Formula One might have dropped the Malaysian Grand Prix from its calendar after last season, but its host track wasn’t done with F1 just yet. The track still had an insurance claim from the Haas F1 team to deal with, after a drain cover came loose and sent Romain Grosjean spiraling toward a wall last year.
Ferrari Formula One driver Sebastian Vettel had to retire on lap 5 of today’s Japanese Grand Prix due to an engine issue. Vettel, who sits in second place just behind Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in the F1 drivers’ championship, quickly lost position after slowing on track and was ultimately called in by his team.
A drain cover came loose during Formula One’s second practice session for the Malaysian Grand Prix on Friday, slashing Haas F1 driver Romain Grosjean’s tire and sending him straight into a wall. The cost of repairing the car is creeping toward $1 million, and it sounds like the team isn’t happy about the bill.
Formula One’s last Malaysian Grand Prix—for now—was an oddly intense one. A drain cover came up in a Friday practice session, slashing Romain Grosjean’s tire and sending him into a wall. As soon things got back underway the next day, one of F1’s support races had a grand total of zero cars finish.
As the Sepang International Circuit hosts its last Formula One race for the foreseeable future, it certainly didn’t disappoint, and damn near beckons for the series to keep coming back.
The Malaysian Grand Prix won’t be on the Formula One calendar next year, and so far, it’s going out with the wrong kind of bang. Kimi Raikkonen and Valtteri Bottas’ cars helped knock a drain cover loose near turn 13, leaving it sticking straight up when Romain Grosjean came around. Things went as you’d expect.
Formula One confirmed Friday that Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit—considered by Ferrari driver Kimi Räikkönen to be a good place for an ice cream break—will host its last F1 grand prix after 19 years this year. In its place, the German and French grands prix will be returning.
Australia has given the world many wonderful gifts over the years. Kangaroos. Bathurst. And now, the “shoey” toast where you drink out of a shoe. Sadly, the Malaysian Grand Prix didn’t appreciate nine scantily clad Australians who stripped down to do shoeys for Aussie F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo’s race win.
Mark Webber played along in Belgium, but he apparently learned his lesson about the “shoey”—a celebration done by drinking out of a shoe. Winning Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo convinced several others on the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix podium to do a shoey, but Mark’s reaction was the best.
Today was National Ice Cream Day, and there was no Formula One racing all day. When the racing stops, that’s the perfect time to get an ice cream—as driver Kimi Räikkönen did during a red flagged race at the 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix.
Sebastian Vettel isn't just following in the steps of Schumacher and driving for his dream team this year. Oh, no. He's the man who finally broke up the streak of "which Mercedes is going to win today?" Give this Ferrari-driving pointy-finger enthusiast a hug for me, will ya?
McLaren Honda Formula One driver Fernando Alonso has been cleared to race after suffering a concussion in testing, and boy, did he have some bombs to drop about that accident during Thursday's press conference. It wasn't from a gust of wind: the steering actually locked up and sent him into the wall.
I don't care about the dong noses, or even the weird sounding V6s, because the paint schemes (i.e. liveries) from this year's race have been fantastic and McLaren's one-off Esso sponsorship is fantastic.
Taken during the first two practice sessions for the Malaysian Grand Prix, this photo is another reason why we can love Lewis Hamilton. Take your time, check out all the details, and choose wisely. It's annotation time!
It always rains in Malaysia. It didn’t rain in Malaysia yesterday. Never underequipped when it comes to show biz, Formula One bridged the precipitation gap with a flying Russian (above), a jinxed Brit, and an old rivalry rekindled. A fun race—for second place. Warning: spoilers.
F1 Driver Vitaly Petrov was in eighth place during the Malaysian Grand Prix today, when he ran wide at turn 7, then launched his Lotus Renault over the kerbing. The steering column snapped on impact. Podium for teammate Nick Heidfeld, though.
Barely eight months after Honda called it quits, another manufacturer of white cars is out of Formula One as BMW throws in the towel at the end of this season. What will this mean for the all-conquering Brawn GP?
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