Preview - Malaysian Grand Prix 2006.

As is the case with buses, you wait months for a Grand Prix and then two come along at once, with Formula One heading to Malaysia for the second round of the year just a week after the season opener in Bahrain.

The order has been established, with the usual suspects emerging at the front and Ferrari seemingly on the way back after Michael Schumacher impressed on his way to the podium.

However, while some teams have reason to be cheerful heading into the Sepang race this weekend, others will be more than concerned after the results in the Middle East - with Toyota in particular needing to raise their game quickly in order to meet pre-season expectations.

Time for Crash.net to look forward to the second race of what already looks set to be an exciting and dramatic season...

FIA F1 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP NEWS:

World Champion Fernando Alonso started the new season as he ended 2005 last weekend with victory in the season-opening Bahrain Grand Prix - edging out Schumacher after a race long duel. For Kimi Raikkonen it was a case of what might have been after he secured the final podium place despite starting from the back of the grid.

While Mark Webber, Nico Rosberg and the Williams Cosworth combination prove to be among the stars of the opening race, there is less to shout about at Toyota after a disastrous race where both Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli are well down the order - clearly the Cologne based team has work to do to get the new car on the pace.

The new qualifying format receives the thumbs up from many in the paddock, being branded as 'exciting', 'the best qualifying format that we have ever had' and 'exactly what was missing in recent years' amongst other things.

However some have suggested that minor tweaks could be made, with MF1 driver Tiago Monteiro saying that the opening session could be longer - 15 minutes not being long to get clear track to post a good lap-time with 22 cars on the circuit - and Frank Williams and Ron Dennis suggesting that changes could be made to the final 20 minute segement, with much of the time in Bahrain having been spent watching drivers burn off fuel in order to post a quick lap right at the death.

Seemingly popular with fans, the new system will feature for the second time this weekend - although history shows that changes could always be made in the future.

NEWS FROM THE TEAMS:

Renault - Fernando Alonso (#1), Giancarlo Fisichella (#2):

Alonso made the perfect start to his title defence in Bahrain after battling with Michael Schumacher and the Spaniard is understandably in confident mood as the action shifts to Malaysia - the circuit where he claimed the first win of his title winning season.

"Sepang has always been one of my favourite driver's circuits, and I seem to have important moments of my career there too - my first pole and podium in 2003, and the first win of my championship in 2005," he said. "I am arriving on the back of a win, at a super circuit, so I am very happy and hopefully we can win again.

"Traditionally, this is a strong track for Renault. As we thought from testing, there are four teams fighting to win at any type of circuit - Honda, McLaren, Ferrari and Renault. We can all win races, so it will be a fun time in the coming weeks."

As was the case during 2005, the bad luck with the Renault team hit team-mate Fisichella in Bahrain, as he was forced to retire with a hydraulic issue - an engine problem having already affected his display in qualifying.

However, while the Italian's disappointment was evident to anyone listening to the pit-to-car radio in Bahrain, Fisi remains optimistic ahead of the Malaysian race.

"I am very positive," he said. "Last year, I won the first race then had a difficult season. This year, I hope it will be the other way round - a bad race then a lot of good results! I will have a fresh engine in Malaysia, and we know that it was not a problem with the V8 itself.

"My approach will be the same: to try and go for the win. I think the Sepang circuit will suit our strong points with the R26, maybe more than Bahrain. It has all the characteristics we believe suit our package.

McLaren - Kimi Raikkonen (#3), Juan Pablo Montoya (#4):

In much the same way that bad luck at Renault always seems to hit Fisichella, problems at McLaren invariably affect Kimi Raikkonen - with a dramatic suspension failure during the opening phase of qualifying in Bahrain ruining what could otherwise have been a winning weekend for the Finn.

Raikkonen showed that the new MP4-21 is quick as he stormed through the field with a heavy fuel load and he will aim to use that pace to full effect in Malaysia, as long as luck isn't against him again.

