After a straightforward victory for Raikkonen and Ferrari in Australia, the circus is heading to Malaysia, where their engines are all headed for a second weekend at what promises to be a hot race...
Last season, the hot climate contributed to a lot of engines being changed out ahead of their second race, sending five drivers back down the order after qualifying. This season, with more experience of the engine longevity issues, there should be less of an issue, but any team that is marginal on cooling is going to be in for a tough weekend.
Don't be surprised to see some holes cut in bodywork if the temperatures rise above the predicted 95 degrees: with the engines spending around 70 percent of the lap at full throttle, it is going to be critical to get cooling right. With a couple of long straights and big stops, braking and traction are important. Efficient aerodynamics is a must to maintain straight line speed without compromising cornering.