2011 Malaysian Grand Prix

September 2014 September 2014 F1 Malaysia Malaysian 2011 Australian Grand Prix 2011 Chinese Grand Prix 10 April 2011 2 19 Sepang.svg 2011 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix Sepang International CircuitSepang, Selangor, Malaysia Permanent racing facility 3.444 5.543 56 192.879 310.408 Cloudy, dry 105,018 (Weekend)https://www.racefans.net/2017/02/08/are-tickets-too-dear-attendance-fell-at-some-tracks-in-2016/ Are tickets too dear? Where F1 race attendance fell in 2016 - F1 Fanatic 8 February 2017 Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:34.870 GER Mark Webber Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:40.571 46 AUS Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing-Renault GER Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes GBR Nick Heidfeld Renault GER MAL The 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix (formally the 2011 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix)2011 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix http://www.formula1.com/races/in_detail/malaysia_846/ Formula1.com Formula One Administration 24 April 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110515012631/http://www.formula1.com/races/in_detail/malaysia_846/ 15 May 2011 live was a Formula One motor race held on 10 April 2011 at the Sepang International Circuit in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia. It was the second round of the 2011 Formula One World Championship. The 56-lap race was won by Red Bull Racing driver Sebastian Vettel after starting from pole position. Jenson Button finished second in a McLaren, and Nick Heidfeld completed the podium for Renault, in third place, his last podium finish.https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9453282.stm Sebastian Vettel beats Jenson Button in Malaysian Grand Prix BBC Sport BBC 10 April 2011 10 April 2011 Sarah Holt https://web.archive.org/web/20120306082831/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9453282.stm 6 March 2012 live As a consequence of the race, Vettel extended his lead in the World Drivers' Championship to 24 championship points over Button. Button's McLaren teammate Lewis Hamilton, who finished eighth in Malaysia, fell four championship points behind Button in third, tied on points with Mark Webber who finished fourth in the race. In the World Constructors' Championship, Red Bull's 37-point haul from the weekend allowed them to extend the championship lead over McLaren to 24 championship points, with Ferrari a further 12 championship points behind in third position. Background thumb|left|Ferrari were celebrating the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy The 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix, held on 10 April 2011, was the second of nineteen rounds of the 2011 Formula One World Championship,Hughes Mark 14 April 2011 They can only chase Vettel – Again https://porschecarshistory.com/wp-content/old/lib/magazines/autosport/2011/4/autosport-2011-04-14.pdf Autosport 204 2 34–46 23 October 2026 Porsche Cars History Mark Hughes (journalist) Straw Edd and the 13th to be run at the 15-turn, 5.543 km mi on Sepang International Circuit in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia.7 April 2011 Race Preview http://dl.groovygecko.net/anon.groovy/clients/igentics/FIApress/inbrief/malaysia-preview1.pdf dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110409025609/http://dl.groovygecko.net/anon.groovy/clients/igentics/FIApress/inbrief/malaysia-preview1.pdf 9 April 2011 22 October 2026 Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile2011 Malaysian Grand Prix https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/races/2011-malaysian-grand-prix/ 22 October 2026 Motor Sport Malaysian Grand Prix 2011 results http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/race/29943.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120816135958/http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/race/29943.html 16 August 2012 22 October 2026 ESPN Tyre supplier Pirelli brought its silver-banded hard compound tyre as the harder "prime" tyre and the yellow-banded soft compound as the softer "option" compound.Pirelli announce tyre choices for remaining races http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2011/10/12604.html Formula1.com 7 October 2011 2 June 2012 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120210020300/http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2011/10/12604.html 10 February 2012 The single drag reduction system (DRS) activation zone was extended from 600 m ft on to 700 m ft on as it was ineffective in increasing the number of overtakes in Australia and placed on the main straight linking the final and first corners,8 April 2011 Drivers see Malaysia as prime circuit for DRS