Hamilton eases to victory in Malaysia as Mercedes secure back-to-back wins

  • Lewis Hamilton wins the Malaysian Grand Prix from pole position
  • Nico Rosberg finishes second as Mercedes secure top two finish
  • World Champion Sebastian Vettel grabs first podium finish this season
  • Fernando Alonso in fourth, McLaren's Jenson Button sixth
  • Daniel Ricciardo to face ten-place grid penalty for unsafe pit release

By Jonathan McEvoy

PUBLISHED: 04:52 EST, 30 March 2014 | UPDATED: 05:57 EST, 31 March 2014


Elementary, my dear Hamilton. So the demanding task of winning the Malaysian Grand Prix was made to look by the supreme  racing craft of the Briton chasing his second, life-defining, world title.

With victory secured in the suffocating heat of the Sepang track, Lewis Hamilton beamed on the podium as he was interviewed, bizarrely enough, by Sherlock Holmes, aka actor Benedict Cumberbatch.

But what looked like a piffling one-pipe triumph for a driver of Hamilton’s brilliance was a massive statement of intent in what, at this early stage of the season at least, is a private championship duel between the two Mercedes’ men, Hamilton and Nico Rosberg.



My race: Lewis Hamilton celebrates after securing victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix

My race: Lewis Hamilton celebrates after securing victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix

Jump for joy: It was the Brit's first points finish of the season after retiring in Australia two weeks ago

Jump for joy: It was the Brit's first points finish of the season after retiring in Australia two weeks ago

Much deserved: Sebastian Vettel congratulates Lewis Hamilton after he secures first place in Malaysia

Much deserved: Sebastian Vettel congratulates Lewis Hamilton after he secures first place in Malaysia

Celebrity guest: Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch was a surprise interviewer for the drivers after the race

Celebrity guest: Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch was a surprise interviewer for the drivers after the race

Celebrity guest: Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch was a surprised interviewer for the drivers after the race

Sepang
 

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‘Strike One to Lewis,’ was the verdict of Jenson Button, the grid’s most experienced competitor. Yes, the Hamilton-Rosberg tally stands at a single race win each, but Rosberg’s triumph in Melbourne a fortnight ago was achieved after his garage-mate suffered early engine failure.

The statistic of relevance was the 17.3sec gap between Hamilton and Rosberg in second place. That is light years when two men, unimpeded by incident and without any apparent technical faults, are driving identical cars.

Hamilton, who was on pole, started impressively by moving to block Rosberg, who started from directly behind him in third. His advantage established, he merely purred into an ever-increasing lead.

Still, there was the heat, the fuel, the tyres to contend with. We heard how this season would serve-up ‘the hare and the tortoise’ races. Would Hamilton’s hare be caught? No chance. The absence of a safety-car period and no more than the merest  sprinkling of fleeting rain added a sense of inevitability as the 56 laps ticked by.

All too easy: Hamilton comfortably won in Malaysia as Mercedes dominated the race

All too easy: Hamilton comfortably won in Malaysia as Mercedes dominated the race

Comradery: Hamilton and team-mate Nico Rosberg embrace after shutting out the top two places

Comradery: Hamilton and team-mate Nico Rosberg embrace after shutting out the top two places


You can't catch me: Hamilton started well from pole to avoid any collisions with the chasing pack

You can't catch me: Hamilton started well from pole to avoid any collisions with the chasing pack

Podium: Mercedes team-mate Rosberg fought off Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel to take second place

Podium: Mercedes team-mate Rosberg fought off Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel to take second place

Winning from pole is rare for Lewis

Lewis Hamilton shares the British record for number of pole positions with Jim Clark — he has 33 — but he doesn’t usually convert them like on Sunday. He has won just 13 times from pole, including only six victories from his last 21.

RACE                                              
Malaysian 2014 Finished: 1st
Australian 2014 Finished: Retired        
British 2013 Finished: 4th
German 2013 Finished: 5th
Hungarian 2013 Finished: 1st
Belgian 2013 Finished: 3rd
Chinese 2013 Finished: 3rd
Brazilian 2012 Finished: Retired
Abu Dhabi 2012 Finished: Retired
Italian 2012 Finished: 1st
Singapore 2012 Finished: Retired
Hungarian 2012 Finished: 1st
Australian 2012 Finished: 3rd
Malaysian 2012 Finished: 3rd
Korean 2011 Finished: 2nd
Canadian 2010 Finished: 1st
European 2009 Finished: 2nd
Italian 2009 Finished: 12th
Singapore 2009 Finished: 1st
Abu Dhabi 2009 Finished: Retired
Japanese 2008 Finished: 12th
Chinese 2008 Finished: 1st
Belgian 2008 Finished: 3rd
German 2008 Finished: 1st
Hungarian 2008 Finished: 5th
Canadian 2008 Finished: Retired
Australian 2008 Finished: 1st
Japanese 2007 Finished: 1st
Chinese 2007 Finished: Retired
Hungarian 2007 Finished: 1st
British 2007 Finished: 3rd
Canadian 2007 Finished: 1st
United States 2007 Finished: 1st

