Malaysia – Race: Ricciardo and Verstappen give Red Bull a one-two!

The weather is fair for the start of the race, and the much-feared rain should not play a role during the Grand Prix. It is very hot, with over 45 degrees in the air.

Yesterday, it was an imperial Lewis Hamilton who secured pole position ahead of his teammate, Nico Rosberg, who was more nervous and struggling with the performance of his car. The German is counting on a great start to make up for a disappointing Saturday.

After a warm-up lap marked by Felipe Massa’s immobilization due to an accelerator pedal problem, and who will finally start from the pits, the race is on!

Lewis Hamilton gets off to a perfect start, behind him, Sebastian Vettel makes a good start but chooses the inside by braking very late. He cannot avoid touching Nico Rosberg who spins out. The Ferrari driver bends his front left wheel and has to retire a few meters later.

LAP 1/56: Huge drama at the start

VET collides with ROS

VET = OUT

ROS = P21

VIRTUAL SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED#MalaysiaGP pic.twitter.com/GN4gSY9ujZ

— Formula 1 (@F1) 2 octobre /f1/actualite/21372-malaisie-qualifications-hamilton-domine-un-rosberg-febrile.html

It’s a disaster for Rosberg who restarts last. The virtual safety car is deployed for two laps before releasing the pack. Hamilton is ahead of Daniel Ricciardo, Sergio Pérez, Max Verstappen, Kimi Räikkönen, and Jenson Button, Nico Hülkenberg, Valtteri Bottas, Romain Grosjean, and Carlos Sainz.

Verstappen, very vehement on the radio against Vettel’s maneuver at the first corner, takes the advantage over Pérez with a beautiful overtake. Räikkönen imitates him a lap later.

At the back of the race, Rosberg begins his comeback while Fernando Alonso, who started last, is already 10th! He’s battling with Grosjean’s Haas and appears to be faster. He eventually overtakes him in turn 4. On lap 9, Grosjean loses control of his car in the last corner. The rear brakes seem to be the cause of his retirement once again. The Frenchman was in the points… the virtual safety car is deployed again to clear the Haas.

Wall-to-wall action so far at the #MalaysiaGP! Follow all the unfolding drama live online> https://t.co/YTYcf2n3T6 #F1 pic.twitter.com/W5ugLt9gcN

— Formula 1 (@F1) 2 octobre /f1/actualite/21372-malaisie-qualifications-hamilton-domine-un-rosberg-febrile.html

Verstappen, Pérez, Hülkenberg, and Rosberg decide to go through the pit lane. The Dutchman leaves on Soft tires, unlike the German who chooses Hard tires. The strategic games will be significant as the race is restarted. Hamilton hasn’t stopped, and Verstappen, with already a pit stop, is only about fifteen seconds behind the Briton. The strategy differs at Red Bull as Ricciardo stays on track, just like Räikkönen’s Ferrari.

Lewis Hamilton still leads the race ahead of Ricciardo, Räikkönen, Verstappen, Bottas, Sainz, Ericcson, Rosberg, Pérez, and Button.

Verstappen, who returns to the front of the race with his Soft tires, is right behind Räikkönen at the moment when the leaders are considering making only one pit stop to fit Hard tires. This compound seems to be the most reliable and fastest, a good compromise for a cautious strategy.

Hamilton and Räikkönen make their first pit stop on lap 21 to switch to Hard tires. The Finn comes out just ahead of Rosberg. Ricciardo stops a lap later, handing the lead of the race to Verstappen. However, the Dutchman still needs to stop to switch to Hard tires, while the other drivers around him are likely to attempt a one-stop strategy.

We’re halfway through the race, and Verstappen and Red Bull’s strategic gamble seems doomed to fail. Hamilton is closing in on the leader with big strides. The Dutchman pits on lap 27 to finally switch to Hard tires. He comes out ahead of the duo of Räikkönen and Rosberg.

