More rain expected at Sepang

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The F1 teams move from Australia to Malaysia for this weekend’s race but it looks like they won’t escape the rain.

Scattered thunderstorms are forecast throughout the Malaysian Grand Prix weekend.

As we saw last year and in 2001, these can be heavy enough to stop the race. Last year the combination of a heavy rain storm and the late race start time meant the race couldn’t be completed.

The Malaysian Grand Prix starts one hour earlier than it did last year, which should help it avoid the kind of thunderstorms which are common in the region in the early evening. The race starts at 4pm local time on Sunday, qualifying begins at 5pm the day before.

Along with the chance of rain the teams face the usual Malaysian weather – hot temperatures and punishing humidity. This creates problems for the drivers – who have to keep drinking throughout the race to replenish lost minerals – and the cars, which need extra vents for cooling and may need to keep out of the slipstream of rival cars.

Temperatures are expected to be in the mid-thirties throughout the race weekend.

Check the links below for more on this weekend’s weather in Sepang. If you’re in the area and can tell us what the weather’s like, please let us know in the comments:

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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60 comments on “More rain expected at Sepang”

  1. Most of the weather reports from Malaysia say late rain with a chance of thunder, fairly common phenomenon during their spring season. You’d have to imagine rain hitting at a late stage of the race, and hitting hard if the storms come in.

  2. Now there is a surprise!

  3. the rain can make things interestin (but it hides f1’s problems) but i don’twant to c the race stopped again because of heavy rain. Having said that i think especially with tike’s super safe circuits (not a fan!) the dives should he made struggle on through the really bad conditions as they are supposed to be the best in the world!

    1. the drivers should be

  4. Does McLaren’s snorkel work in monsoon? Cos if it is, they will finish in 1-2.

    1. Prisoner Monkeys
      30th March 2010, 12:09

      Actually, Jenson Button reckons the circuit will not suit McLaren as well as Albert Park did.

      1. I’m guessing it was a joke on snorkels being handy underwater?

        1. Definately a joke (and a good one too)

      2. I think it will be fine, because of the long 2 straights.

  5. wong chin kong
    30th March 2010, 11:48

    I live in Malaysia. In this inter-monsoon season, heavy rain with thunderstorms quite common in the early afternoon and can last until late evening. Local residents can tell whether it rains or not by just looking at cloud formation, no need weather man. When it pours, it really pours by bucketfuls. Sepang track poorly equipped for fast drainage of water. Button should revel in this climate as he did last year.

    1. And Vettel? And Hamilton?

      1. And Schumacher?

  6. Rain is either a blessing (verstappen 2001) or a curse (2009 race). Let’s hope its a blessing.

  7. A track where Ferrari and RedBull will/should/could/can do well. But it will be another ‘thinking mans’ race IMO.

  8. So if rain is expected will we see Sutil, Button, Hamilton and Schumacher dicing it out with Vettel for the top places?
    Maybe the backmarkers can get somewhere as well. I remember Glock not being to bad in the rain as well.

    Lets just hope, that it does not rain like last year, that was a bit of a let down, 1 hour of waiting while FOM played theatre to keep everybody on screen not to lose audience.
    At least the start time is moved back, so it wont be dark that soon.

  9. “So if rain is expected will we see Sutil, Button, Hamilton and Schumacher dicing it out with Vettel for the top places?”

    Probably, but it’s certainly not limited to those drivers and they have qualifying to get through first.

    The RedBulls were certainly the fastest cars in the wet at last years race, despite Button managing to win it. But I wouldn’t be counting out the likes of Schumacher in a Mercedes just yet, wet or dry!

  10. Rain would be nice but I really don’t want red flags again but it would be worth it if the race turned out as chaotic as 09!

    1. 2009 Malaysia was quite interesting. U should watch 1991 Australia someday :)

        1. You know, That commentary is great, you have Murray with the excitement, and notice how his descriptions make sure you know what is going on all along the field, (grumbles at the numpty legard)

          And notice how despite having giant wings at the back of the car, they can follow perfectly fine? It is possible Oo

          See the Marshals on the track? Blimey that’s brave!

          Murry says “That’s the 4th retirement we know about” lol ^^

  11. Rain always makes for an exciting race. If you want to make F1 more interesting, then all you have to do is make it mandatory for atleast 1 rain shower each race!

  12. Can anyone call when last time was boring rain race? I cant. So I really hope there will be a lot of rain this weekend. The best would be, if it is just a little bit less then last year, so race wont be stopped :)

    1. China last year wasn’t anything special, and neither was Fuji ’07. I dont think rain alone makes for an exciting race, its when it goes from dry to wet or vice versa.

