettel by .019 of a second, and Ferrari’s Felipe Massa.
The Finn clocked his best lap time of a 1m36.569 on medium tyres around 12 minutes in before the rain clouds looming over the Sepang circuit finally broke. Incidentally, it was also Raikkonen’s first time in Lotus overalls that he set the fastest time in a practice session.
The rain shower, at its heaviest around turns 7-8, meant that the drivers were unable to improve on their best times and switched to intermediates; a move first made my McLaren’s Sergio Perez just after the hour mark passed.
Despite the slower times, the wet weather running proved beneficial as weather forecasts suggest that teams and drivers may face similar conditions in qualifying and the race. By the end of the session however, the 30-degree ambient temperature had more or less rendered the track dry, albeit with some remaining wet patches which were most notable on the exit of turn 15 as drivers struggled for grip under braking.
Behind the Raikkonen-Vettel-Massa trio, Alonso finished once again behind his teammate, with Webber and Grosjean filling the rest of the top-six spots. Di Resta continued Force India’s strong form by finishing eighth, splitting the Mercedes’ of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton in seventh and ninth. Sutil once again impressed by rounding out the top-ten runners.
At the back of the grid, it was Bianchi once again who put in a giant killing performance in the Marussia by finishing ahead of Williams’ Valtteri Bottas in 18th. Pic, Van der Garde and Chilton occupied 20th to 22nd position.
Malaysian Grand Prix,
Friday March 22, 2013
Free Practice session 1 - Results*
1 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'36"935 - 15 laps
2 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'37"003 - 15
3 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'37"104 - 21
4 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 1'37"319 - 13
5 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W04) - 1'37"588 - 19
6 - Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'37"769 - 17
7 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 1'37"771 - 15
8 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'37"773 - 15
9 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 1'37"840 - 18
10 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'37"915 - 17
11 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'38"173 - 16
12 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'38"673 - 16
13 - Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'38"830 - 17
14 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'39"054 - 17
15 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'39"204 - 16
16 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'39"208 - 19
17 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'39"284 - 17
18 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'39"567 - 16
19 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'40"728 - 17
20 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'40"996 - 14
21 - Charles Pic (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'41"163 - 18
22 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'41"513 - 14
Free Practice session 2 - Results*
1 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'36"569 - 28 laps
2 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'36"588 - 27
3 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 1'36"661 - 33
4 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 1'36"985 - 23
5 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'37"026 - 29
6 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'37"206 - 26
7 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W04) - 1'37"448 - 32
8 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'37"571 - 30
9 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 1'37"574 - 32
10 - Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'37"788 - 10
11 - Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'37"838 - 21
12 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'37"865 - 29
13 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'38"068 - 31
14 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'38"645 - 23
15 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'38"738 - 31
16 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'38"801 - 27
17 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'38"738 - 31
18 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'39"508 - 30
19 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'39"660 - 28
20 - Charles Pic (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'40"757 - 29
21 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'40"768 - 32
22 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'41"438 - 23
* Unofficial results
 |
| Mark Webber, Red Bull RB9-Renault. (Photo: WRi2) |
It was Webber’s turn to top the time sheets with a 1m36.935s whilst his team-mate finished the session in third, behind Kimi Raikkonen who did not join the track until almost an hour into the session due to a KERS problem on his Lotus.
The morning was characterised by teams opting to run long stints on heavy fuel loads, which again as in Australia, saw a severe drop off in pace and high tyre degradation with Lewis Hamilton claiming the Pirellis on his Mercedes were “destroyed”.
 |
| Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG. (Photo: WRi2) |
Rounding out the top six behind the pace setters were the leading #4 Ferrari of Fernando Alonso, Mercedes Nico Rosberg and Adrian Sutil – who despite front wing damage, continued his smashing return to the sport – in sixth. Massa, di Resta, Hamilton and Grosjean completed the top-10.
