Alonso and Button back to scene of success
Jenson Button and Fernando Alonso have good reason to look forward to a return to Sepang, home of the Malaysian Grand Prix.
The fast, sweeping circuit has proved a lucky place to race for the pair and each has fond memories of years gone by ahead of this weekend’s race.
For Button, Malaysia 2004 represented the first time he made it onto a Formula One podium, when he came in third.
And Alonso secured the same result the year before, when he also set a new record as the sport’s youngest polesitter aged just 21.
The Spaniard went onto win last year’s race for Renault, the first of seven victories he collected as he set another record as Formula One’s youngest world champion.
Button heads to Sepang after a strong showing in Bahrain where he came in fourth for Honda, and is confident his long-overdue first win has every chance of happening in Malaysia.
He said: “Having finished fourth at the Bahrain Grand Prix, which is the highest position we’ve finished in at the first race of a season, I am really looking forward to showing what we can do at the next race.
“It’s reasuring that we come away from Bahrain knowing that we genuinely have the pace to compete with the other top teams.
“The Malaysian Grand Prix holds fond memories for me because it is where I achieved my first podium in Formula One.
“I enjoy racing there as it has a lot of quick, flowing corners as well as some really fast straights. I think we can expect another exciting race this weekend.”
The Englishman was hopeful of breaking his duck in the desert last week, but a poor start dropped him down the order, necessitating a stirring fightback.
On the day, though, Alonso once again proved himself the class of the field, holding off Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari to get his title defence off to the best possible start.
His championship year was built around a strong beginning to the season and consolidating from there, and so the 24-year-old is looking to build on the early momentum once more at a track he loves.
Alonso said: “Sepang has always been one of my favourite driver’s circuits and I seem to have important moments of my career there too – my first pole and podium in 2003, and the first win of my championship in 2005.
“I am arriving on the back of a win, at a super circuit, so I am very happy and hopefully we can win again. Traditionally, this is a strong track for Renault.”
It is also traditionally a strong track for Michelin, where their tyres have tended to cope with the extreme heat better than rivals Bridgestone.
Since 2001, when Michelin returned to the sport, they have only failed to win twice at the circuit and Alonso is confident he can make it two straight victories on Sunday.
“I think the tyres should be ready,” he added. “Michelin have done a fantastic job with the new rules and the high temperatures are not a problem at all. I think they have the tyres to win again in Malaysia.”
Button shared his rival’s confidence in the French company’s rubber, which Honda also use.
“Our car should work well at every circuit this year, but particularly at hot races like Malaysia where the conditions are very well suited to our tyres.”