https://www.rediff.com/sports/report/formula-one-2011-drivers-see-malaysia-as-prime-circuit-for-drs/20110408.htm 22 October 2026 Rediff.com29 March 2011 FIA to extend DRS zone for Malaysia http://www.thef1times.com/news/display/02906 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110401033727/http://www.thef1times.com/news/display/02906 1 April 2011 22 October 2026 The F1 Times instead of at the run to the final turn as the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA; Formula One's governing body) believed had already been established as an overtaking area.Cooper Adam 29 March 2011 FIA set to extend DRS zone for Malaysian GP https://adamcooperf1.com/2011/03/29/fia-set-to-extend-drs-zone-for-malaysian-gp/ 22 October 2026 Adam Cooper F1 The JK Racing Asia Series and the Malaysia Super Series held support races during the race weekend.8 April 2011 Bernama The Malaysian National News Agency: 13th Malaysian Grand Prix schedule for tomorrow 861750054 Bernama After winning the season-opening 2011 Australian two weeks earlier, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel led the World Drivers' Championship with 25 championship points, seven ahead of McLaren's Lewis Hamilton and ten in front of Renault's Vitaly Petrov. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was fourth and Vettel's teammate Mark Webber was fifth.2011 Championship Classification http://www.fia.com/EN-GB/SPORT/CHAMPIONSHIPS/F1/2011/Pages/championship-classification.aspx dead https://web.archive.org/web/20111221035659/http://www.fia.com/EN-GB/SPORT/CHAMPIONSHIPS/F1/2011/Pages/championship-classification.aspx 21 December 2011 21 October 2026 Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile In the World Constructors' Championship, Red Bull Racing led with 35 championship points. McLaren were nine championship points behind second and the third-placed Ferrari were another eight behind McLaren. Renault were in fourth with 15 championship points, 11 ahead of Toro Rosso in fifth. The Sepang International Circuit hosted the first Grand Prix of the season to be held on a permanent race track and would experience hot and humid conditions.6 April 2011 F1: Teams brace for a hotter challenge in Sepang this weekend http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2011/4/6/sports/8421585&sec=sports dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110407013915/http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2011/4/6/sports/8421585&sec=sports 7 April 2011 22 October 2026 The Star McLaren managing director Jonathan Neale believed forecasts of inclement weather in Malaysia combined with Pirelli's less durable tyres would see the title-contesting teams be thoroughly tested,5 April 2011 Ferrari and Mercedes to be faster in Malaysia – McLaren http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/formula_one/12970091.stm dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110408060244/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/formula_one/12970091.stm 8 April 2011 22 October 2026 BBC Sport while the team's CEO Martin Whitmarsh emphasised the race would be a challenge for everyone due to the impact of higher temperatures on the cars cooling systems and tyre management.Cooper Adam 1 April 2011 F1: Malaysia Will Be A Tough Test Says Whitmarsh http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-malaysia-will-be-a-tough-mclaren-test-says-martin-whitmarsh/ dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110408083453/http://formula-one.speedtv.com/article/f1-malaysia-will-be-a-tough-mclaren-test-says-martin-whitmarsh/ 8 April 2011 22 October 2026 Speed Button predicted a completely different to that in Australia because he believed the increase in tyre degradation would result in a wholly different style of driving in the hotter temperatures experienced in Malaysia. He said it would be "difficult to say" whether McLaren would be closer to Red Bull even with upgrades to fine-tune the car configuration.7 April 2011 Button predicts 'a very different race' in Malaysian heat http://en.espnf1.com/malaysia/motorsport/story/45294.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110410224216/http://en.espnf1.com/malaysia/motorsport/story/45294.html 10 April 2011 22 October 2026 ESPN Vettel spoke of his confidence that the forecasted higher temperatures would not negatively affect Red Bull, who were unconcerned, "This is a completely different track with different characteristics and different demands on the tyres and the cars."Straw Edd 7 April 2011 Vettel unfazed by higher temperatures http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90489 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110410114329/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90489 10 April 2011 22 October 2026 Autosport Renault team principal Éric Boullier said that while the team may have been third-fastest in