Caterham’s Giedo van der Garde finished as best of the backmarkers ahead of Jules Bianchi’s Marussia by .2 of a second, Caterham stablemate Charles Pic and Max Chilton who finished last of the 22 runners.
The second practice session saw Kimi Raikkonen continue his strong start to the season by finishing first in the session ahead of Vettel by .019 of a second, and Ferrari’s Felipe Massa.
 |
| Kimi Raikkonen, Lotus E21-Renault. (Photo: WRi2) |
The Finn clocked his best lap time of a 1m36.569 on medium tyres around 12 minutes in before the rain clouds looming over the Sepang circuit finally broke. Incidentally, it was also Raikkonen’s first time in Lotus overalls that he set the fastest time in a practice session.
The rain shower, at its heaviest around turns 7-8, meant that the drivers were unable to improve on their best times and switched to intermediates; a move first made my McLaren’s Sergio Perez just after the hour mark passed.
 |
| Felipe Massa, Ferrari F138. (Photo: WRi2) |
Despite the slower times, the wet weather running proved beneficial as weather forecasts suggest that teams and drivers may face similar conditions in qualifying and the race. By the end of the session however, the 30-degree ambient temperature had more or less rendered the track dry, albeit with some remaining wet patches which were most notable on the exit of turn 15 as drivers struggled for grip under braking.
Behind the Raikkonen-Vettel-Massa trio, Alonso finished once again behind his teammate, with Webber and Grosjean filling the rest of the top-six spots. Di Resta continued Force India’s strong form by finishing eighth, splitting the Mercedes’ of Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton in seventh and ninth. Sutil once again impressed by rounding out the top-ten runners.
At the back of the grid, it was Bianchi once again who put in a giant killing performance in the Marussia by finishing ahead of Williams’ Valtteri Bottas in 18th. Pic, Van der Garde and Chilton occupied 20th to 22nd position.
 |
| Photo: Sahara Force India |
Malaysian Grand Prix,
Friday March 22, 2013
Free Practice session 1 - Results*
1 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'36"935 - 15 laps
2 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'37"003 - 15
3 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'37"104 - 21
4 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 1'37"319 - 13
5 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W04) - 1'37"588 - 19
6 - Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'37"769 - 17
7 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 1'37"771 - 15
8 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'37"773 - 15
9 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 1'37"840 - 18
10 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'37"915 - 17
11 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'38"173 - 16
12 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'38"673 - 16
13 - Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'38"830 - 17
14 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'39"054 - 17
15 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'39"204 - 16
16 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'39"208 - 19
17 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'39"284 - 17
18 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'39"567 - 16
19 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'40"728 - 17
20 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'40"996 - 14
21 - Charles Pic (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'41"163 - 18
22 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'41"513 - 14
Free Practice session 2 - Results*
1 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'36"569 - 28 laps
2 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'36"588 - 27
3 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F138) - 1'36"661 - 33
4 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F138) - 1'36"985 - 23
5 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB9-Renault) - 1'37"026 - 29
6 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E21-Renault) - 1'37"206 - 26
7 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes W04) - 1'37"448 - 32
8 - Paul Di Resta (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'37"571 - 30
9 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes W04) - 1'37"574 - 32
10 - Adrian Sutil (Force India VJM06-Mercedes) - 1'37"788 - 10
11 - Sergio Perez (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'37"838 - 21
12 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/28-Mercedes) - 1'37"865 - 29
13 - Nico Hulkenberg (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'38"068 - 31
14 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C32-Ferrari) - 1'38"645 - 23
15 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'38"738 - 31
16 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'38"801 - 27
17 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR8-Ferrari) - 1'38"738 - 31
18 - Jules Bianchi (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'39"508 - 30
19 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW35-Renault) - 1'39"660 - 28
20 - Charles Pic (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'40"757 - 29
21 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT03-Renault) - 1'40"768 - 32
22 - Max Chilton (Marussia MR02-Cosworth) - 1'41"438 - 23
* Unofficial results