2012 Malaysian Grand Prix

Championship standings

Button leads the championship on 25 points after Australia. Vettel is second on 18, Hamilton third on 15, Webber fourth on 12, and Alonso fifth on 10.

Previous race

Button won the season opener in Australia from Vettel and Hamilton — McLaren’s first win since the 2012 car was unveiled. Ferrari struggled throughout the Melbourne weekend, with Alonso and Massa finishing fifth and sixth.

Between-race developments

Debate continued after Australia over the legality of the Mercedes F1 W03’s rear wing, which incorporates an F-duct system acting on the front wing. Red Bull and Lotus had requested a final FIA ruling before Sepang; on Thursday, the FIA rejected all illegality claims and declared the car legal. Lotus confirmed they would not appeal the decision.

A fire broke out in the Lotus F1 paddock early on Saturday morning, starting from an electrical fault in a refrigerator. The hospitality unit and kitchen were destroyed; there were no injuries.

Penalties

Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham) carries a five-place grid penalty for overtaking under safety car conditions in Australia. Kimi Räikkönen (Lotus) has a five-place penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change made after Friday practice.

Entrants

Valtteri Bottas, Williams’ test driver, replaces Bruno Senna for the first practice session.

Ferrari has prepared a new F2012 chassis for Felipe Massa, citing “unusual performance” from his Melbourne car.

Practice

Hamilton topped both Friday sessions. In FP2 he set a time just 0.1 seconds slower than his FP1 benchmark; Schumacher was second and Button third. Ferrari struggled significantly throughout the day — Alonso was fifteenth in FP1, sixth in FP2, and Massa thirteenth in both sessions.

FP3 ran in damp conditions following light rain during the GP2 support race. Rosberg led the session ahead of Vettel and Webber; Alonso finished thirteenth and Massa sixteenth.

Weather

Heavy rain is forecast for race morning, with an air temperature of 26°C.