Held on 29th March 2015 at the Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, this race was the second round of the 2015 Formula One Championship. Going into the weekend, Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes was leading the Drivers’ Championship, followed by his teammate, Nico Rosberg and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel.
The Mercedes cars topped all three practice sessions over the weekend, with Ferrari close behind, making it look like a Mercedes victory was imminent.
In Q1, the McLarens of Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso were knocked out with the Sauber of Felipe Nasr who had issues with the balance of his car. Both Manor-Marussia cars also did not make it out of Q1.
Rosberg managed to complete a fast lap on the dry track before the rain started. No other car managed to do this, meaning their laps were much slower due to the wet conditions. The rain only became worse over the course of the session. Most cars were unable to improve on their first time of Q2.
After the rain stopped before the beginning of Q3, the cars ventured onto the track in intermediate tyres for the final round of qualifying. Hamilton took pole, followed by the Ferrari of Vettel and the other Mercedes of Rosberg in third position.
The race on Sunday was rather tumultuous, mainly thanks to the high temperatures on track that day. On lap one, Kimi Raikkonen and Pastor Maldonado suffered punctures following contact with other cars. By lap four, there was a safety car due to a spin from Marcus Ericsson leading to his retirement from the race. In the end, after great battles with the Mercedes, Vettel won the race. This was Ferrari’s first win since the Spain 2013.
Vettel’s teammate, Raikkonen had a brilliant Sunday race, driving through the field from eleventh place up to fourth despite the puncture his car suffered on lap one. This result only increased the Ferrari celebrations.
What races would you like to see us cover next on Flashback Friday? Leave your comments below.
Written by Alexandra.
Featured Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
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