Sepang Grand Prix results

Posted by Bill Thomas at 10:00AM on Sunday 23 March, 2008 6 Comments

Lewis Hamilton So, this report will serve to reinforce what you all should be fully aware of: that Felipe Massa is a 'managed by Jean Todt's son is the only reason he's there let's keep the money in the family' journeyman who has no place in the fastest and greatest team in the world.

I can think of ten drivers I'd like to see in that Ferrari and the little guy who looks and sounds like Nik Nak out of Fantasy Island isn't one of them. He's just not good enough.

You could almost see the language of Journeyman Felipe's car change when Kimi appeared out of the pits in front of him. Why? How? Wha-? Well, Felipe, it's because Kimi was able to stay right with you during that first stint, even in dirty air and with a heavier car, and thereby control the race easily.

You could see evidence of that imperious control even a few moments after the start, when Kimi decided to tuck behind Massa for the first corner rather than battle it out and get ahead. He knew he could own Felipe later, so he just bided his time.

And then he owned him.

This was the only true battle of the Malaysian Grand Prix. Felipe just couldn't go fast enough in the first stint to create the gap required to do his stop and stay in front of Kimi after the Finn's stop. And Kimi's two mighty laps, one of them his in-lap, further nailed the Brazilian. Game over.

Then, the conclusion. Massa, for the second of this year's two Grands Prix, loses the rear end coming out of a corner. Oops. Embarrassing. You've got to control that car now, Felipe, there's no electronic stuff to help you.

Brundle's comment about 'ambition over adhesion' was spot-on. If there's a technical problem there, I'll be surprised. I'll apologise too. But I suspect nothing will be found. He just didn't have the car control. He'll be a proper nightmare in the wet.

Lewis got bad luck. Heikki was solid. Trulli was fast. And Kubica really showed his class, going at a phenomenal pace for lap after lap, doing what Felipe was unable to do - stay on the track.

The bigger picture is interesting, too. Maybe that McLaren isn't quite the tool that Lewis needs to fight Ferrari on equal terms. The Melbourne circuit often gives a skewed picture of performance and maybe it's happened again. Maybe that Ferrari is the car to beat, and Kimi is the only proper driver they've got.

A driver's championship for Kimi might be on the cards, but a constructor's championship might be a little more difficult with just one driver.