The rain forecast for Qualifying in Kuala Lumpur for tomorrows’ Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix arrived a few minutes before the start of the official Qualifying Session. The result? Probably one of the most interesting F1 grids in a long time!

Out in Session 1 went both Ferraris (Alonso-19th, and Massa-20th) and the McLaren of Hamilton (21st) – all due to very poor tyre selection timed lap timing.

Joining them at the back of the grid are Trulli (18th), Chandok (22nd), Senna (23rd), and di Grassi (24th). Add to that a spin into the thick gravel towards the end of the session by Jenson Button which excluded him from Q2 left him 17th.

Session 2 filled the mid-grid with Petrov (11th), de la Rosa (12th), Buemi (13th), Alguersuari (14th), Kovalainen (15th) and Glock who will start in 16th.

The crucial Q3 Session started with Robert Kubica cheekily sneaking past the queue waiting for the green light to start the session, heading off first to start the final session. His move came to nought though as Race Director Charlie Whiting red flagged the session before anyone could complete a full timed lap.

The restart 15 minutes later for the last 7 minutes saw nine of the ten qualifiers on full wet-weather tyres with Mark Webber the only rebel, opting instead for intermediates on his Red Bull. A decision that proved decisive minutes later when Webber topped the time sheet by over 1.25 seconds and secured pole position for the race! Starting next to him will be the Mercedes of Nico Rosberg, with Sebastian Vettels’ sister RBR behind him in P3 and Adrian Sutils’ Force India making up the second row.

So, the third RBR-Renault pole for the season, two ex-World Champions and the reigning Champion fighting their way through from the back of the pack, and the strong likelihood of rain during the race itself – it’s going to be an absolute cracker!

The 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang starts at 16h00 Local | 08h00 GMT  | 10h00 SAST on Sunday, 04 April

If you missed the cut-off for the race, sorry but no points for you in this round.

Be sure to get your Chinese Grand Prix predictions in early to make up!

Weekend of 02 – 04 April 2001 | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | Sepang International Circuit

Final practice this morning went off pretty unspectacularly, with no major high- or lowlights.

The RBR-Renaults of Webber and Vettel again filled 2 of the top 3 positions, with Hamilton the meat in their sandwich.

Schumacher and Rosberg were again well in the mix, and the 2 Ferrari drivers started to show their hand, with both Alonso (4th fastest) and Massa (8th) improving on Practice 1 and 2 times a fair bit.

The expected rain never arrived during the 60 minute session, but may yet play a factor in the afternoon (Sepang time) during the Qualifying hour.

IF YOU HAVEN’T YET, BE SURE TO LOCK IN YOUR MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX PREDICTIONS USING OUR F1 PREDICTION FORM RIGHT HERE BEFORE OFFICIAL QUALIFYING STARTS!

Free Practice 3 – Saturday, 03 April 2010

Free Practice 2 – 02 April 2010

After the two Friday free practice sessions, it seems clear that the Mercedes-engined runners are coping with the oppressive heat and humidity of Malaysia better than the others.

Hamilton is the man to beat this weekend, scorching around with the fastest time in both sessions so far. Vettel in the RedBull Renault seems to be the only one close to challenging the McLaren and Mercedes teams.

Is this the weekend that we’ll get to see Michael Schumacher return to the F1 podium? His times are looking solid so far.

The Ferrari pair are not very comfortable at all so far, and really are struggling for pace. The cooler weather in Australia definitely suited them better.

Talking about the weather, the forecast for most of tomorrow and Sunday is for heavy rains. Let’s hope that we don’t have a repeat of last year’s abandoned race and half points all round.

Free Practice 1 – 02 April 2010

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Here are the predictions submitted by Formula Fan members for the 2010 Bahrain Grand Prix. This table will be updated to indicate points scored once the final race results are available.

The Formula Fan Prediction League Table standings:

Practice Session #3

Session 1 & Session 2 times after the page jump

Practice Session #2

Practice Session #1

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Vodafone McLaren Mercedes

Manufacturer Details
Nationality	British
Headquarters	Woking, England
Debut F1 Season	1966
2009 Championship	3rd position
Constructors’ Championships	8 (1974, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998)
Drivers’ Championships	12 (1974, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2008)
Race Victories	164
Pole Positions	145
Fastest Laps	137
Official Website	http://www.mclaren.com
More Info	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mclaren
2010 Drivers
Jenson Button	British | Car #1
Lewis Hamilton	British | Car #2
Gary Paffett	British | Reserve driver
2010 Car
Model	MP4-25
Chassis	McLaren (moulded carbonfibre composite)
Engine	Mercedes-Benz FO 108X (2.4lt / 8 cylinder)
Key Team Personnel
Neil Oatley	Design and Development Director
Paddy Lowe	Engineering Director
Ron Dennis	Head of McLaren Automotive
Jonathan Neale	Managing Director
Martin Whitmarsh	Team Principal