With no clear favorite, who will win Malaysian Grand Prix?

Ferrari appears more competitive this season and Massa looks as good as he did before his head injury in 2009.  Late last season showed he was finally getting back into form with two podiums in the last six races.  Massa was solid at Australia last week and should definitely be considered a contender even if he didn’t have a good result a year ago at Sepang (15th).  Massa may be the darkhorse pick of the year, so suspecting a top five here isn’t that out of line.He’s a driver sufficiently capable of winning at any given track, especially considering Webber is driving a Red Bull.  However, he took a front row car last week and finished sixth -- not exactly overachieving.  Still, it’s hard to imagine either of the Red Bull cars finishing outside the top five or for that matter, off the podium.  Webber should be battling near the lead for most of the day and don't be surprised if this Red Bull team is battling for the win.The McLarens were the car to beat last year before the rain threw everything into a tizzy.  An early collision ruined any chance Button had of a decent day.  It’s a strange thought to think McLaren doesn’t have a chance of winning but of course last year’s event proved anyone can win.  Remember, Ferrari didn’t have the best equipment in 2012 and still, Alonso managed to win the Malaysian race from the eighth qualifying spot and ultimately almost won the world championship.  McLaren didn’t look good in Australia but they might do a little better at Malaysia.View the list »
The rear of Fernando Alonso who won the 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix

Motorsports newsletter

The Formula One season started off this year with the favorite not winning. Furthermore, the driver that did win was a surprise and not expected on the podium, let alone dominate the event in Australia (source: News Limited). With that said, who are the lucky seven favorites to win the Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix in 2013?

Related topics

Advertisement

The overall favorites for this year come from Red Bull and Ferrari and they were both on the podium in Melbourne, so it’s not like the betting choices were knocked out of contention. However, with Kimi Raikkonen’s relatively easy victory in a Lotus, we’re offered a glimpse into what just may be the most competitive F1 season in a very long time.

Sepang is different

Last year at Sepang International Circuit, which is next to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Fernando Alonso snagged a victory in the rain (source: AOL), holding off a charging Sauber driven by Sergio Perez. The heavy rains created chaos of the event and there’s nothing to say that this year's race won’t see the wet stuff again -- since this is still the monsoon season in the tropics. Note: The course is unique with several straightaways and tight hairpin turns.

Consequently, with nothing from last year to gauge against and this year’s first race being a surprise, who are the lucky seven top drivers who have the best chance of winning at Sepang? By the way, the longshot choice here is Sergio Perez, especially if McLaren can find some improvements this week.

View the list
  • The McLarens were the car to beat last year before the rain threw everything into a tizzy.  An early collision ruined any chance Button had of a decent day.  It’s a strange thought to think McLaren doesn’t have a chance of winning but of course last year’s event proved anyone can win.  Remember, Ferrari didn’t have the best equipment in 2012 and still, Alonso managed to win the Malaysian race from the eighth qualifying spot and ultimately almost won the world championship.  McLaren didn’t look good in Australia but they might do a little better at Malaysia.
  • He’s a driver sufficiently capable of winning at any given track, especially considering Webber is driving a Red Bull.  However, he took a front row car last week and finished sixth -- not exactly overachieving.  Still, it’s hard to imagine either of the Red Bull cars finishing outside the top five or for that matter, off the podium.  Webber should be battling near the lead for most of the day and don't be surprised if this Red Bull team is battling for the win.
  • Ferrari appears more competitive this season and Massa looks as good as he did before his head injury in 2009.  Late last season showed he was finally getting back into form with two podiums in the last six races.  Massa was solid at Australia last week and should definitely be considered a contender even if he didn’t have a good result a year ago at Sepang (15th).  Massa may be the darkhorse pick of the year, so suspecting a top five here isn’t that out of line.
  • You can throw a blanket around the top four picks here and any one of them unquestionably can win.  Picking last year’s championship runner-up and winner of this event to finish fourth seems an odd choice.  Also, Alonso has three wins at this track in 11 starts, so on paper, setting him back doesn’t seem to be a smart choice.  However, he didn’t qualify well last year and prior to 2012, had four straight finishes outside the top five.  Yet, he has a chance to win the Malaysian Grand Prix and will probably contend at some time during the race.
  • The good news for Lotus is they will be a major contender all season and the ‘Ice Man’ will be front and center.  Their win at Australia proves that last year’s improvements weren’t just luck and this program is here to stay.  Again, the choice for winning this event from these top four drivers is a coin flip.  Like Alonso last season, Raikkonen took a poor qualifying result (10th) and turned it into a decent finish with a top five.  Kimi is more than capable of winning at Sepang with two Malaysian victories under his belt and therefore should be on the podium battling for a win.
  • Confidence is neither lacking with Hamilton nor with his Mercedes team.  With most everyone shaking their heads with consternation in the off-season when Hamilton left the cozy confines of McLaren for the still struggling Mercedes, most thought he could be ruining his career.  He might look like a genius now.  The Mercedes appears as competitive as any of the leading contenders while his old team is materializing into a pretender.  Hamilton had the pole a year ago and there’s no reason to believe he couldn’t grab it again in 2013 … and maybe grab a victory as well.
  • Sure, it’s not hard to choose the three-time champ who dominated practice and qualifying in Australia.  However, there are chinks in the armor at Red Bull after their relatively poor performance on race day in Melbourne.  Tire wear was a major issue last week and that may not be something Red Bull can quickly mend in time for Malaysia.  Nonetheless, until another team establishes themselves as the favorite, Red Bull and Vettel are still the team to beat.
View the list

, Paso Robles Motorsports Examiner

Daryle Hier has been involved in business as an owner for 30 years with many of them involving the auto industry. He also has been a sports fanatic with motorsports and football as his true loves. Other interests include Hawaii and the California Central Coast. He is a Top 100 writer for...

Advertisement

Today's top buzz...