March 22, 2004
Yes, with Qualifying less than 24 hours away, free practice has shown that Michelin appear to have a slight advantage over their Bridgestone rivals.

This could be an important factor come the race, as Bridgestone gained substantially in Melbourne compared to their Michelin rivals, and it was no coincidence that the top two drivers were on Bridgestone tyres.

So, how will things pan out at Sepang?

This circuit requires a lot of knowledge for a driver to get the best out of himself and the car. And he needs even more knowledge in order to consistently get it right! And F1VWC News believes that (in particular) this will be the key to those aiming at points finishes in the second race of the season.

However, power will also be a deciding factor, especially with those two long straights seperated by the hairpin - with over 20 seconds of full throttle action! High speed corners also make it vitally important to have the right set-up, as carrying the speed through the corners will make or break your chance of lapping at a fast pace.

Mapes-VO and MMC Racing (with Honda and BMW) have the powerplants to take advantage of the circuit, but it is Mapes-VO who also have the Michelin tyres. In the hands of Jakonen and Loukasmaki, they will be a force to be reckoned with.

EIRE's Scott Whiteman would appear to have the driving talent to challenge despite lower BHP and maybe a tyre not suited to the circuit.

JTM and Phoenix F1 are expecting big improvements from their drivers - if they are going to challenge the top flight they need to work quickly to find the speed required.

Of course, FinOz were quite the revelation in Australia, and expect the customer Ferrari engine to be helped by their Michelin tyres and a very strong driver pairing. Could Elencevski or Koski challenge for a top 3 race slot?

And SCUM were very pleased to achieve a point in their home Grand Prix - especially as Matt Hunt had so little time to get used to the car.

MMRT are expected to produce a more competitive performance here in Malaysia. Their engine is strong, and as the drivers get used to the car so the speed will come.

Simsoa and Woods Racing had steady results in the last race, but will be looking for a big improvement come the race. Lets see if their Qualifying pace will prove an indicator of things to come.

Puma F1 are hoping to get their revised car on track after the Austrian GP, but they really need to improve their BHP to challenge the teams above them. But "challenge" is the word that needs to be used, and Wagner is showing a good pace from what we saw in Friday free practice.

So, this is how the F1VWC News team see the teams expectations for Sepang. But remember, 100% reliability was gained in the first race - a very unusual occurence. Will that be the case here? Lets watch the race and find out!