Written by @OMGitsTarrynLee for @Hollywoodbets. Follow them both on Twitter and Facebook now!
Malaysia Grand Prix | Sunday 30 March | Sepang International Circuit | 10:00
Home to the infamous “Multi 21” call by Red Bull in 2013, Sepang has rarely disappointed when it comes to providing an interesting race. The weather almost always plays a part in the excitement, with torrential downpours challenging even the most experienced drivers. Alonso and Vettel have been the most successful in Malaysia but with the new engines and rules proving to be a challenge for a lot of the teams, Mercedes are favourites at their home Grand Prix.
Previous Race
The cheers that erupted when Vettel pulled his stricken Red Bull off the track were nearly louder than the engines in Australia, and the crowd was even more deafening when his Aussie teammate claimed a podium finish. Unfortunately for the home fans, Ricciardo’s joy was short lived as the stewards stripped him of his points owing to heavy-handed fuelling by the Red Bull team. They left Australia empty-handed, while McLaren surprisingly took the greatest haul of points as Button was bumped up to third after Ricciardo’s disqualification. Newcomer Magnussen claimed an impressive second place on his maiden drive for the British team. Rosberg proved that Mercedes’ preseason threat of being the team to beat was not unfounded and streaked away with a well-deserved win. Fernando Alonso fared well, coming in fifth but taking home the fourth place points. Valtteri Bottas had a superb race but sadly a rear-tyre failure induced by an accidental meeting with the wall saw him only finish sixth.
The Track
A product of master circuit designer Hermann Tilke, Sepang is not short on twists and long straights to make the drivers sweat. If the track doesn’t get the blood pumping, the hot and humid climate surely will, as Sepang is basically a race track set in a steam bath and the high possibility of surprise showers makes sure that the teams have the wet and intermediate tyres close on hand. The forecast is looking especially damp this weekend so the hard and medium compounds selected by Pirelli might not get much use. The long back straight and the equally extensive pit straight, separated by a tight hairpin, provide good opportunities to overtake, especially with the DRS giving the cars an extra burst of speed. The high temperatures, humidity and the tricky weather will play a big part, challenging the drivers as well as the cars. Sepang will be even tougher with this year’s changes, so we may see a few more retirements on Sunday.
To Win Outright
Lewis Hamilton 16/10
Nico Rosberg 2/1
Jenson Button 14/1
Kevin Magnussen 14/1
Sebastian Vettel 14/1
Fernando Alonso 16/1
Valtteri Bottas 16/1
Felipe Massa 16/1
Daniel Ricciardo 16/1
Kimi Raikkonen 40/1
VALUE BETS
Valtteri Bottas (16/1 a win, 32/10 a podium)
Bottas has been a consistent force since he joined the ranks of the racing elite and the Finn is definitely a driver to watch this year. Williams are beginning to look like decent contenders, with a strong car and a great driver pairing. Unfortunately, Bottas lost out on the big points in the last race because of a driver error but I think there’s a real chance we could see him on the podium in Malaysia.
Felipe Massa (16/1 a win, 32/10 a podium)
Kobayashi prevented Massa from impressing in his first race behind the wheel of his white Williams by smashing his Caterham into the Brazilian’s rear just after the lights went out. A pity, considering how quick the Williams team looked in pre-season testing; what a truly terrible start to Massa’s first season with his new team. If he manages to steer clear of Kamikaze Kobayashi in Malaysia, I expect Massa will end up on the podium instead of in the gravel.
Kevin Magnussen (14/1 a win, 28/10 a podium)
If I had to pick a star driver in Australia, Magnussen would be it. The rookie exceeded expectations by securing a second place in his first Formula One race, a feat that is nearly unheard of. McLaren look to be shaking off their embarrassing reputation of 2013 and have actually produced a competitive car. I don’t think Magnussen’s debut performance was a fluke and I expect the young Danish driver to continue to impress throughout the season. Put some money on Magnussen for another podium this weekend.
POLE POSITION: Nico Rosberg 18/10
Rosberg has come out guns blazing, taking the first win of the season and proving he’s a real contender among the top names in the field. He was so close to securing pole position for himself in Australia, but was denied in the last seconds of Q3 by his teammate. This weekend my money is on Rosberg to beat out Hamilton for the top spot on Saturday.
TO WIN: Lewis Hamilton 16/10
Hamilton had a rather dismal start to his 2014 season, managing to complete just two laps before his Mercedes decided it preferred the garage to the track and ended his race much earlier than the pole-sitter would have liked. I expect the former World Champion to improve this weekend, so much so that I’m backing him for a win. The Mercedes is living up to its Silver Arrow moniker, with the car looking incredibly quick, albeit a bit vulnerable to technical failure. If all goes well with Hamilton’s car, I think he has a very good chance of taking the checkered flag on Sunday.
