Malaysian GP inside line

The first is Bridgestone's new rubber. Last year it did not hold up in the Malaysian heat as well as the Michelins and we saw Fernado Alonso stun everyone with pole position and a Michelin-shod Kimi Raikkonen win the race. The Renaults, we know, have been good on long runs and should be strong at Sepang again, but will they be strong enough?

It was interesting to see Rubens Barrichello recalled to Europe for last week's Valencia test, Bridgestone obviously wanting the opinion of a race rather than a test driver in Spain. Barrichello says he thinks Ferrari have the perfect compound for Sepang and, if so, that's very bad news for everyone else. Remember how Schumacher used to dominate Sepang before Michelin arrived?

To make a bet, CLICK HERE.

Still, I fancy a punt on the Renaults. Logic says Fernando Alonso but not when you study the prices. The Spaniard is 13-2 and, in case the Ferrari/Bridgestone combo does indeed dominate again, you'd have to think about an each-way bet. One fifth of 13-2 probably won't float that many boats, but Jarno Trulli at 22-1 just might. Trulli had a miserable Melbourne but only after his diffuser was savaged by Sato. He was a front row starter at Sepang last year.

Did Melbourne reflect the Williams state of play or were they below par? Probably the latter if Patrick Head's face on Sunday was any gauge. The Michelins, we know, will work better in the heat, and Montoya probably won't mess up Turn 1 twice in succession, so the Colombian at 11-2 and team mate Ralf Schumacher (7-1), who won at Sepang in '02, are worth a look.

Finally, a silly one for you. Let's just suppose that the new generation Bridgestone really has turned the tables on Michelin, to a significant degree. Or that we had a tropical downpour at some stage during the race. In both cases Giancarlo Fisichella (150-1) in a Bridgestone-shod Sauber could conceivably finish on the podium. And so could Felipe Massa at 200-1. Not likely, I know, but probably more likely than once in 30 years, which is what the each-way odds on Fisi distils down to. Worth a tenner...

Happy punting! To make a bet, CLICK HERE.