"My race in Bahrain showed that the MP4-21 is a competitive car," he said. "Despite the heavy fuel load I had for most of the race compared to the cars around me, it was quick. I now want to get back on track in Malaysia and have a better qualifying session, so that I can improve on my finishing position in Bahrain."

Team-mate Montoya will hope to benefit from an improved set-up on his car for the second race of the year after he was only able to finish fifth in Bahrain although he acknowledges that there are a number of factors that make Malaysia a tough race to predict - not least from a weather point of view.

"Humidity is a major factor, Malaysia is a really punishing race physically," he said. "It gets so hot in the cockpit, up to 50 degrees centigrade and you lose a lot of fluid, up to four litres, during the race alone. The tropical climate means that it could rain at any minute, so that is always a bit unpredictable, particularly because when it rains in Malaysia, it really rains!"

Ferrari - Michael Schumacher (#5), Felipe Massa (#6):

A car that wasn't on the pace during the off-season and rumours about his future were all put to one side in Bahrain as Michael Schumacher stormed to pole position at Sakhir and then enjoyed a race long battle with Fernando Alonso for victory - only losing out when Renault plumped for a superior strategy that saw the Spaniard emerge just ahead following his final stop.

It was a performance that leaves the team even more desperate to take that extra step back to the top of the podium, with the pace of the 248F1 having been good enough to take the fight to the Renault and Honda cars that had been the stars of winter testing.

Schumacher was born a winner and he will surely be amongst the challengers again this weekend while team-mate Felipe Massa will be keen to make better use of his undoubted speed - a spin and lengthy pit-stop leaving him with a ninth place finish in the Middle East.

However the Brazilian could face a grid penalty with Ferrari believed to be considering an engine change ahead of the Malaysian weekend - something that would put the former Sauber driver on the back foot and with work to do come race day.

Toyota - Ralf Schumacher (#7), Jarno Trulli (#8):

Much was expected of Toyota heading into the opening race of the year, but Ralf Schumacher and Jarno Trulli failed to deliver in spectacular style. Reliability wasn't an issue for the new TF106 but the two drivers simply didn't have the car underneath them to launch any kind of a challenge - team principal Tsutomu Tomita describing it as a 'shocking way to start the year'.

With only a week between the opening two races of the year, Toyota admit that the chances of a return to form this weekend in Malaysia are slight with engine technical director Luca Marmorini stating that it will take time to rectify the problems that had emerged in the Middle East.

"Obviously the Bahrain Grand Prix was a major disappointment to everyone in the team because we were not where we hoped we would be," he said. "But the season is long and we will be pushing to improve our performance. Sepang may come a bit soon to have any major impact but we have at least collected data from the Bahrain weekend that should help us."

Both drivers know that a challenging weekend lies ahead, with Trulli admitting that improvements have to be made in the coming races. After the jubilation of last season, the fact he will be unable to challenge at the front - barring a miraculous change in fortunes - means a difficult weekend is in store for the Italian

"Last year's race was my favourite of the entire season, when we were able to take Toyota's first podium," he said. "Of course our form in Bahrain suggests that this year's race will be much harder. We were expecting a better start but now we have to work to improve our performance. Of course we cannot change much in time for Malaysia but hopefully we can keep up the learning process with the aim of moving up over the next few races."

Williams F1 - Mark Webber (#9), Nico Rosberg (#10):

Williams displayed an impressive turn of pace in Bahrain, with Rosberg celebrating his first F1 start by scoring points despite early problems and also posting the fastest lap of the race - drawing praise from F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone in the process.

Despite that, the FW28 will benefit from several upgrades in Malaysia as part of an aggressive development programme that will continue throughout the season. As such, the team has developed aero upgrades for the cars' sidepods, as well as for the chimney winglets, while the cars will also run with several revised mechanical components aimed at raising the overall competitiveness of the car for the coming races.

Rosberg benefited in Bahrain from having raced in the Middle East during his time in GP2, but that past experience will be missing this weekend in Malaysia.

