Dramatic racing, rain, race stoppages – the Malaysian Grand Prix had more going on in half a race distance than we see in most full races. Rate the Malaysian GP below.
Malaysian Grand Prix - rate the race
- 10 - Perfect (2%)
- 9 - Fantastic (6%)
- 8 - Great (14%)
- 7 - Good (22%)
- 6 - Not bad (17%)
- 5 - A bit dull (6%)
- 4 - Often tedious (2%)
- 3 - Boring (3%)
- 2 - Rubbish (14%)
- 1 - Terrible (14%)
Total Voters: 1,793
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TommyB
5th April 2009, 12:09
Can we have it in 2 parts… 9 for the first hour, 0 for the next one
hitchcockm00
5th April 2009, 12:13
The actual racing was fantastic. Unfortunately when I think back to this race I’m gonna think of Bernie’s ineptitude.
So it’s a 3 from me.
beneboy
5th April 2009, 12:17
7 – Good
The race was brilliant, the confusion at the end was terrible.
goofy
5th April 2009, 12:19
if this race was started at 4pm malaysian time we might had a great rain finish… so zero points
Truck trader
6th April 2009, 12:17
It was a shame that the rain lasted as long as it did, the race got very interesting when tyre changes came into play, it would have been good to see how they went on but the decision to stop the race was understandable.
kurtosis
5th April 2009, 12:27
The dry part of the race was pretty darn good. The start, WEB vs. ALO over several corners, and VET moving up the field kept it all pretty interesting.
I’m glad Heidfeld got some points, he drove a clean race. Button and Barrichello both kept it together after poor starts. Looks like the starts will continue to be interesting this season.
Two massive strategic errors by Ferrari. Looks like they are still in a state of mind where they are trying to go for a win instead of playing the mid-field game of consistency and incremental improvements. They are certainly not competing with the Red Bulls, they are just barely better than the Renault of Alonso.
The diffuser hearing in a couple of days. Whichever way the result comes out, we should expect an even tighter spread in qualifying and the race beginning at China as the diffuser advantage/disadvantage is removed.
'
5th April 2009, 12:31
6/10. The actual racing was pretty entertaining, but the way the race ended prevents me from rating it any higher.
Johnt
5th April 2009, 12:34
Rated 6. Great first half, terrible second half. Can’t agree more that it’s the sport being a victim of it’s own greed.
matt
5th April 2009, 12:35
Difficult. I gave it a good because for the half a race we actually saw it was great. It would’ve been better to decide there wasn’t a restart as soon as it ended. All the speculation and tedium wasn’t very interesting.
Very impressed with Button. He seemed alright off the line, the problem was just that Rosberg was so fast that Button put himself off line. What I found interesting was that Button never challenged Trulli. I reckon that Ross Brawn new that as long as Rosberg didn’t pull away they’d be able to pass both cars at the stops, so Button didn’t even need to bother troubling Trulli. Again shows the pace of that car.
Pete Walker
5th April 2009, 12:39
As unfortunate (and avoidable) as the early stoppage was, I don’t think its worth rating the race very low because of it, as the racing that we did get was pretty damn good. Hamilton and Webber passing and repassing each other was great to watch and we had some great duels throughout the field.
Plus Williams lead a good portion of the race :)
An 8 from me.
David
5th April 2009, 12:44
I agree, first half a 9, second half a big 0!
Bernie overdid the special effects on this one: rain, lightning hitting the stands, nightfall…! How about winter racing in the Russian tundra next year? Pity as the race was intringuingly set up with better aerodynamics versus KERS battling it out at some points. Congratulations to Glock for some great pit change timing.
Damon
5th April 2009, 13:08
8 – great
Overtaking => action, competetive field.
Alianora La Canta
5th April 2009, 13:27
I was going to rate it an 8 until the weather turned. Then the full folly of the insistence on twilight racing revealed itself. At that point, I decided to rate it a 2.
ajokay
5th April 2009, 13:29
The bit of the race that was a race was good, and had the rain have stayed at the levels it was at mid-way through the race, I’m sure the remainder would have been an excellent conclusion. I guess we’ll never know.
I feel very sorry for Nico Rosberg for the 2nd race in a row too. He should have been on the podium in both races.
I also feel for Quick Nick… 2nd again. Oh well, better than 3rd, I suppose.
je
5th April 2009, 13:30
i’m local malaysian…the race should have start 2pm local time like previous!! then i believe this would be a good race. stupid malaysia organizer try to put the race on late afternoon to create something similar to night…they just cannot hold on the night race in singapore! shame on u, look at yourseft 1st before do something new!!
Wen
5th April 2009, 14:35
I’m Malaysian too, but the decision to have the race that late is entirely not the malaysian organizer’s fault. It was Bernie ecclestone who insisted on having it later to suit television viewing times in Europe. You should read a bit more about these stuff before criticizing the wrong people.
Jumblerant
5th April 2009, 13:32
Poor Nico – just 1/2 a point!