Melbourne, the order in Sepang would be different, "for the race after that there will be another new order, so it’s not representative for the whole season, no."4 April 2011 Boullier confident Renault will continue challenging big guns http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/257028/vettel-victorious-again-in-malaysia/ dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110412172224/http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/257028/vettel-victorious-again-in-malaysia/ 12 April 2011 27 October 2026 ITV-F1 The high temperatures in Malaysia and the abrasive surface of the Sepang circuit led to tyre supplier Pirelli making predictions of high wear rates throughout qualifying and the race to the extent that pit stop strategy would be the deciding factor in the outcome.Collantine Keith Lap times much slower at Sepang this year http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2011/04/08/2011-malaysian-grand-prix-practice-analysis-2/ 9 April 2011 RaceFans 8 April 2011 Pirelli also supplied an experimental harder compound of rubber for use during free practice with a view to introducing the tyre for the 2011 Turkish, but rejected it following feedback from the teams.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90547 Jonathan Noble Autosport 9 April 2011 9 April 2011 Pirelli set to stick with current hard Each driver received two additional sets of tyres for the Friday free practice sessions for evaluation reasons and after that competitors were left with the normal six sets of tyres for use in both qualifying and the race.4 April 2011 Two extra sets of tyres for Sepang practice http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/256401/two-extra-sets-of-tyres-for-sepang-practice/ dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110405190420/http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/256401/two-extra-sets-of-tyres-for-sepang-practice/ 5 April 2011 22 October 2026 GPUpdate A total of 12 constructors and 24 drivers participated with no driver changes from the preceding Australian Grand Prix and three free practice entrants partaking only in the first practice session. Reserve driver Nico Hülkenberg once again substituted for Paul di Resta at Force India,8 April 2011 Hulkenberg shines for Force India in Malaysia practice https://www.thehindu.com/sport/motorsport/Hulkenberg-shines-for-Force-India-in-Malaysia-practice/article14675614.ece 21 October 2026 The Hindu Press Trust of IndiaConstant Brad 7 April 2011 Formula One: Problems for Sutil; good day for di Resta and Hülkenberg in Malaysia https://www.autoweek.com/racing/formula-1/a1994131/formula-one-problems-sutil-good-day-di-resta-and-hlkenberg-malaysia/ 21 October 2026 Autoweek whilst Daniel Ricciardo drove in the place of Sébastien Buemi at Toro Rosso, having previously driven in the place of Jaime Alguersuari in Melbourne.Miller Dale 12 April 2011 Ricciardo in frame as Torro Rosso drivers fail https://thewest.com.au/sport/motorsport/ricciardo-in-frame-as-torro-rosso-drivers-fail-ng-ya-173473 21 October 2026 The West Australian 2009–10 GP2 Asia Series champion Davide Valsecchi participated in his first Formula One race weekend, driving Heikki Kovalainen's Lotus.Collantine Keith 5 April 2011 Valsecchi to drive for Lotus in first practice https://www.racefans.net/2011/04/05/valsecchi-drive-lotus-practice/ 21 October 2026 RaceFans5 April 2011 Valsecchi to drive in Friday first practice http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/256490/valsecchi-to-drive-in-friday-first-practice/ dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110407134643/http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/256490/valsecchi-to-drive-in-friday-first-practice/ 7 April 2011 22 October 2026 GPUpdate Red Bull had two front wing specifications available but Vettel and his teammate Webber chose the inset version featuring a simplified endplate specification;https://porschecarshistory.com/wp-content/old/lib/magazines/f1/Formula1TechnicalAnalysis2011.pdf Formula1 Technical Analysis 2011 Formula One Management 2011 56–57 2011 Formula 1 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix 22 October 2026 Porsche Cars History the team used the KERS power boost for the first time because of the additional speed the system provided in Sepang. Ferrari slightly altered the front wing on the 150º Italia, adding a small flap between the turning vanes and modifying the endplates. Renault introduced a new front wing featuring an updated endplate to the R31 car. McLaren tested a carbon fibre diffuser during practice before reverting to the titanium specification used in Australia.Collins Sam 12 April 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix Technical Report https://www.racecar-engineering.com/events/technical-report/malaysian-grand-prix-technical-report/ 24 October 2026 Racecar Engineering Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg swapped Mercedes MGP W02 chassis for the race in Malaysia while Lotus tested its new front wing configuration during Friday free practice. After failing to qualify in Melbourne when they were forced to use the front wing from their 2010 car, Hispania Racing arrived at the circuit confident of being able to qualify for the race because their 2011 specification front wing satisfactorily completed its mandatory crash tests.