Season 3 Race 2: Malaysia Grand Prix Press Clippings

Koenig-RTK Surges Ahead
Hans Strecht’s victory marked the first win for Koenig-RTK as a constructor. Not only that, but Strecht and Hoffel’s second consecutive double podium has allowed the team to surge ahead in the Constructors Championship. With so many unknowns about the team’s drivers in play, it’s hard to tell if Koenig-RTK has snagged two exceptionally talented drivers or if their car is just the best package on the grid. Many media outlets claim a combination of both. Whatever the case, the other teams clearly have a lot to prove if they want to top the new team from Germany.

Mic McJergens: A Study in Age
With Nergal driver Mic McJergens celebrating his 30th birthday on track this weekend, many critics question whether or not the Irish driver is not too old to make a difference in Formula D. “His first season was practically art,” Darren Richardson, former Centurion driver said to the press. “But his early struggles in season 2 and his mediocre performance this year make it look like he’s lost some of that.” Indeed, many outlets have noted that McJergens is now the oldest driver on the grid, and that his performance this year is a step down from even his mediocre start to season 2. Nergal continues to stand behind its aging former world champion, but will it continue to do so if McJergens’ performance does not improve?

Season 3 Race 2: Malaysia Grand Prix Race Summary

For the first time ever, the sun shone during the Malaysia Grand Prix. Both Nergal cars, Castillo, and Hoffel, who had been eliminated in Q1, all chose to fit the Options tires, while Sylvester, Michelle, Esfandiari, and Strecht had to remain on the same Options that they had fitted for Q2. With an all Options field, the race promised to get off to an interesting start.

Season 3 Race 2: Malaysia Grand Prix Qualifying

Qualifying was in a torrent of rain, and all cars opted to go out on the Wets. Koenig-RTK and Nergal were unfazed, choosing to run their default setups despite the rain. However, Wright moved an engine point over to suspension to protect their car against debris. Centurion did something similar, choosing to shore up suspension at the expense of tire wear.

Season 3 Race 2: Malaysia Grand Prix Storylines

Equal Footing – With no team showing any signs of underperforming, the third season of the Formula D World Championship may be the most intense yet. Add to that the new regulations, and retirements may be at an all time low. While one race is too early to detect a trend, the caliber of race that the teams brought to Long Beach may be an indication of a strong showing all around.

Season 3 Race 2: Malaysia Grand Prix Introduction

A tumultuous race on Amerca’s west coast proved that no team or driver can be counted on to lose. People said Koenig-RTK would take time to find their balance, and they stole the podium. Others said Nergal would start on the back foot after their late season development last year, and they took the top step. Amid worries that Centurion would fall behind as they lost Koenig’s support were squelched by race pace, even if their results left something to be desired. Wright performed admirably during the race as well, rounding out the grid with a fourth team that could vie for the championship on equal footing. What this means for the rest of the season remains to be seen, but it is certain that the Malaysia Grand Prix will be an exciting event nonetheless.

Season 2 Race 2: Malaysia Grand Prix Press Clippings

Reine Embarrassed by Engine Stalls, Failures
Reine, the engine supplier for both Nergal GP Racing and Wright FD, have come under attack after the Malaysia Grand Prix for the repeated failures of their engines. During pre-season testing at Silverstone, Mic McJergens stalled on the starting grid, with Leonard McGee doing the same at the Argentine Grand Prix. After both Nergals stalled, and Mariana Castro of Wright FD retired due to a blown engine, Reine is scrambling to come up with a cause. “We’ve been investigating possibilities, and temperature appears to play a big factor. Malaysia especially was a hot, humid race.” After the brief press conference, Reine stated that they stand by their engines, claiming that the problems–whatever they may be–should be solved by the Grand Prix of Spain.

Richardson On Way Out, Says Centurion Source
An anonymous source within Centurion-Koenig GP Racing says that Darren Richardson is being taken off the active driver roster again, this time for good. “After the race, Richardson had his head handed to him by the team principal,” the source reported. “Given his performance in the first race, there was no guarantee he’d be staying. After yet another retirement it’s impossible to justify retaining him when all he does is wreck the car and lose us points.” No official announcement has been made, but a replacement driver is expected to take Richardson’s place at the Grand Prix of Spain.

