A track surface whose roughness was likened to “sandpaper” by Oscar Piastri has launched a strategic shake-up in the return of Formula 1 to Malaysia.
The return of the iconic Sepang track has been well received by drivers and teams, due to its demanding layout and old-school charm.
But one of its old characteristics, that of a particularly rough asphalt, has taken a new step since its last appearance on the F1 calendar in 2017.
Track visits by engineers and drivers before the weekend all told the same story: a badly weathered and poor surface with bumpy sections and areas where the top layer of stones had worn away.
Things aren’t too bad in sections that have been resurfaced in 2023, such as between turns 7 and 12, but some of the original asphalt, especially in the first sequence of corners, is very rough.
As Piastri said after seeing things for the first time: “It looks like sandpaper there. I definitely think it’s going to be a challenge with the degradation of the tires.”
When it comes to tire impact, more roughness equals less tire grip, more slippage and more overheating. But it’s not just a matter of degree, because wear rates are also increasing.
The situation is amplified if there are bumps, as Sepang has a few despite work carried out before the weekend to flatten the surface in areas where there were significant undulations.
With bumps, the tires are faced with additional variable vertical loads which, in addition to sliding more, have the impact of providing additional movement and stress. It’s a phenomenon that has occurred at Austin’s Circuit of The Americas in previous years.
Bahrain wins Bahrain crown
Final analysis of the track surface carried out by Pirelli ahead of the Malaysia weekend shows that roughness has increased compared to F1’s last visit in 2017.
The Race has learned that it is now, thanks to Sakhir’s absence, the highest of the season – ahead of Barcelona.
So there is a certain irony in the fact that the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia has inherited the crown for roughest track surface from the Bahrain Grand Prix in Bahrain!
The roughness opened up the prospect of an entirely different type of racing than what has happened recently – such as in Italy, Spain and Azerbaijan – where drivers could push hard for an easy single stop because the degradation was so small.
A higher tire grade increases the prospect of further changes – and this will be particularly true for Malaysia, with Pirelli choosing to be aggressive in its compound selection by bringing in the C2/C3/C4.
Teams will have a much better idea of the potential impact of higher degradation on Friday when track testing begins, but several people in the paddock on Thursday did not rule out a three-stop being considered.
World championship leader Kimi Antonelli has predicted that the F1 race in Malaysia will be nothing like the recent battles in Monza, Spain and Azerbaijan.
“They were all new, with no degree of degradation,” said the Mercedes driver. “Baku was a fun race because the more we pushed, the better it was for the tires. This one is going to be completely different.
“I’ve just been around the track and it’s the toughest tarmac I’ve seen. It’s similar to Bahrain in some places, maybe even more so. So it could be a scenario where we see two or three stops in the race too because it’s very hot. It’s going to be interesting.”
Although high levels of degradation will make things even more difficult, some in the paddock are excited about it.
Williams driver Carlos Sainz smiled when the subject of the track’s rough surface came up during his press briefing on Thursday.
“Good,” he said. “Maybe finally we’re seeing some degradation, because it’s been a few weekends in a row where there’s been no degradation and it makes the race a little less dependent on the driver; it’s just about pushing hard and the car you have. You can’t manipulate the strategy or anything, so I wouldn’t mind seeing a slight degradation.”
The current situation, in terms of how tire compounds behave in relation to track requirements, is very similar to that of the Barcelona Grand Prix, which turned into a strategic thriller.
Sainz felt that when strategies open up, it provides a catalyst for a better show.
“I always said the best races in Formula 1 were the ones where there was a bit of elevation gain and it was always between a one-stop and two-stop strategy,” he said.
“When there’s no strategic flexibility, the show always takes a hit because then there’s nothing you can do except overtaking on track, and we all know that overtaking on track is difficult.”
If early predictions come true, Malaysia could offer plenty of action – especially if, as some drivers suggest, it becomes a challenge to even keep the tires alive in qualifying.
For now, no one is sure.
As Mercedes driver George Russell said: “You’re going to overheat the tires even at the end of a qualifying session, which can make it more difficult to follow more closely and attack again (in the race) once you’ve been overtaken. But that’s a total unknown at the moment.”
Gn sports
