What's at stake this weekend?
After victory in Bahrain, the Renault F1 Team has arrived in Bahrain as favourites. But the competition will be tough… The Renault F1 Team arrived in Sepang buoyant after winning the opening race of the season. The team have been ranked as favourites for the second round of the year, in the knowledge that the sweeps and curves of the demanding Malaysian circuit have always smiled on cars wearing the famous diamond badge.
Indeed, last year’s R25 was both quick and consistent in the stifling conditions, with Fernando Alonso taking pole and a comfortable win in 2005. However, the picture is quite different in 06, with up to four teams in the fight for the win. In Bahrain last week, Fernando Alonso squeaked home ahead of Michael Schumacher with just 1.2s to spare. McLaren are a major threat because although neither MP4/21 was in the hunt for the win last weekend, Kimi Raikkonen went from last place to the final podium place, which showed the potential of the silver cars. And finally, Honda will have their say too: Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello were not fighting for the win last weekend, but they believe the heat of Sepang will suit them.
As for the race, it will be a tough one for all the drivers. The Malaysian GP is traditionally the hardest of the year, and temperatures at 11:00 this morning were already at 37°C. The track was baking at 45°C, and in this harsh environment, a driver’s physical conditioning can be a determining factor. From mid-race, any loss of concentration linked to dehydration can see the drivers lose pace, or make mistakes…
The final key point will be reliability. Most of the new V8 engines arrive in Bahrain having completed 57 demanding laps of Sakhir. And they now have to face extreme conditions, where the effective cooling capacity of the cars will be critical. The teams all ‘open up’ their bodywork to ensure the engine stays within acceptable operating temperatures, and they must do it with great precision: too open, and the engine stays cool but you cost yourself vital aerodynamic performance; too closed, and the engine might fail. It’s just another one of the compromises to be made this weekend as the teams chase performance…
