Grapevine: Final News from the Paddock - Malaysian GP

Open Ceremony

As the locals finally began to fill up the impressive grandstands and grass-covered hills around the expansive Sepang circuit, the third longest track on the calendar, the atmosphere built and the event organisers made up for their provision of just one solitary support race by entertaining the crowd with a lavish opening ceremony.

The almost two hour-long show began with a display of Silat Sembah, a type of traditional Malay martial art and dancers in traditional costume with umbrellas put on an impressive show on the start-finish straight. A march past by some Malaysian school bands then followed along with a display of a 4x4 adventure team which had journeyed from Istanbul to Putrajaya last year. After that, there was the inevitable arrival of the grid girls as Formula One took over the show.

Sky's Not at the Limit

The Malaysian Grand Prix airshow has been wowing the crowds throughout the weekend, but the five F/A 18D Hornets from the 18th Squadron of the Royal Malaysian Air Force have failed to impress several of the Formula One drivers. Led by formation leader Lt. Kol Suri B. Daud, or 'Byte' as he is known, the planes performed fantastic aerobatics including inverted flight, derry turns, oblique loops and 'double twinkle' rolls, but despite all their efforts, Italian Jordan driver Giancarlo Fisichella was still not impressed.

"They are too noisy and it makes it too hard to concentrate," grumbled Fisichella. Williams star Juan Pablo Montoya was a little more impressed by their show. "I think it's the best one," he said. But as the fearless pilots roared overhead the confident Colombian claimed that he is braver than they are, and added: "It is certainly the loudest and fastest, but I don't think they are as fast as I am when I go through turn five!"

Not So Fast

For the first time in a long time, none of the Formula One drivers were in a hurry in the build up to the Grand Prix. Normally at least a couple of over-exuberant men clock fines and take a wrap on the knuckles for speeding in the pit lane, but not this time. Perhaps the drivers were a little more chilled out after their time in the sun between the fly-away races of Australia and Malaysia because everyone was well behaved and the FIA will have to look elsewhere for their petty cash when they return to their Switzerland base after the race.

No Go In The Big Show

With a long line of old cars all set up on the grid in preparation for the drivers' parade, the organisers suffered an embarrassing experience as the lead machine failed to fire up. The chairman of the Sepang International Circuit, Tan Sri Basir, could not start his car and sat for minutes as the cameras focused on his vain efforts to get his motor running while the King of Malaysia sat alongside him.

Eventually the pair were forced to make a switch to their 'T-car', which they also struggled to start and as the cameras switched to home hero Alex Yoong, he found it hard to conceal his amusement. Eventually they got going and the parade began, but the embarrassing mistakes were not over yet and Sauber driver Nick Heidfeld was the next man to suffer as he was left on the grid when his car went off without him. The unfortunate German driver was soon back on track, however, when a bright yellow Porsche 911 turned up to give him a ride.