As at 11:55 AEDT, the weather in Sepang is currently fine and hazy
but the forecast is 60% chance of rain with scattered showers and
thunderstorms predicted during the day.
Whether it rains at all and then whether the track becomes wet before
the race starts or after the race starts and then at what time, could turn
tyre and pit stop strategies on their heads.
Even if it remains dry, all teams have flagged tyre wear at Sepang as
a major factor with Mercedes in particular putting on record that their
car is consuming the rubber quickly.
In an interview on the official F1 web site, Vettel reports that the RB8
is missing grip and is sliding too much and is "not the easiest to drive".
See
http://www.formula1.com/news/intervi...2/3/13163.html
Lacking the blown diffuser seems to have made a major difference between
the RB7 and RB8. Certainly sounds like a car that you have to drive
from the seat of your pants at the moment.
Wet weather can often be an opportunity for those who don't have
the fastest car in the dry and there are some jokers in the pack
with the likes of the Lotus-Renaults that should make for an interesting
race.