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90476 HRT set to use new front wing in Sepang Autosport 7 April 2011 7 April 2011 Jonathan Noble Practice thumb|Jérôme d'Ambrosio suffered a catastrophic suspension failure during the first free practice session Per the regulations for the 2011 season, three practice sessions were held: two 90-minute sessions on Friday and another 60-minute session on Saturday.2011 Formula One Sporting Regulations http://argent.fia.com/web/fia-public.nsf/2E91C936598568EEC1257870003A2BAC/$FILE/1-2011%20SPORTING%20REGULATIONS%2008-03-2011.pdf live https://web.archive.org/web/20120425014620/http://argent.fia.com/web/fia-public.nsf/2E91C936598568EEC1257870003A2BAC/$FILE/1-2011%20SPORTING%20REGULATIONS%2008-03-2011.pdf 25 April 2012 26 February 2012 Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile Overall lap times were considerably slower at the circuit than in 2010, with Webber's fastest time over two and a half seconds slower than Hamilton's time in the same session a year previously. The first practice session on Friday morning was run in humid but dry conditions, despite forecasts of heavy rain.8 April 2011 Webber fastest in opening practice http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/256697/webber-fastest-in-opening-practice/ dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110409171405/http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/256697/webber-fastest-in-opening-practice/ 9 April 2011 23 October 2026 GPUpdate With a time of 1:37.651, Webber was the fastest driver in the first session, 1.665 seconds faster than Hamilton.Holt Sarah 8 April 2011 Mark Webber heads Lewis Hamilton in Malaysian GP practice http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/formula_one/13009166.stm https://web.archive.org/web/20110408053308/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/formula_one/13009166.stm 8 April 2011 23 October 2026 BBC Sport Schumacher. Hülkenberg, Williams's Pastor Maldonado, Ferrari's Felipe Massa, Renault's Nick Heidfeld, Maldonado's teammate Rubens Barrichello, Alonso and Rosberg completed the top ten.Strang Simon 8 April 2011 Webber dominates eventful practice http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90501 https://web.archive.org/web/20110411044725/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90501 11 April 2011 23 October 2026 Autosport Multiple drivers made errors on the slippery track filled with a large amount discarded tyre rubber off the racing line during the session.8 April 2011 Webber back on top in Malaysia http://en.espnf1.com/malaysia/motorsport/story/45360.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110413002234/http://en.espnf1.com/malaysia/motorsport/story/45360.html 13 April 2011 23 October 2026 ESPN Just after passing an Hispania car, Virgin driver Jérôme d'Ambrosio suffered a front-right suspension failure under braking for the final turn, shearing off his front-right wheel. D'Ambrosio careened into the gravel trap and stopped just before the wall. The Renaults suffered suspension upright faults due to an material batch issue.Elizalde Pablo 8 April 2011 Material batch caused Renault failures http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90528 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110411044820/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90528 11 April 2011 23 October 2026 Autosport Heidfeld had the front right tyre seized and then puncture that caused the Renault to bottom out and damage its floor under braking entering turn one while his teammate Petrov spun off into the turn nine gravel trap when his front-left upright failed. On his third lap, Narain Karthikeyan stopped after turn four with smoke billowing from his Hispania car's rear due to an oil system issue. thumb|left|Pastor Maldonado ran wide at the pit entry and hit the wall during second practice. Later in the afternoon during the second practice session, which took place in hot weather conditions,8 April 2011 Webber returns to form in Malaysia http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/45403.