Malaysia

So what can we expect from the second race of the season? I think the one word on everyone's mind will be tyres. The Malaysian Grand Prix presents a unique challenge to the teams in the form of extremely high humidity. This teamed with the hot temperatures, which rarely drop below 30'C, not only makes it one of the toughest races on the calendar for the drivers but also causes a very high rate of tyre degregation. Most teams are going into the weekend hoping for a 3 stop race but I wouldn't be surprised to see some drivers opting for 4. So who can we expect to conquer these tough conditions? My obvious candidate for the win would have to be Jenson Button. From practice the McLaren again looks like the car to beat, especially over one lap, albeit in the hands of team mate Lewis, who was fastest in both practice sessions by over 3 tenths of a second. I believe we will be looking at a very similar end result to the weekend as the season opener in Melbourne. Hamilton may have what it takes to secure pole position but will he again be beaten by Button in the race? With Jensons super smooth driving style and his ability to eek out more life from the tyres than his team mate I would not be surprised to see him take his second victory of the season. But what about the Red Bulls? Seb and marks race pace in Australia was very close to the McLarens if not faster at certain stages and the RB8 appeared to be easier on its tyres than the MP4-27. I believe the key to their weekend will be qualifying well enough to allow them to mount a serious challenge to the front runners. If they can do this they will be a serious threat to both McLaren men. One final factor that could seriously influence this weekends result is the rain, Malaysia is well known for its unpredictable weather and this again could decide the winner, with certain drivers thriving in the wet. Will Button use his smooth style to great effect in the dry? Can the Red Bulls give McLaren a run for their money? Only time will tell. But me, I'm hoping for a different outcome, I'm hoping for rain.....