So Lewis, 17 seconds? ‘It’s massive,’ he said. ‘I can’t remember the last time I had a gap like that, particularly with a team-mate driving the same car. That’s  definitely a good feeling.

‘I learned a few things in practice but it’s a different thing learning it from applying it, but today I applied it and that’s why I blew him away.’

Hamilton’s win was the 23rd of his career, passing Damon Hill’s 22. That accolade went with his 33rd pole on Saturday, which made him the joint British record holder alongside no less a legend than Jim Clark. His perfect weekend was completed by his setting the fastest lap.

It is a delight to watch Hamilton at the wheel in this commanding form. He is simply the fastest man on the planet. As the paddock was being dismantled — next stop Bahrain on Sunday — he summed up his approach to racing.

He said: ‘My trainer was saying in the last few years, “If people could see that you’re always in bed early. Nobody sees that, and they say you’re less focused. And they say Sebastian (Vettel|) is more focused just because he’s getting results.”

‘I’m giving it everything. I’m only thinking about the championship. I’m thinking about winning. I’m living and breathing it, as I do every year.

‘In my driving style, I’m more mature. I’m starting to see the benefits of the mistakes, and the things I’ve said, or the things I’ve done, and I even noticed it today. I am more calculating in the race.’

Rosberg still leads the championship table. In fact, he can follow Hamilton home in the next two races and still lead the table. No wonder Rosberg seemed reasonably unperturbed afterwards. His confidence, apparently at an all-time high prior to the race, is far from being shot.

It is the contention here that the best seasons are shaped by a straight rivalry between team-mates. Think Mansell-Piquet, Prost-Senna, Alonso-Hamilton. Fireworks abounded. Are we in for a repeat treat?

Button’s thoughts are instructive. Even he, the most balanced of drivers, had the odd moment of friction with Rubens Barrichello’s side of the garage in his championship year of 2009.

History: It was Hamilton's 100th points finish in his F1 career

History: It was Hamilton's 100th points finish in his F1 career

Tight: Fernando Alonso had to be on guard in his Ferrari to hold off Force India's Nico Hulkenberg

Tight: Fernando Alonso had to be on guard in his Ferrari to hold off Force India's Nico Hulkenberg

Comfortable: Hamilton crosses the chequered flag

Comfortable: Hamilton crosses the chequered flag

Down to you: Rosberg and Hamilton celebrate with Mercedes team engineer Andrew Shovlin

Down to you: Rosberg and Hamilton celebrate with Mercedes team engineer Andrew Shovlin

‘It matters who the individuals are,’ he said. ‘Nico and Lewis are close as friends but one has won a world championship and the other hasn’t, so that might change things a bit between them. Looking at what Lewis did today is going to hurt (Rosberg) a little bit. He was super-fast.’

In other news, Vettel’s third place was a tribute to Red Bull’s infinite resource and sagacity.

It was impossible, though, not to feel some sympathy for Vettel’s team-mate Daniel Ricciardo. After being disqualified for an alleged fuel-pressure irregularity in Australia, he suffered a broken front wing after being released unsafely from the pit box. That cost him a 10sec stop-go penalty. He retired from the race and will still get a 10-place grid penalty under the new harsh regulations.

Fernando Alonso was fourth, showing that Ferrari could yet enter the fray as serious title  contenders when the European season starts in May.

As for Hamilton, the victor in the first Mercedes one-two since 1955, he said: ‘I’ve already made notes now and will go away the next  couple of days. There’s more to come.’ Stand by.