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110411103258/http://en.espnf1.com/f1/motorsport/story/45403.html 11 April 2011 23 October 2026 ESPN Webber set the day's fastest lap time of 1:36.876 just after midway through the session, which was 0.005 seconds faster than Button.Strang Simon 8 April 2011 Webber stays on top in second practice http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90506 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110411044750/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90506 11 April 2011 23 October 2026 Autosport Hamilton, Vettel, Schumacher, Massa, Rosberg, Heidfeld, Alonso and Alguersuari rounded out the top ten. Maldonado put his two right-hand side wheels onto the grass while entering the pit lane.8 April 2011 Webber stays quickest on Friday afternoon http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/256718/webber-stays-quickest-on-friday-afternoon/ dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110409171415/http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/256718/webber-stays-quickest-on-friday-afternoon/ 9 April 2011 23 October 2026 GPUpdate He spun 360 degrees and struck the outside tyre barrier.Holt Sarah 8 April 2011 Mark Webber pips Jenson Button in Malaysian GP practice http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/formula_one/13009166.stm https://web.archive.org/web/20110410005947/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/formula_one/13009166.stm 10 April 2011 23 October 2026 BBC Sport Maldonado's car was not heavily damaged and returned to the circuit just before the session concluded. Vitantonio Liuzzi ran wide over the turn six kerbing and then had a engine switch problem that forced him to stop on the turn nine inside. Force India driver Adrian Sutil and Rosberg lost rear end grip and ran off the track. In the final practice session, Hamilton set the fastest lap time of 1:36.340 in the closing four minutes. Webber, Button, Heidfeld, Vettel, Alonso, Petrov, Massa, Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi and Schumacher followed in positions two through ten.Beer Matt 9 April 2011 Hamilton tops final Sepang practice http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90550 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110412123755/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90550 12 April 2011 23 October 2026 Autosport Paul di Resta drove an ill-handling Force India and spun at turn 15 and then at turn 14. Liuzzi was in the pit lane for half of the session due to a water leak while Vettel's DRS was not working properly and the onboard television camera came off his car.9 April 2011 Hamilton fastest in final practice at Sepang http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/256866/hamilton-fastest-in-final-practice-at-sepang/ dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110410221357/http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/256866/hamilton-fastest-in-final-practice-at-sepang/ 10 April 2011 23 October 2026 GPUpdate Qualifying thumb|left|Narain Karthikeyan completed the first full grid of the year but both HRT cars failed to finish the race The qualifying session on Saturday afternoon was split into three parts. The first part ran for 20 minutes and eliminated the cars from qualifying that finished the session 18th or lower. During this session, the 107% rule was in effect, which necessitated each driver set a time within 107% of the quickest lap to qualify for the race. The second part of qualifying lasted 15 minutes and eliminated cars that finished in positions 11 to 17. The final part of qualifying determined the positions from first to tenth, and decided pole position. Qualifying took place in dry weather conditions. Vettel claimed the 17th pole position of his career with a lap time of 1:34.870 that he began with four seconds remaining.Lines Chris 10 April 2011 Vettel takes pole for Malaysian GP https://www.newspapers.com/article/las-cruces-sun-news-vettel-takes-pole-fo/208983743/ 27 October 2026 Las Cruces Sun-News 5B Newspapers.com Associated Press Hamilton was the initial pace setter of the third segment and was able to go faster until Vettel's fastest lap, dropping him to second and stopping him from claiming his first pole position since the 2010 Canadian Grand Prix.O'Brien John 9 April 2011 Motor racing-Vettel storms to pole position in Malaysia https://www.reuters.com/article/sports/motor-sports/motor-racing-vettel-storms-to-pole-position-in-malaysia-idUSL3E7F9064/ 27 October 2026 ReutersWeaver Paul 9 April 2011 Sebastian Vettel grabs Malaysian grand prix pole at the last https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2011/apr/09/sebastian-vettel-malaysian-grand-prix-pole 27 October 2026 The Guardian He said he lost 0.15 seconds at turn 14.9 April 2011 Qualifying – selected team and driver quotes http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2011/4/11909.