"I haven't driven at Sepang before so it's a new circuit I'm going to have to learn quickly," he said. "although I will do a few more laps in the practice sessions than in Bahrain in order to prepare myself. I've driven it on the simulator, though, and from that I think it's going to be a track I'll enjoy."

Team-mate Webber also scored solid points in Bahrain and will be keen to try and repeat that in the second race of the year.

"Malaysia is always a big test for the car and a big test for the drivers," he said. "Traditionally, it's a really warm race and the weather can be really inconsistent as well. The circuit is absolutely amazing, there are all types of corners, and it's a track I really enjoy driving a Formula One car on. It's the second race of the year, and I hope we can get another good result after the strong start we made in Bahrain."

Honda Racing F1 - Rubens Barrichello (#11), Jenson Button (#12):

Button started the season on solid form in Bahrain with a fourth place finish, although it could have been better for the Briton had he not suffered a poor start to the race.

However, as expected, the Honda RA106 was a quick car and Button will aim to take full advantage of that pace at a circuit where he claimed his maiden F1 podium in 2004.

"Having finished fourth at the Bahrain Grand Prix, which is the highest position we've finished in at the first race of a season, I am really looking forward to showing what we can do at the next race," he said. "It's reassuring that we come away from Bahrain knowing that we genuinely have the pace to compete with the other top teams. Our car should work well at every circuit this year but particularly at hot races like Malaysia where the conditions are very well suited to our tyres.

"The Malaysian Grand Prix holds fond memories for me because it is where I achieved my first podium in Formula One. I enjoy racing there as it has a lot of quick, flowing corners as well as some really fast straights. I think we can expect another exciting race this weekend."

Team-mate Barrichello meanwhile will look to try and kick-start his Honda career after a problematic debut in Bahrain saw the Brazilian come home 15th after his car developed a gearbox problem.

"It was a disappointing way to finish my first race for the team but in the early stages we saw a taste of our potential," he said. "Jenson and I had a great race with each other early on which I'm sure got a few people excited!

"I hope that Malaysia will be where my season really gets started. The track is one of the best in terms of layout and I think it will suit our package well. There are also
some good overtaking opportunities. Obviously it's one of the most physically demanding races because of the heat and humidity but we're well prepared for that. I think we will have a much better race here."

Red Bull Racing - David Coulthard (#14), Christian Klien (#15):

Having failed to complete a race distance during the off-season, no-one was sure what to expect from Red Bull Racing heading into the opening race of the year, but Coulthard and Klien both finished inside the top ten in Bahrain - Klien taking points and only losing out on seventh place to a charging Nico Rosberg in the closing stages.

Coulthard suffered from a flat-spotted tyre in Bahrain and also from a lack of straight line speed which hampered his challenge, but reliability wasn't an issue form the new Red Bull-Ferrari package and that is something that the Scot will aim to use to his full advantage in Malaysia. However, an engine problem after Bahrain means DC will take a ten place grid penalty after qualifying this weekend, although sporting director Christian Horner said an engine change might not be all bad.

"In these extremely hot conditions, a new engine might be a blessing in disguise," he said. "Exchanging ten places on the grid for a new engine may be no bad thing."

Klien did suffer from a clutch problem during the Bahrain race but as Horner was keen to point out, the team had taken both cars to the finish and now has something to build on going to Sepang this weekend.

BMW Sauber - Nick Heidfeld (#16), Jacques Villeneuve (#17):

Sepang plays host to one of the most important races of the season for the BMW Sauber F1 with Malaysia the home of main sponsor Petronas.

Bahrain was a tough start for the team, with Villeneuve suffering a spectacular engine failure and Heidfeld only able to finish twelfth - getting a reprimand from the FIA for an incident with David Coulthard in the process.

Sepang is regarded as one of the hottest races on the calendar, but Heidfeld isn't worried by that fact heading into the weekend.

"Basically I don't have a problem with that," he said. "Last year I started from tenth place and made it onto the podium - for me it was one of the most exciting races ever. I had some tough duels and a lot of fun. We have experienced some incredible cloudbursts in Sepang, but I can live with that as I basically enjoy driving on a wet track. So far, I've managed quite well in Malaysia whatever the conditions."