Am I allowed to giggle when thinking about how amazing last week’s event was, from Friday to Sunday and then compare it to this weekend’s nonsense?
If this were the end of the season I’d be pretty miffed but thankfully all the drivers and teams have the chance to correct Bernie’s mistakes.
Kherubim
5th April 2009, 14:43
I’m from Singapore and like our Malaysian F1 fans, know that it always rains cats and dogs around the March to April and September to November months.
If it rains during the Singapore GP, it’ll be even worse as there’s even more glare from the lights.
The first half was brilliant with Rosberg and Alonso charging up the order, lots of overtaking as well.
The second half was bleh, especially watching the teams prepare for a restart, and watching a very soggy Webbo walking around on a bum leg talking to the other drivers.
Karun Chandhok (on ESPNStar) called Ferrari out when he described the strategy of putting Kimi out on wets as “bonkers”, I agree, despite being a Kimi fan. Ferrari should be aiming for damage limitation, whoever came up with the idea (costing 20 SECONDs a LAP) should be in for a bollocking from diMontezemolo.
mondo
5th April 2009, 15:08
Well, as our old friend Murry Walker used to say…
“Anything can happen in Formula One, and it usually does”
So Bernie moved the race to a time when it is more likely to rain and if it does rain you won’t be able to see where you’re going. Not the best of choices. But he isn’t to know what the weather is going to do when he books these timings.
I enjoyed what there was of the race. Even after it was stopped it was interesting to see what the teams and drivers where up to.
Fave part of the day – Kimi walking around in his shorts eating an ice cream. No way he was going back on track. lol.
Another well done to Jenson!! I prefer him to Lewis. :)
KingHamilton
5th April 2009, 15:52
for the first hour, it was a truly fantastic race with lots of overtaking. then it rained and the red flag came out. that spoiled it but it was interesting nonetheless
And1star
5th April 2009, 16:18
I think it was a good race, especially the first half was fantastic! About the second part, I don’t think it was undrivable but it is very hard to drive, but not undrivable. Just think about Australia ’89, in similar circomstances and there they didn’t stop the race…
But I give a 9, for the first half and for the efforts of the riders in the second half…
Kovy
5th April 2009, 16:38
Poor race, probably because Channel 10’s ads managed to once again miss half the action. Good duel between Hamilton and Webber.
Rabi
5th April 2009, 18:14
Bernie blew it. Had this race started an hour earlier then we would have had the most spectacular finish in the wet – the race imho would have gone down as a classic.
pSynrg
5th April 2009, 19:25
I think it’s a bit silly to mark the race down because of the deluge. I appreciate the controversy regarding the late start time but that’s a different debate.
Race was superb.
Bernie may well push the buttons and pull the levers but he sure ain’t got one that leads to the rain toggle switch.
Rain can happen at any time the climate dictates – it could just as well have happened at 14:00 local time.
HounslowBusGarage
5th April 2009, 21:18
Racing was great I can’t remember how many passing moves there were – so many. And actually, that’s true of Australia as well, loads of overtaking. So maybe Max’s alterations have paid off.
Racing was great. Shame about the other fifty minutes.
Pink Peril
6th April 2009, 3:51
The race was fantastic – I think I saw more overtaking yesterday than I have seen in 11 seasons of F1 put together !
I feel extremely shortchanged that the race was cut short. I was really looking forward to seeing what Glock, Rosberg, Webber & Button had left in the tanks.
And Mondo, I do think we can blame Bernie on this one. Moving a race to coincide with the most likely time for a downpour during monsoon season was frankly asking for trouble. Is the race being red flagged really what those European audiences Bernie is so fond of catering to tuned in to see? Betcha they all just tuned out again…
scunnyman
6th April 2009, 10:18
I have to agree with most comments above that the race was marred for the last halfdue to the rain.
I’d say i am not a fan of the twilight start times for these flyaway races. I’m sure most europeans are fine with the normal 1 pm race start we normally get.
Maybe Keith can do yet another pole of european fans to see how many prefer the later start, then we could see if Bernie was right in europe needing these later races.
As far as the bbc coverage is concerned i am still not ure of Leggard as he is making a lot of mistakes, just like james allen did. Though i will say Martin brundle made some too in Malaysia.
And the interview with bernie ecclestone nearly made me vomit. With Eddie Jordan obvious being in love with the guy. I’m sure bernie only had a small part in Brawn taking over Honda.
Now looking forward to China.
El Gordo
6th April 2009, 10:32
The on-track racing was great – so much overtaking, it seems as though the KERS and aerodynamic changes brought in by the FIA seem to be working. The Malaysian GP is usually a snooze-fest, but this was fantastic edge-of-the-seat stuff. And it’s so refreshing to see the big two or three teams struggling, giving golden opportunities to drivers who either are just starting their careers, or those who have been thinking their careers are nearly over.
But… Bernie is an absolute moron for running the race at the time he did. Even if was just an hour earlier, it would have given us a full race. Bernie and Max seem to be doing everything in their power to absolutely ruin one of the most exciting starts to a F1 season in years.