The pit stop dance continues. Alonso, Hülkenberg, Bottas, and Kvyat all come to a halt to change tires. Rosberg also stops and decides to put on the Hard tires to finish the race. In the Top 10, only Jolyon Palmer has not stopped. His teammate, Kevin Magnussen, was forced to retire early in the race after a collision in the bottleneck of the first turn.

Finally, Kimi Räikkönen makes his second stop. The Ferrari leaves with new Hard tires, just ahead of Nico Rosberg. But will Ricciardo and Hamilton have to stop as well, leaving Verstappen free to take the lead? This is the strategic question that will animate the end of the race. With 12 laps to go, the Briton is only 18 seconds ahead of the Dutchman.

The drivers are under pressure at this end of the race. Hamilton is complaining on the radio about backmarkers in a manner reminiscent of Sebastian Vettel, and Kimi Räikkönen is demanding maximum power from his pit to break free from the grasp of Nico Rosberg, who is currently the fastest on track.

On the 38th lap, Rosberg attempts an overtaking move in the sequence of the first corner: outside, inside, the German leans on the Ferrari at the corner exit and the two drivers touch. With no consequence other than Rosberg overtaking the Finn. The incident is under investigation by the stewards.

LAP 38/56

CONTACT!

ROS forces his way past RAI to take P4 – but not without tagging the Ferrari man’s front wing on his way #MalaysiaGP pic.twitter.com/AMaFFX56r7

— Formula 1 (@F1) 2 octobre /f1/actualite/21372-malaisie-qualifications-hamilton-domine-un-rosberg-febrile.html

At Red Bull, it’s a free-for-all. Verstappen has caught up with Ricciardo, but the team gives no orders. The Australian skillfully resists the relentless attacks of his young teammate. The two men are wheel to wheel under the watchful eyes of an attentive Helmut Marko.

On lap 41, Hamilton’s engine explodes! The Briton must retire and remains dejected on the side of the track. As a result, the Red Bull battle takes on full meaning. The victory will be contested between the two drivers. Both drivers pit, Ricciardo ahead of Verstappen. The team has clearly chosen not to choose between its two drivers.

INCROYABLE abandon de Lewis Hamilton pour moteur cassé dans ce #MalaysiaGP 😱 pic.twitter.com/8eEgLHnLvY

— La F1® sur CANAL (@LaF1SurCanal) 2 octobre /f1/actualite/21372-malaisie-qualifications-hamilton-domine-un-rosberg-febrile.html

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In the meantime, Gutierrez abandons his car on the side of the road with only three wheels. It came off in the middle of the straight! After Grosjean’s brakes and Gutierrez’s wheel, it’s starting to be a lot of mistakes for the American team.

On lap 43, the virtual safety car ends, and the race restarts. Ricciardo leads ahead of Verstappen and Rosberg. The Australian’s earlier resistance against his teammate likely secured him this first place. It is then announced that Rosberg has been penalized 10 seconds for his collision with Räikkönen.

The fight at the front is happening by tenths. Ricciardo and Verstappen both have Soft tires, but the Australian’s are new while the Dutchman is using tires that are already a few laps old. They are engaged in a fratricidal battle for the victory.

But Ricciardo managed to maintain a sufficient gap until the finish line and claimed his first victory of the year ahead of Verstappen and Rosberg. It’s a sweet comeback for the Australian after his disappointments in Barcelona and Monaco, where victory slipped away due to strategic errors.

The complete race ranking:

PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION

One of the most dramatic races of recent seasons ends with a Red Bull 1-2 at Sepang #MalaysiaGP 🇲🇾 pic.twitter.com/M1PpDyQ7OO

— Formula 1 (@F1) 2 octobre /f1/actualite/21372-malaisie-qualifications-hamilton-domine-un-rosberg-febrile.html

If he couldn’t take the upper hand over his teammate, Max Verstappen can console himself with the driver of the day title awarded to him by the spectators of the Grand Prix.