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110411002345/http://www.formula1.com/news/headlines/2011/4/11909.html 11 April 2011 27 October 2026 Formula1.com Webber took third, 0.309 seconds slower than his teammate,Beer Matt 9 April 2011 Vettel pips Hamilton to Sepang pole http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90551 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110412123551/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90551 12 April 2011 27 October 2026 AutosportMedland Chris 9 April 2011 Sebastian Vettel snatches pole from Lewis Hamilton http://en.espnf1.com/malaysia/motorsport/story/45540.html dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110412001909/http://en.espnf1.com/malaysia/motorsport/story/45540.html 12 April 2011 27 October 2026 ESPN after he ran wide at the final turn. Button overheated his tyres in the first sector on his last run and that gave him excess oversteer in the last sector en route to securing fourth. Ferrari had just one set of soft compound tyres to use in the final segment after using two sets to make it to the final session.Holt Sarah 9 April 2011 Sebastian Vettel pips Lewis Hamilton to Malaysian Grand Prix pole http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/formula_one/13023220.stm https://web.archive.org/web/20110410035230/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/formula_one/13023220.stm 10 April 2011 27 October 2026 BBC Sport Alonso was fifth with Massa seventh. Heidfeld separated the two Ferraris in sixth; he lost time pushing hard in the second segment. Petrov was the slower Renault driver in eighth. Rosberg had a good car balance up to the final session combined with a rear wing issue and took ninth. Kobayashi qualified for the final session with a late improvement in the preceding segment on his final set of unused soft compound tyres.Collantine Keith 9 April 2011 Vettel snatches pole from Hamilton in closely-fought qualifying https://www.racefans.net/2011/04/09/2011-malaysian-grand-prix-qualifying-report/ 27 October 2026 RaceFans thumb|Sébastien Buemi's Toro Rosso shed part of its lef-thand sidepod during the first qualifying session.Schumacher equalled his Australian Grand Prix qualifying result of 11th,9 April 2011 Vettel beats Hamilton to Malaysian pole http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/256896/vettel-beats-hamilton-to-malaysian-pole/ dead https://web.archive.org/web/20110410221407/http://www.gpupdate.net/en/f1-news/256896/vettel-beats-hamilton-to-malaysian-pole/ 10 April 2011 27 October 2026 GPUpdate and failed to advance to the final session for the second consecutive race after his teammate Rosberg's late improvement at the conclusion of the second segment. This was due to problems with the Mercedes's DRS rear wing activation on his last run as the flow did not reattach correctly after DRS was deployed. Sébastien Buemi's Toro Rosso car shed part of the left-hand sidepod exiting turn eight. There was no internal damage to the car, and Buemi was able to return to the pits with the internal workings of the car showing. The first session was stopped for several minutes by FIA race director Charlie Whiting while marshalls retrieved the bodywork. Buemi's car was inspected by the FIA and cleared to return to the circuit, though the exact cause of the problem remained unknown.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90562 STR unsure of sidepod incident cause Autosport 9 April 2011 10 April 2011 Matt Beer Buemi qualified 12th, ahead of his teammate Alguersuari in 13th.Cary Tom 9 April 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix 2011: Red Bull's Sebastien Vettel on pole position at Sepang, Lewis Hamilton starts second https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/motorsport/formulaone/8439894/Malaysian-Grand-Prix-2011-Red-Bulls-Sebastien-Vettel-on-pole-position-at-Sepang-Lewis-Hamilton-starts-second.html 27 October 2026 The Daily Telegraph Di Resta was the faster of the two Force India drivers for the second successive race and took 14th. Williams's Rubens Barrichello was the final driver to qualify for the second session and was 15th, finding his car not gaining him with DRS or a low fuel load. Sergio Pérez was baulked by slower cars on his out lap and qualified his Sauber car 16th due to a lack of front grip creating excess understeer in the final sector. Sutil, 17th, could not improve because of a gearbox mis-shift. Maldonado failed to advance to the second session when he ran wide at the final turn and was 18th. The Lotus pair of Kovalainen and Jarno Trulli came within a threat of going through to the second segment but failed to do so and qualified 19th and 20th. Virgin's Timo Glock caught Karthikeyan on his second set of tyres and took 21st, ahead of his teammate D'Ambrosio in 22nd. Hispania lapped inside the 107% margin and qualified for the first race of the season, thus ensuring all 24 entrants qualified for the event. Liuzzi was ahead of his teammate Karthikeyan, who flat-spotted his second set of tyres at the first corner. Post-qualifying After qualifying, Whiting approved a request from the drivers to move the pole position slot from the left- to the right-hand side of the circuit. The pole slot had traditionally been on the left-hand side of the circuit because it offered the optimal racing line into the tight first corner, but was moved because of the build-up of rubber from the Pirelli tyres off the racing line, which runs over the right-hand side of the circuit.