2012 Malaysian Grand Prix Review, and thoughts on Alonso and Perez race performances too

Second post of the F1 season. A quick review of the race, thoughts on the race which includes Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez race performances.

Good points

• Fernando Alonso (started from 8th to finish to win)
• Sergio Pérez (finished 2nd, impressive throughout the race)
• Mark Webber (finished 4th)
• Kimi Räikkönen (finished 5th, fastest lap)
• Bruno Senna (finished 6th)
• Force India (Paul di Resta finished 7th, Nico Hülkenberg finished 9th)
• Jean-Éric Vergne (finished 8th)
• Vitaly Petrov (finished 16th, ahead of team mate Heikki Kovalainen in the race)
• Timo Glock (finished 17th, a lap down from the leaders and ahead of Heikki Kovalainen in the Caterham)

Bad points

• Mercedes GP (Michael Schumacher finished 10th but, qualified 3rd spun out by Romain Grosjean on the first lap of the race, Nico Rosberg finished 13th)
• Sebastian Vettel (finished 11th with a late puncture in the race have contact against the front wing of Narain Karthikeyan)
• Jenson Button (finished 14th, On lap 15 made contact with Narain Karthikeyan, forcing him to pit to change the front wing)
• Filipe Massa (finished 15th, another poor performance)
• Pastor Maldonado (DNF, could have finished 9th place with two and a laps to go, but his Renault V8 blow up)
• Kamui Kobayashi (DNF, Brakes)
• Romain Grosjean (another DNF, spun out on third lap)

Overall, I thought it was great race to watch and an exciting one too, you didn't know who was gonna to win until the checkered flag who was gonna to win it, that is what great about F1.

I felt the Fernando Alonso win was much more a great driving performance rather than a great car performance from starting 8th place to winning the race itself. But, I felt the car was poor in the dry, but good enough to win in the wet an a great driving performance from Alonso to make Ferrari first race win of the season. The Alonso win itself was very similar to Michael Suchumacher first Ferrari win back in 1996 in a heavy rained Barcelona track. A very poor car underneath but, a very talented race driver in the rain to win the race itself.

But, I was really impress by Sergio Perez pace throughout the race. Felt Perez could have won the race right at the end. But, never did due to Perez didn't change to slicks two laps after Alonso did 15 laps from the end. After that Perez consistently cut down on Alonso's lead but an error late in the race ensured that he remain in second place. I don't even believe any suggestions that Ferrari have ordered Sauber team letting Perez not attack Fernando Alonso for victory. I believe it was a rookie error from the Mexican at the end of the day.

Also, I believe that Sergio Perez will be a Ferrari F1 driver by next year, if not early, if Ferrari are really fed by Filipe Massa performances this year and they don't improve, Ferrari can possibly do it this season.

Remember back in 1985, Ferrari sacked René Arnoux after the first race of the season and replace him with Stefan Johansson. Also, at the end of 1991 season when Alain Prost publicly criticising Ferrari at Japanese Grand Prix, he described his car's handling as worse than "a truck". Ferrari terminated Prost's contract before the end of the season, with a year left in his contract too.

Also, in the race, I was impress by Bruno Senna, Paul di Resta and Jean-Éric Vergne driving performances. With Bruno Senna finishing in sixth, Paul di Resta finishing in seventh and Vergne finishing in eighth. Next stop China in a few weeks time.

End of blog for how, new blog soon, that is all. Bye.