Qualifying
The weather provided numerous high-profile casualties during the early period of the session, as both McLaren and Ferrari drivers inexplicably opted to remain in their garages while the rest of the field set banker laps, before the rain arrived. By the time they made their way onto the track, the rain had set in, and it proved impossible to complete a lap good enough to make it into Q2. Jenson Button had set a lap time that was good enough to advance from Q1, but he ended up beached in the gravel, meaning that he would not take his place in Q2. "We learned a lesson there, because we almost got caught out," he said. "It [the radar] was so definitive that there wouldn't be any rain for the rest of the session.
Race
At the start, Sebastian Vettel starting from third, got past Nico Rosberg immediately on the straight, and at the first corner came up the inside of polesitter and teammate Mark Webber to take the lead. Webber challenged in the next corner but Vettel held firm. Robert Kubica and Michael Schumacher also gained two places, and were fourth and sixth respectively. Rubens Barrichello who started seventh stalled on the grid and was last at the end of the first lap. Both McLarens and both Ferraris char... Hamilton was on a charge, and soon was up to 10th within 4 laps, passing a car a lap. The Ferraris and Button could not get past Sébastien Buemi 's Toro Rosso and were stuck with Massa 14th, Alonso 15th (having passed Button) and Button 16th. On the fifth lap, Hamilton passed Vitaly Petrov for ninth at the final turn, but Petrov came back at him at the back straight and regained the position. Two laps later, Hamilton once again passed Petrov at the final corner, however then weaved 4 times from ... Kobayashi, Schumacher and Liuzzi retired in quick succession on laps 8,9 and 12 with engine, loose wheel nut and throttle failures respectively. This left the top 10 as: Vettel, Webber, Rosberg, Kubica, Sutil, Hülkenberg, Hamilton, Jaime Alguersuari , Massa and Alonso. Button had passed Alonso on lap 9, but then immediately pitted to change to the harder tyres. He was the first man to pit. He resumed on a clear track, and immediately set the fastest lap of the race, with a 1:41.044. Hülken... The three drivers who started on hard tyres—Hamilton, Massa, and Alonso—were the only top drivers who had not pitted. Massa pitted on lap 27 from sixth and rejoined ninth, just ahead of Hülkenberg. Massa, on the softs, and with clear track, immediately went over a second quicker than anyone else. On lap 28, he set a 1:38.002, a second and a half faster than the previous fastest lap. Hamilton followed suit, pitting on lap 31 from second. He rejoined seventh, just ahead of teammate Button. He imme... Massa passed Button on lap 46 at the first corner, taking seventh place. He set about closing in on Hamilton, who was unable to pass Sutil. His lap times decreased by a second, but his tyres were 20 laps old, and he did not go as quickly as he had before. Alonso had been battling a gearbox problem for the entire race, and this affected his ability to pass Button. He made an attempt on lap 48, and then on the penultimate lap of the race, tried at Turn 1 and went wide. Alonso's engine then blew up... Notes:
Race Result
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Part 1 | Part 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Mark Webber | Red Bull-Renault | 1:51.886 | 1:48.210 |
| 2 | 4 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:52.560 | 1:47.417 |
| 3 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull-Renault | 1:47.632 | 1:46.828 |
| 4 | 14 | Adrian Sutil | Force India-Mercedes | 1:49.479 | 1:47.085 |
| 5 | 10 | Nico Hülkenberg | Williams-Cosworth | 1:49.664 | 1:47.346 |
| 6 | 11 | Robert Kubica | Renault | 1:46.283 | 1:46.951 |
| 7 | 9 | Rubens Barrichello | Williams-Cosworth | 1:50.301 | 1:48.371 |
| 8 | 3 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | 1:52.239 | 1:48.400 |
| 9 | 23 | Kamui Kobayashi | BMW Sauber-Ferrari | 1:48.467 | 1:47.792 |
| 10 | 15 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Force India-Mercedes | 1:49.922 | 1:48.238 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
The rain, a persistent companion throughout qualifying, dictated the rhythm of the day. Webber's calculated gamble with the intermediate compound, a deliberate defiance of the darkening skies, yielded a crucial advantage. Red Bull's engine, a 90-degree V8 displacing 2. 0 liters, delivered 670 horsepower – a potent force on the slick track. McLaren, with their MP4-24, struggled to adapt, the team's tire selection proving a critical misstep in this demanding environment.
Webber's calculated gamble with the intermediate compound – a decision echoing similar tactical maneuvers from the nascent years of the sport, back when tyre management was a far more precarious art – secured him the coveted pole. Observe, the Red Bull team achieved a one-two finish, a statistic mirroring their dominance in the preceding Brazilian Grand Prix, and highlighting a pattern of calculated aggression. This win elevated Vettel to the top of the championship standings, demonstrating a trajectory that would ultimately define the 2010 season.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
The rain, a relentless, bruising deluge, threatened to swallow Sepang whole. Webber, a calculated risk etched onto his face, wrestled the Red Bull through the spray, a gamble rewarded with undeniable dominance. This, you see, echoes the daring of Fangio's early triumphs – a master reading the elements, a willingness to gamble when others faltered. The McLaren team, however, faced a stark contrast, battling a strategic misstep that mirrored the turbulent political landscape of the time, a nation grappling with change, a nation wrestling with its identity. The margin separating these titans is a microcosm of the larger struggles of the decade, a testament to precision and, perhaps, a touch of ruthlessness.
A persistent drizzle clung to the Sepang air, a damp shroud mirroring perhaps, the anxieties of McLaren's team principal, Erik Fryke. He watched, brow furrowed, as Webber wrestled his Red Bull into a dominant position, the young German's calculated aggression a stark contrast to the cautious maneuvering of Lewis Hamilton. The shift to intermediates, a gamble orchestrated by the Austrian team, paid dividends – a testament to the relentless data analysis that now defines this era. This wasn't merely a victory; it was a statement.