Nergal Disappointed but “Managing” After First Retirement
Leonard McGee’s retirement after leading for two thirds of the Malaysia Grand Prix was a huge disappointment to Nergal GP Racing, which was made worse given that it was the team’s first career retirement. “Leonard was furious with himself as he stormed back into the paddock,” Jim Robinson, team principle for Nergal, stated that night. “The entire team’s confidence was a bit shaken, and Len was raging about making such a glaring error. But he talked it out, and the team’s managing. It’s been difficult coming down from last season.” During the first season, Nergal had led the standings from the first race, a feat they seem unlikely to achieve this season. “All we can really do is our best,” Robinson continued. “We’ll get there eventually. This season’s quite a different beast.”

Complaints About New Tires Surface
Following two grueling grands prix, a number of complaints about this season’s tire compound have surfaced from all four teams. Latic Tires, provider of the compounds used at each grand prix weekend, were given the challenge this season of making tires that would suit each track without having to resort to varying the compounds each weekend. However, the drivers have complained of a lack of grip and increased wear. “Last year we could do practically the whole race on a set of tires if you managed them right,” Nergal driver Mic McJergens stated. “Now it’s starting to look like the two stop strategy is the best one because by the end of each lap your tires are shot.” Other drivers, including Clint Hurdle of Wright FD, and Cory Sylvester of Centurion-Koenig voiced similar experiences. “I haven’t been treating them any differently than last year’s tires,” Hurdle stated. “They just go off on you. It’s frustrating.” A representative from Latic Tires stated that unusual weather conditions, such as the oppressive heat and humidity of Malaysia this past weekend, could be to blame for the short lifespan of the tires.

Season 2 Race 2: Malaysia Grand Prix Race Summary

The drivers once again returning to the Sepang International Circuit will find things have not changed much. However, the tight and winding turns of sectors 1 and 2, particularly the turn 1 and 2 complex dubbed the “Baby Ammonite” by some, are prime locations for a pileup. With an expanded grid of 8 cars this season, Sepang may prove to be a difficult track on which to avoid collisions.

Season 2 Race 2: Mayalsia Grand Prix Storylines

The Rainy Season – Last season, Malaysia was the first rain race on the calendar, and with the teams going to Sepang much earlier this season there’s a chance they’ll get caught up in the tail end of the monsoon season. At the last Malaysia Grand Prix, Darren Richardson retired as the weather swung wildly throughout the course of the race. With a much more crowded grid this year, will there be more retirements?

Nergal’s Legacy – Though it wasn’t Mic McJergens across the line first, Nergal is just as thrilled that they took the season’s first checkered flag at Argentina with Leonard McGee. This gives them the lead in both the World Driver’s Championship and the World Constructor’s Championship, just as they had done last year after the Grand Prix of Australia. Now the question everyone is asking is will they parlay this into an early lead like they did last year? Furthermore, how will the team perform at Malaysia, a race that Mic McJergens also won last season?

Season 2 Race 2: Malaysia Grand Prix Introduction

The start of the second season of the Formula D World Championship was as dramatic as the first. With the teams and drivers knowing better what to expect, they thought they had things well under control. However, by the end of the race a fourth of the starting grid retired, and in spite of a massive lead, L’equipe Duchamp’s new driver Deryl Caughlin went from a commanding lead to a third place finish. Now the teams journey to surroundings a little more familiar. Last season, Malaysia became the first rain race, and Richardson’s second retirement. This year it’s earlier on the calendar and will have twice as many cars. Will this race be a return to form for the teams, or will it prove just as difficult as Argentina?

Season 1 Race 4: Malaysia Grand Prix Race Summary

The Sepang International Circuit would prove to provide racers with a number of challenges, not the least of which being the weather. Beyond the rain, however, are the two monstrously long straights that bracket the beginning and end of the track. Aside from these, there are many straights that are bracketed by slower turns, giving the teams a challenge in setting up the car to get the most out of these long stretches.