Team-mate Villeneuve meanwhile remains confident of putting on a good display in front of Petronas in the second round of the year.

"Malaysia will be a very busy grand prix for the BMW Sauber F1 Team because it's the home race of our main sponsor Petronas," he said. "The track is quite interesting and physically very demanding because of its long high-speed corners that generate high lateral g- forces. All this takes place in high ambient temperatures with an extreme humidity, which means that you really need to be physically well prepared. I am confident for the race."

MF1 Racing - Tiago Monteiro (#18), Christijan Albers (#19):

It was a troublesome start for MF1 Racing in Bahrain with Albers forced out early and Monteiro also hit by problems but, having spent the week solving the technical problems that plagued both race cars at Sakhir, Midland are cautiously optimistic of demonstrating the reliability and pace it believes it is capable of this weekend in Malaysia.

Monteiro says that he is looking forward to returning to a circuit he enjoyed last year while Albers is hopeful that the problems of last week will have been rectified.

"The guys are working really hard to overcome the problems we experienced last weekend, and hopefully we'll be OK," he said. "We're pushing like hell to improve and I'm just anxious to get my first race lap of the season out of the way. After that, I can concentrate on getting into a good rhythm and putting all this hard work to good use."

Those views are echoed by head of race and test engineering Dominic Harlow who feels the team will be well suited to the challenging conditions expected in Malaysia.

"Like Bahrain, it's a very hot environment here - it's one of the main features of this circuit," he said. "In terms of our car performance, we'll be looking to improve on Bahrain, obviously. We weren't happy with what happened there, with a lack of reliability in the race, so we'll address those issues. We expect pretty good performance from the package in these conditions, that's for sure. We think we're well suited to the hot climate with what we're bringing here.

Scuderia Toro Rosso - Vitantonio Liuzzi (#20), Scott Speed (#21):

As expected, Toro Rosso took quite a few headlines in Bahrain with its restricted V10 engines - particularly in the Friday practice sessions when third driver Neel Jani and Vitantonio Liuzzi both posted times near the front.

While strong reliability from the front runners meant that the team wasn't able to score points from its first weekend of competition, Liuzzi was close to a top ten finish and Speed produced a solid debut performance to finish 13th - raising questions among some of the other paddock members about the strength of the Cosworth engine.

Straight line speed was something STR benefited from during the opening race of the year and on the long straights in Malaysia it could become a bone of contention again this weekend. With high temperatures meaning reliability could be a key factor in proceedings, STR could be a good bet to score points for the first time this weekend.

Super Aguri F1 - Takuma Sato (#22), Yuji Ide (#23):

Having done next to no mileage before the weekend, Super Aguri produced a miraculous performance in Bahrain to take at least one car to the finish as Takuma Sato completed the race as the final finisher in 18th.

Although four laps down on race winner Fernando Alonso, it was an encouraging debut for the team as Sato overcome a number of problems - most notably during the pit-stops - to make the finish and bodes well for later in the season when the team will have its own car rather than one based on a modified four year old chassis.

"The SA05 race car had never completed more than ten laps before we reached," he said. "The fact that we were able to finish the race on a challenging track and in tough conditions shows that the car is reliable. Malaysia will be very physically demanding for Yuji and myself as drivers and also for the cars in the heat and humid conditions.

"We need to continue working hard this week so that we can start to improve in every area, but I was happy with our result in Bahrain today and I am looking forward to another solid race in Sepang next week."

Team-mate Ide was unable to make the finish in Bahrain, but he is looking forward to Sepang - having competed in Malaysia in the past.

"I really wanted to finish my first Formula One race but I did not get the opportunity so I really wish that I finish the race in Malaysia," he said. "I have raced in Sepang when I was driving in Formula Nippon and I like the country very much so now I am looking forward to returning there to race as a Formula One driver."

