- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
Australian Daniel Ricciardo has claimed victory in the Malaysian Grand Prix.
» Click here to read the full report
Out of the frying pan and into the fire we go for Round 16 of the Formula One world championship, with the Malaysian Grand Prix. Join The Roar for a live blog of the race from 6pm (AEDT).
An event typically staged at the top of the schedule, in 2016 the race at Sepang finds itself now in the crux part of the season – as the championship continues to ebb and flow.
The 5.5km circuit has seen a variety of changes for this season, predominantly being a number of alterations to the corner kerbs, as well as a complete resurfacing of the tarmac itself.
This doesn’t change however the demanding nature of Sepang in the heat, especially on the tyres. Of which the hard, medium and soft compounds are available.
New surface or not, it was still the Silver Arrows who were on the money during qualifying and especially Lewis Hamilton, who claimed pole position with a record lap time in what is a crucial weekend for the reigning world champion.
His teammate Nico Rosberg who re-assumed the lead of the standings in Singapore has been nowhere near the Briton in terms of pace. However second on the grid gives him the best chance for a fourth consecutive win.
Sebastian Vettel stands as the driver with the most wins at this venue, including his acrimonious victory in 2013 for Red Bull and the epic, maiden triumph for Ferrari in 2015.
Unfortunately for the German, he and his Ferrari teammate Kimi Räikkönen must start the race behind the Red Bulls on the second row of the grid. They are led by the newly turned 19-year old Max Verstappen.
In the mid-field, Force India stand as the team to beat for points. Their ding-dong battle with Williams for fourth in the constructor’s standings is only separated by a solitary point and with Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg starting from seventh and eighth, the opportunity is there for more points.
McLaren have opted for short-term pain for long-term gain, with Fernando Alonso opting to introduce an upgraded Honda power-unit into his pool. As a result, he will start from the rear of the grid, whilst Jenson Button in his milestone 300th grand prix starts from inside the top ten.
Hamilton so far has been on song in Malaysia. Could this be his race to lose?
Join The Roar for a live blog of the race from 6pm (AEDT).
Looking for great odds on racing and sport? Get into the action with PlayUp today. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.