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90580 Pole slot moved to right hand side Autosport 9 April 2011 10 April 2011 Jonathan Noble https://web.archive.org/web/20110412123837/http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90580 12 April 2011 dead Qualifying classification The fastest lap in each of the three sessions is denoted in bold. Pos No Driver Constructor Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Grid 1 1 GER Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:37.468 1:35.934 1:34.870 1 2 3 GBR Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:36.861 1:35.852 1:34.974 2 3 2 AUS Mark Webber Red Bull Racing-Renault 1:37.924 1:36.080 1:35.179 3 4 4 GBR Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:37.033 1:35.569 1:35.200 4 5 5 ESP Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1:36.897 1:36.320 1:35.802 5 6 9 GER Nick Heidfeld Renault 1:37.224 1:36.811 1:36.124 6 7 6 BRA Felipe Massa Ferrari 1:36.744 1:36.557 1:36.251 7 8 10 RUS Vitaly Petrov Renault 1:37.210 1:36.642 1:36.324 8 9 8 GER Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:37.316 1:36.388 1:36.809 9 10 16 JPN Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1:36.994 1:36.691 1:36.820 10 11 7 GER Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1:36.904 1:37.035 11 12 18 SUI Sébastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:37.693 1:37.160 12 13 19 ESP Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:37.677 1:37.347 13 14 15 GBR Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1:38.045 1:37.370 14 15 11 BRA Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1:38.163 1:37.496 15 16 17 MEX Sergio Pérez Sauber-Ferrari 1:37.759 1:37.528 16 17 14 GER Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1:37.693 1:37.593 17 18 12 VEN Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 1:38.276 18 19 20 FIN Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 1:38.645 19 20 21 ITA Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 1:38.791 20 21 24 GER Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1:40.648 21 22 25 BEL Jérôme d'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 1:41.001 22 23 23 ITA Vitantonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 1:41.549 23 24 22 IND Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1:42.574 24 107% time: 1:43.516Source:2011 FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIA GRAND PRIX - Qualifying Results http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2010/846/6829/ formula1.com 28 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20140713170110/http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2011/846/6829/ 13 July 2014 Race thumb|right|Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso battle during the race.A total of 65,000 spectators attended the race,11 April 2011 65,000 watch Vettel's second win in Sepang New Straits Times 12 861175028 which commenced at 16:00 local time. The weather conditions were cloudy, hot and humid before the race and there was the chance of rain; the air temperature was 28 C F and the track temperature was between 29 and 32 C F.Großer Preis von Malaysia 2011 / Sepang 2011 Malaysian Grand Prix / Sepang https://www.motorsport-total.com/formel-1/ergebnisse/2011/grosser-preis-von-malaysia/rennen 27 October 2026 Motorsport-Total.com de Every driver began on the soft compound tyre. In what would be a dominant race for the 2010 World Champion, Vettel made a clean break from the lights and quickly began developing a strong lead from the rest of the pack. The other big winner was Heidfeld, who was able to move from sixth to second at the start. By lap 9 Vettel had built a 5.2 second lead over his fellow German,Ornstein David Malaysian Grand Prix as it happened https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/formula_one/9453225.stm BBC News 31 May 2011 10 April 2011 and was able to comfortably bring his car home in first in spite of KERS problems that plagued the second half of his race. while Maldonado retired with a misfire. Barrichello was the next retirement with a gearbox problem, which they later traced to the hydraulics. On lap 24, the Sauber of Pérez was struck by a piece of debris, possibly from an unidentified car. The debris damaged the front wing and floor of the Sauber before passing through both the chassis and the protective Zylon panel, and hitting the ECU. The ECU was rendered inactive, stopping the car. The debris then passed out of the car by smashing through the sidepod.