TYRES:

Michelin started 2006 they finished 2005 with victory in Bahrain thanks to Fernando Alonso and Renault. Last year the French tyre manufacturer took a clean sweep of the top six positions at Sepang and Michelin F1 director Nick Shorrock said he was confident of challenging strongly again this time around.

"The second race of the season takes place in something of a Formula One hotspot. It will be a very demanding weekend for tyre manufacturers," he said. "Several long straights put quite a strain on rear tyres, but sustained ambient heat is the biggest factor. We have done a lot of preparatory work, though, and obtained encouraging results during a pre-season test in hot conditions at the Bahrain International Circuit, where we won last weekend's opening race. We expect things to be much warmer in Malaysia and will turn to slightly more rigid tyre constructions.

"Given our winning start to the season, I'm confident we will perform very strongly once again."

Bridgestone meanwhile head to Malaysia in confident mood after securing pole position and fastest lap in Bahrain, while Ferrari and Williams both picked up points from the weekend.

"The Bridgestone Motorsport team has come away from the Bahrain Grand Prix greatly encouraged," director of motorsport Hiroshi Yasukawa said. "I also think the new qualifying format has really spiced things up for the teams and fans. From our point of view we know there is still a lot of hard work to come yet but it was a fantastic way to start the season. I am very impressed with the potential amongst our five teams and anticipate seeing some great drives from them this year.

"Considerable efforts have been made this winter by our engineers both in the UK and Japan to give our teams competitive tyres and although some teams are still un-tapping the potential of the Bridgestone tyres, I am confident that we have several strong team-tyre manufacturer packages this year. Having seen Michael Schumacher on the podium in Bahrain, our aim this weekend is to put a Bridgestone driver on the top step and as many drivers in the points as possible."

THE TRACK:

Race Distance: 56 laps - Circuit Length: 3.444 miles (5.543 kms)

Designed by Hermann Tilke, the Sepang circuit is a visually dramatic and beautifully equipped facility which has been given much praise by teams and drivers alike since joining the World Championship in 1999.

The demanding 15-turn, 5.543km track features a pair of parallel straights plus a combination of low and medium-speed corners that really test drivers. The surface is wide and smooth with overtaking most likely to occur under braking for the tight corners at the end of each straight. Sepang is regarded as one of the most physically demanding tracks on the F1 calendar, with the extremely high levels of humidity making the race particularly demanding for drivers.

Sepang also provides wonderful spectator facilities, including a unique 'double-sided' 30,000-seat grandstand with an unusual roof in the shape of a hibiscus - the national flower of Malaysia.

THE WINNER?

Heading into Bahrain, the race winner was predicted to come from one of two teams, but to Renault and Honda you can now certainly add Ferrari and McLaren. Reliability issues that dogged both over the winter didn't emerge on race day as Michael Schumacher took second and Kimi Raikkonen third - with both among the contenders for the race win this weekend.

However, with four teams are in a position to win, expect a result similar to that seen in the Middle East - with Alonso, Schumacher, Raikkonen and Button fighting for honours.

LAST SEASON:

Fernando Alonso secures his first win of the season in comfortable fashion as he leads from start to finish. Jarno Trulli takes second to give Toyota its maiden F1 podium, while Nick Heidfeld secures the final place on the podium for Williams in only his second race for the team. Juan Pablo Montoya and Ralf Schumacher both score while Red Bull duo David Coulthard and Christian Klien sandwich World Champion Michael Schumacher in the lower points scoring positions - a result the team can only have dreamed of in its second race.

1. Fernando Alonso Spain Renault-Renault 56 laps
2. Jarno Trulli Italy Toyota-Toyota +24.3secs
3. Nick Heidfeld Germany Williams-BMW +32.1secs
4. Juan Pablo Montoya Colombia McLaren-Mercedes +41.6secs
5. Ralf Schumacher Germany Toyota-Toyota +51.8secs
6. David Coulthard Britain Red Bull-Cosworth +1min 12.5secs
7. Michael Schumacher Germany Ferrari-Ferrari +1min 19.9secs
8. Christian Klien Austria Red Bull-Cosworth +1min 20.8secs