Mistake: Daniel Ricciardo was forced to retire after an early release from the pit-stop, followed by wing damage

Mistake: Daniel Ricciardo was forced to retire after an early release from the pit-stop, followed by wing damage

Mistake: Daniel Ricciardo was forced to retire after an early release from the pit-stop, followed by wing damage
Down and out: Kimi Raikkonen encountered problems on the first corner, picking up a puncture

Down and out: Kimi Raikkonen encountered problems on the first corner, picking up a puncture

 

 

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All LH can do is drive. He has always driven , now that might seem a truism. The difference this time is that three key factors seem to have set in equilibrium; man, machine and mechanics., the 3Ms. A lot of F1 followers are going to eat humble pie by LH doing what he has always done; drive a F1 car to its maximum potential. Let's watch and admire a master craft-man at work. All this talk of brain vs braun is just a distraction. No idiot is going to be given a multi million £ F1 car. Let's respect all the drivers, every single one of them, they respect each other immensely, because they know what it takes to drive a F1 car. Critique of course, but their endeavours or lack thereof but leave the childish comments and silly little innuendos out. Let's have a civil discussion without those petty insults. Have a great season all.

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All LH can do is drive. He has always driven , now that might seem a truism. The difference this time is that three key factors seem to have set in equilibrium; man, machine and mechanics., the 3Ms. A lot of F1 followers are going to eat humble pie by LH doing what he has always done; drive a F1 car to its maximum potential. Let's watch and admire a master craft-man at work. All this talk of brain vs braun is just a distraction. No idiot is going to be given a multi million £ F1 car. Let's respect all the drivers, every single one of them, they respect each other immensely, because they know what it takes to drive a F1 car. Critique of course, but their endeavours or lack of but leave the childish comments and silly little innuendos out.

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I don't know who will win this year, but one things for certain, those Turbo engines sound flat, and boring.

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WORDS HAVE BEEN TWISTED BY THE DEVIOUS DM................................!!!!!! DONT BUY THIS NONSENSE!!!!!....LH NEVER SAID ANYTHING LIKE THAT.........WHAT CRASS REPORTING!!!!!!..............

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Just watching the highlights, I know Simon Lazenby clearly just said it "He (Lewis) blew him (Rosberg) at the start really". Personally I do not see the problem if Lewis did. It is the truth, if that was the other way around there would be more people in here today rejoying in the fact that Rosberg blew Hamilton away, criticising his driving abilities and more. Seriously, either Lewis blew him away, there was a fault with Rosberg's car or Rosberg was assuming Lewis cannot look after his car....it HAS to be one of those.

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an arrogant comment from Hamilton...now there's a shocker! At least he had nothing to blame his teamon this week i suppose..

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Even if Lewis did say that, which i seriously doubt. Its the truth so who cares, oh yeh some know body from London thats who.

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Optic_DeathStroke, Los Santos, United Kingdom, 5 minutes ago, we watched it, we saw it, he blew him away so how can it be an arrogant comment, harsh, but not arrogant. The arrogance was Rosberg thinking he could look after his car better than Hamilton. That is also a probablity to why he never stuck with Lewis's pace, him possibly thinking Lewis would destroy his tyres and use too much fuel, after all he has been told this for month. Yeah, I believe Hamilton is the better racer, but for a 1-2 finish that gap was too big.

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Mercedes blew everyone away and Lewis blew nico away, pole sitter, fastest lap by a second and 17 seconds ahead of nico with the same machinery, but on top of that he used less fuel than nico, managed his tyres better. Awesome stuff !

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Yawn yawn yawn...F1 is the most boring racing on TV. Did anyone get overtaken, or was it all sorted I the pits again, maybe it was team orders....who knows, who cares.

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Disagree with Ricciardo getting the penalty - I agree it was an unsafe release but the equipment told him to go and in that split second he went - it would be fairer for the team (constructor) to have a fine/penalty imposed and their equipment checked (maybe everyone's could create the same fault) than the driver being punished for doing nothing wrong.

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A non-deserving and at the same time a ridiculous (double!) penalty by FIA

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A perfect race weekend from Lewis. Pole position in qualifying, dominated the race from start to finish, used less fuel than all the drivers and managed his tyres better than his team mate. Not the most exciting of races yet again but i do think when the other teams like Red Bull, Ferrari catch up with Merc we might see more racing.

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There's a lot of so called fans who still want to not recognise Hamilton's achievements. That's a pity, the man is breaking records and has certainly helped Mercedes to up their game since his arrival. Lets get behind Britain's best F1 driver, all this support from DM for Rosberg just doesn't make sense.

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What the driver who has had the best training ever in the best car ever from day one. and now in another team with the best car. Oh wow he won. He has only ever won in a capable car ever put him in a Torro Rosso with a Vttel or Ricardo and watch him come in at the back with Ricardo or a vettel fighting them up front. The Ham is just a spoilt overrated middle of the road driver fortunate for one reason only to have got the best drives from the word go.

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