F1 Malaysia GP: Sepang swansong and Hamilton’s veganism

Things to know ahead of this weekend’s
Formula 1 Malaysia Grand Prix

Preview

In April it was announced that after 19 years, the 2017 Malaysia
Grand Prix would be the last.

At the time, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak told
CNN the country could no longer justify
the cost of hosting an F1 race.

Fox Sports Asia’s John Duerden believes F1 will
miss Malaysia, but feels the “time is right” because of the
emergence of the Singapore GP.

He said: “Malaysia had a good run but the
emergence of Singapore and its iconic night race in the city’s
centre also had an effect and perhaps the time is right. Ticket
sales have been declining since 2014 and the predictability of the
sport in recent years also does not help.” 

Before Sepang’s swansong on Sunday though,
there’s still plenty to discuss on and off the track in Malaysia.
We take a look at the main talking points ahead of this weekend’s
race.

Lewis Hamilton has gone vegan.
But can his new diet meet the demands of Formula 1 driving?
Read here: https://t.co/3bsezMkwia pic.twitter.com/GlCed5GPp3 — BBC Sport (@BBCSport)
September 29, 2017

Is Hamilton’s vegan switch a bad
idea?

After winning last time out in Singapore Lewis
Hamilton moved 28 points ahead of Sebastian Vettel in the F1
drivers’ championship. 

The biggest talking point from Singapore was
undoubtedly the spectacular three-way crash between Vettel,
team-mate Kimi Raikkonen and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. But another
story making headlines was Hamilton’s announcement he was going
vegan.

Will the lifestyle change affect his title bid? The
BBC spoke with performance biochemist Dr Rob Child,
who said it could have a negative effect for Hamilton midway
through a season. 

“I think it is a bad idea to switch mid-season,” Child
told BBC
Sport. “Quite often changing a diet does throw up some issues
that take some time to resolve. Ultimately during that period his
performance could be compromised.  

“It is a close battle in the championship and
you are looking to gain every advantage you can wherever possible.
Such changes are made during the off season with the athletes I
work with rather than during the season.”

Fernando please don’t go!! @alo_oficial pic.twitter.com/nOWShwuife — Giselle Zarur Maccis
(@giselle_zm) September 29, 2017

Alonso: Hamilton now big title
favourite

In an interview with Sky Sports, McLaren driver Fernando Alonso said
Hamilton is now the firm favourite for the championship after
Vettel crashed out in Singapore. 

Alonso told Sky Sports F1 that if Vettel wants
to remain in the title race then the German cannot make anymore
mistakes.

“Now the championship is not as it was before
Singapore where the two were equal,” said Alonso. “Now there’s a
clear advantage for Lewis.

“It’s a risky situation now for Vettel. There is
no more room for mistakes, while before they were in the same
position. Lewis has a better chance now, but there are still six
races remaining and anything can happen.”

When @MercedesAMGF1 and @LewisHamilton are off the pace, a look under the skin
is required. https://t.co/v4nwiwPe3q — F1i (@F1icom) September 29, 2017

Mercedes battle with ‘gremlins’

Although Hamilton is seen as the F1 title
favourite, in the second free practice (FP2) session he struggled
at Sepang while Vettel set the pace.

After FP2, Vettel led the way ahead of Ferrari
team-mate Raikkonen in second and Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo in
third.

Hamilton was sixth and his Mercedes team-mate
Valtteri Botta was seventh. Haas driver Romain Grosjean crashed out
after puncturing a tyre.

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff was left frustrated, says the
Daily Express. Wolff said: “You can compare
Malaysia to Silverstone probably, where we have been very good at
high speed. 

“But we’ve not been very good at high speed
here. There is a fundamental issue in the car that we need to find
out.

“They are very complex so it can be a kind of
detail that just unsettles the car. There is some gremlin in the
car.”

Pierre Gasly to replace @kvyatofficial at Toro Rosso for ‘next Grands Prix’
>> https://t.co/x4VbF8OdZR #F1 pic.twitter.com/gUbjvh5nhP — Formula 1 (@F1) September 26, 2017

New face on the grid

Pierre Gasly will make his F1 debut when he races for
Toro Rosso in place of Daniil Kvyat. The 21-year-old Frenchman told
Formula1.com that he is looking forward to the
race in Sepang and does not feel any pressure. 

“People probably might think that I am cracking
a bit under that pressure,” said Gasly. “Quite the contrary. I have
been working very hard in the past few years to make it to F1 – why
should I crack now?

“This opportunity is simply fantastic – I have
been dreaming about this moment since I was a kid. I have been
working so hard, being so focused and probably forsaking many
things that kids do, but wow, I am here now.”

How to watch the F1 Malaysia GP

Sky Sports will broadcast the Malaysia Grand
Prix live on Sunday morning. The race, which starts at 8am UK time,
will be shown live on Sky Sports F1 on channel 406. Coverage starts
at 6.30am on Sunday with the track parade followed by the pit lane
and race build-up.