Malaysian GP Betting Tips

Fifteen races down, just six to go. As the teams pack up and head to Kuala Lumpur for the Malaysian Grand Prix, the pendulum is swinging back in Nico Rosberg’s favour as he continues to re-discover his early season form. The German is now in front once again in the title race, with his first victory in Singapore opening up an eight-point lead to team-mate Lewis Hamilton.

Ahead of Round 16, Betsafe have linked up with Planet F1 to bring you all the fallout from Sepang and look ahead to what promises to be a very intriguing race.

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Singapore Report

“It’s going to go down to the wire,” said Mercedes chief Toto Wolff when asked about the title race between his two Mercedes men after the thrilling end of the Singapore Grand Prix. However, if Hamilton does not buck his ideas up soon then it could be over sooner than his boss thinks.

Since the summer break there has been such contrasting emotions between the pair. Rosberg has come back with efficient ruthlessness and carried out his job in a very professional manner, whereas Hamilton is almost resigned to the fact that he is having to settle for minor honours.

Exactly the same happened in Singapore. Hamilton struggled to get into any sort of rhythm in practice and qualifying, with many comparing his mistake-ridden, flat performance to that of Baku in the European Grand Prix where he would go on to finish fifth.

He was at least on the podium this time in third, but he had to switch to a three-stop strategy in order to stop Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen creating an even bigger gap in the championship standings. The decision to help Hamilton sparked a chain reaction of events that would lead to a nail-biting climax under the lights at the Sepang circuit.

Next into the pits came second-placed Daniel Ricciardo in his raging Red Bull and with a fresh set of boots on he charged down Rosberg, who was wisely told not to pit again and nurse the car home. The gap was just less than 30 seconds with 16 laps remaining, when the checkered flag was waving it was a mere half a second.

The close finish came as a very pleasant surprise and turned what looked like a procession into a memorable race. There was some very early drama, though, when Force India’s Nico Hulkenberg and Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz collided during the dash down to the first corner. The former’s race was over in just five seconds.

The top four may have been battling it out up front and hogging the limelight, but arguably the most impressive driver of the race was Sebastian Vettel. He loves this track and it absolutely showed.

From starting at the back of the grid due to mechanical issues in qualifying, the German finished in fifth place, just 27 seconds off eventual winner Rosberg and 17 seconds away from his team-mate. A remarkable achievement which could have got a whole lot better had there been a second safety car appearance.

The only other major battle was between Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat and the man who replaced him at Red Bull: Max Verstappen. The Russian has understandably been pretty miserable since his sudden demotion four races into the season, but he made it incredibly difficult for Verstappen to overtake before the latter’s superiority in the better car shone through. The fighting spirit displayed by Kvyat, though, brought a smile to a lot of faces, especially his.

What To Expect In Malaysia

What everyone is waiting for is a straight fight for a race win between Rosberg and Hamilton. Both had some brake issues to deal with in Singapore and with Hamilton’s general lack of pace, it gave the German another uncontested victory despite the late drama. However, with fewer corners and more forgiving breaking zones in Malaysia, the drivers will hopefully become the main focus rather than car reliability.

The important thing for Hamilton is for him not to lose heart. Eight points can be quickly eradicated and when there have been battles between the duo he more often than not comes out on top. If Hamilton can head into the next race weekend and build some momentum again, he can then apply some much-needed pressure on his team-mate.

They will have to be wary, though, of Ferrari and Red Bull, particularly Vettel and Ricciardo. Both drivers seem to be in a really good place right now and they are definitely capable of having a late say in where the title goes, as well as deciding who will finish second behind Mercedes in the constructors’ championship.

About Sepang

Sepang International circuit has played host to the Malaysian Grand Prix every year since 1999 and has got a reputation for being one of the trickier races that features on the F1 calendar due to the unpredictable nature of the weather. The suffocating humidity can either lead to clear, scorching hot days or bring biblical downpours which the drivers in the 2001 edition of this race will know all about.

F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has previously described the track in Kuala Lumpur as “an old house that needs redecorating”, but with a newly-resurfaced track and a few minor track adjustments ahead of this year’s race it will feel brand, spanking new.

There are 15 corners to tackle on the 5.54km circuit and with just 10% probability of a safety car it should mean that the 56 laps will fly by without any major incidents – unless the weather decides to misbehave, of course.

The last corner is the only turn that separates the two long straights, which immediately catches your eye when deconstructing the circuit. This section will provide plenty of overtaking opportunities as the race develops, but the drivers do have to overcome a few challenges before they truly turn to attacking mode.

Turns One and Two represent a tight, twisty start to the lap before the track opens up slightly with the run down to Turn Four. It is important not to get out of sync on Turns Seven and Eight as drivers will be making up for lost time on the straight to Turn 9 rather than being in a position to attack heading into Sector Three.

The final sector sees a cluster of turns all bunched together in a tight pocket and with a clear breaking point hard to find on Turn 14, the drivers are going to have to work hard for any potential overlaps.

The lap record is held by Juan Pablo Montoya who posted a 1:34.223 in 2004, but you can expect lap times this year to be in the lower 1:40 range.

Past Winners And Track Suitability

The Malaysian Grand Prix was the second event on the calendar in the 2015 season and it produced a major shock as Vettel won what would be the first of three races that year. The German is the only driver in the F1 era to notch up four career wins in Kuala Lumpur, with Hong Kong’s John MacDonald also a four-time winner in the 1970s in a variety of other FIA-sanctioned race series.

Vettel’s 2015 win was Ferrari’s seventh victory in Malaysia while team-mate Raikkonen also has some happy memories here as he recorded his first F1 success in 2003, before winning again five years later.

Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso are both three-time winners, while British duo Hamilton and Jenson Button have a win apiece to their names.

Rosberg’s results in Malaysia have gradually improved with two consecutive podium finishes, but Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo has not had much to smile about at Sepang International with his 10th-placed finish last year also being a career best.