The Driver's Eye: Malaysia

Sky Sports F1's Anthony Davidson on why Malaysia is one of the toughest challenges on the 2012 schedule - and one of the most under-rated...

Following so closely on Melbourne, which doesn't necessarily provide an accurate impression of the pecking order because a driver can be so influential there, the first thing to be said about Malaysia is that it will very quickly make apparent which team has the fastest car. It's a clever bit of scheduling: you start the season with a mega-exciting race on a street circuit where anything can happen and then we can have a complete turn-around just a week later as we return to a more typical fast-flowing circuit. For a driver, part of the challenge this weekend is that there is such a quick turn-around from Australia, but it's also true that most drivers are now familiar with the concept of back-to-back race weekends and will find it quite easy to adapt from one type of track to another. They'll also be in the groove by the time they reach Sepang - the rust will have been removed in Australia, driving will feel natural again, and they'll be familiar with their car. Plus, the beauty of coming to Sepang direct from Australia is that there's only a small amount of jet-lag to deal with. The track itself is less punishing then Albert Park - in fact, on account of the way it flows, I'd describe it as good fun to drive. I still rate it as one of the best, if not the best, Hermann Tilke circuits because it has had time to settle down over the years. Whilst it remains technically enjoyable, there's now the odd bump here and there to give the circuit a bit of character. It's certainly no longer the polished circuit we first saw in 1999. However, the one ever-present feature about Malaysia which isn't enjoyable is the immense humidity. It hits you as soon as you leave the plane and, even though the ambient temperature might be lower than Australia, it's a really draining type of heat. Honestly, it's like driving in a sauna. In my view, Malaysia is one of the most physically demanding races of the year because in addition to the humidity - which makes dehydration a big risk - it is also a high-speed circuit which really pushes the body by pulling extreme G-Forces on a constant basis. There's just no escaping its gruelling nature and I think that the drivers would give it a much better rating if only it wasn't so physically tough. The problem is that as soon as you mention Malaysia, a driver will think of the humidity and instantly associate racing there with bloody hard work! And yet it's a track and lay-out which, to my mind, has it all. It's a great circuit. AD