      1. Last China: 2 Safety cars, Trulli and Piquet (?) crash, Sutil retires 5 laps before finish from 6th, Fernando and Nico fighting from down, Webber’s Button’s fight…

        1. People spinning off is not really exciting though

      2. Agreed, I think the best races tend to be ones that start wet; slowly dry only for it to rain again in the closing laps.

        1. As it was 2008 Brasil. Remember Glock didnt change tyres and later become enmie for all ferrari fans…

      3. DanThorn- What?! They were both amazing races. Even while the safety car was out at Fuji 07 there was more excitement than in the average dry race.

  13. Kubica and Rosberg are on the up.
    They could provide a nice change at the front.
    Rosberg drove well last year, Kubica is in good mood after 2nd place. All the top drivers, maybe apart from Massa, are pretty good in rain.

  14. There are many cars and drivers capable of winning in MaLaysia, particular if conditions are similar to Oz. This party hasn’t started yet!

  15. I was just wondering… If there is a dry Q3, and wet race, then TOP10 goes into pits fter first lap, and P11 becomes leader :D Am i right?

    1. If it is a dry Q3 but a wet race the top 10 will just start with wet tyres, just like they started with inters in Australia, and if it is a wet qualifying and dry race they will be allowed to start on dry tyres.

      1. thanks. thats good, cause otherwise Top3 would be Sutil, Buemi and Petrov

    2. No, if it’s wet they are all permitted to change tyres on the grid, and the requirement to use two different compounds is dropped.

      1. That could have been interesting….

  16. I will be watching this race on the hillside – looks like even a poncho is not going to be enough to keep me dry! :)

  17. row,row,row your boat gently dont sepang, merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily , turn 1 will be a dream :D.

  18. Hope for some but not the boating weather of last year

    1. Branson has Guinness record for fastest La Manche crossing in amphibious car. He can make Di Grassi’s and Glock’s cars for a boats :D

  19. If it’s going to monsoon it down I’d rather it didn’t wait until 75% distance when they can red flag it and call it a day early with full points…

    At least if it monsoons down earlier than that with the race an hour forward there should be enough time (or more pertinently light) to restart it and try aim for the full distance.

  20. Hardly surprising Schumacher won in 2001 when he put on intermediates then petitioned race control not to restart the race because it was too wet!

    By the time the race restarted, everyone’s wet tyres were shot and not suitable for track conditions.

    I somehow think he’ll have less luck with these days, especially people can defend a corner against him (Alguersuari) and don’t get an instant penalty like Montoya used to get.

  21. It has been raining almost daily in Singapore. I expect the same at Malaysia.

    1. If only it rains in September evenings when the F1 circus shows up at Marina Bay as well… :D

  22. East Londoner
    30th March 2010, 16:12

    Good. Looks like we are in for a good race at Malaysia unless it gets flooded like last year.

  23. If it rains again this year, hopefully we will see members of the crowd to slide down the wet hills. Last year, that was hilarious.

    1. I wasn’t meant to write “to” in between “crowd” and “slide”.

      1. ok we get it. It was really funny. But what else do they had to do, if race was cancelled :D

        1. They could have just left.

  24. What happens if Qualifiying gets rained out??

    1. what u mean by rained out?

      1. re post…Sorry when I say “rained out” i mean totally red flagged…like unable to hold/start/finish a qualifying session would the grid postions be set by practice times?

        1. Robert McKay
          1st April 2010, 12:49

          It’s a reasonable question…

          The only precedent I can remember is Japanese GP qualifying being postponed due to Typhoon Ma-on (I think…). Think they ran it on Sunday morning instead.

          With no warm-up, don’t see why they couldn’t do that again. And there’s not loads of supports at Sepang that have to be moved out of the way.

          Not great for TV, but exceptional circumstances, innit…

  25. The way the weather’s been going for the past couple weeks, I would be very suprised if we dont get our umbrellas out!

    Its been raining almost everyday for the past week..hell it looks like its gonna rain now!..and its morning!

    I think regardless of the timing, due to the El Nino weather system thats passing through, the weather will be extremely unpredictable.

  26. rain… woohoooo…

  27. The weather underground link is the weather for Kuala Lumper, that’s about 60km from the Sepang circuit. WUnderground doesn’t have a predicition for the Selangor area.

  28. definitely cheering for rain once again ! Aussie GP was just so exciting and craving more of it!

  29. Sorry when I say “rained out” i mean totally red flagged…like unable to hold/start/finish a qualifying session would the grid postions be set by practice times?

  30. Has anyone check a link to the KL airport weather radar from memory its pretty close to the track?

  31. It’s very close to the circuit.

  32. It seems like the wet races will only provide any good racing than a dry one.But I hope the rain is not torrential.

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