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90709 FIA asked to look at cockpit safety Jonathan Noble 15 April 2011 Autosport Haymarket Publications 21 April 2011 Jarno Trulli slid across the gravel before retiring with a clutch failure on lap 31.thumb|left|Jenson Button finished in second position, for his first podium of the yearThe Hispanias of Karthikeyan and Liuzzi were withdrawn by the team for "safety reasons".HRT stopped cars for safety reasons http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90621 Pablo Elizalde Autosport Haymarket Publications 11 April 2011 11 April 2011 Karthikeyan experienced an abnormal spike in water temperature on lap 15, whilst Liuzzi's car was subject to vibrations from the rear wing. Although neither fault was terminal, the team elected to retire the cars rather than risk further damage. Behind Vettel, the McLarens of Hamilton and Button fought with Alonso for position, Button coming out on top and ultimately taking his first podium of the season, ahead of Heidfeld who finished third, whilst both Hamilton and Alonso were penalised for their actions on track. Further back, D'Ambrosio pulled off the track with an electronics failure, and later Petrov crashed out from eighth place. Race classification Pos No Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid Points 1 1 GER Sebastian Vettel Red Bull Racing-Renault 56 1:37:39.832 1 25 2 4 GBR Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 56 +3.261 4 18 3 9 GER Nick Heidfeld Renault 56 +25.075 6 15 4 2 AUS Mark Webber Red Bull Racing-Renault 56 +26.384 3 12 5 6 BRA Felipe Massa Ferrari 56 +36.958 7 10 6 5 ESP Fernando Alonso Ferrari 56 +57.2481 1 5 8 7 16 JPN Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 56 +1:06.439 10 6 8 3 GBR Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 56 +1:09.9572 2 2 4 9 7 GER Michael Schumacher Mercedes 56 +1:24.896 11 2 10 15 GBR Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 56 +1:31.563 14 1 11 14 GER Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 56 +1:41.379 17 12 8 GER Nico Rosberg Mercedes 55 +1 Lap 9 13 18 SUI Sébastien Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 55 +1 Lap 12 14 19 ESP Jaime Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 55 +1 Lap 13 15 20 FIN Heikki Kovalainen Lotus-Renault 55 +1 Lap 19 16 24 GER Timo Glock Virgin-Cosworth 54 +2 Laps 21 17 10 RUS Vitaly Petrov Renault 52 Accident3 3 8 Ret Retired 23 ITA Vitantonio Liuzzi HRT-Cosworth 46 Rear wing 23 Ret Retired 25 BEL Jérôme d'Ambrosio Virgin-Cosworth 42 Electrical 22 Ret Retired 21 ITA Jarno Trulli Lotus-Renault 31 Clutch 20 Ret Retired 17 MEX Sergio Pérez Sauber-Ferrari 23 Electrical 16 Ret Retired 11 BRA Rubens Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 22 Hydraulics 15 Ret Retired 22 IND Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 14 Mechanical 24 Ret Retired 12 VEN Pastor Maldonado Williams-Cosworth 8 Engine 18Source:2011 FORMULA 1 PETRONAS MALAYSIA GRAND PRIX - Race Results http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2010/846/ formula1.com 28 December 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150117091912/http://www.formula1.com/results/season/2011/846/ 17 January 2015 Notes 1 – Fernando Alonso was penalised 20 seconds post-race for contact while trying to pass Lewis Hamilton.http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/90614 Autosport Haymarket Publications 10 April 2011 10 April 2011 Alonso, Hamilton hit with penalties Pablo Elizalde 2 – Lewis Hamilton was also penalised 20 seconds post-race, for weaving while being passed by Fernando Alonso. 3 – Vitaly Petrov crashed his Renault on lap 53 of the race, but was classified as he had completed 90% of the race-winner's distance. Championship standings after the race Drivers' Championship standings Pos. Position Driver Points 10px 1 GER Sebastian Vettel 50 10px 4 2 GBR Jenson Button 26 10px 1 3 GBR Lewis Hamilton 22 10px 1 4 AUS Mark Webber 22 10px 1 5 ESP Fernando Alonso 20Source:https://www.statsf1.com/en/2011/malaisie/championnat.aspx Malaysia 2011 - Championship • STATS F1 www.statsf1.com 19 March 2019 Constructors' Championship standings Pos. Position Constructor Points 10px 1 AUT Red Bull Racing-Renault 72 10px 2 GBR McLaren-Mercedes 48 10px 3 ITA Ferrari 36 10px 4 GBR Renault 30 10px 6 5 SUI Sauber-Ferrari 6Source: Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings. References External links Official FIA race resultsJanuary 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix 2011 2011 Australian Grand Prix 2011 Chinese Grand Prix 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix 2012 Malaysian Grand Prix Malaysian Grand Prix Grand Prix Category:Malaysian Grand Prix Malaysian Grand Prix