Malaysian Grand Prix: Pole Position Tip

With only a week separating the opening two races of the 2012 Formula One season, it is reasonable to expect McLaren to dominate in Malaysia as they did in Melbourne. Misfortune with a safety car was probably all that prevented the Woking-based team from a 1-2 finish Down Under.

Red Bull looked more competitive on race day but they were well off the pace in qualifying.  The suggestions are that McLaren now also have the versatility to prosper on tracks with more demanding corners than Melbourne, such as they will find at Sepang near Kuala Lumpur.

Team technical director Paddy Lowe pointed to how well his drivers did in pre-season testing: “Our performance in Barcelona was quite encouraging…a classic, high-speed downforce circuit,” he told BBC Sport.

If McLaren are to carry on their early season dominance, at least for now, then Lewis Hamilton has to be strong favourite to claim another pole position; at best odds of 9/4 (Boylesports) it feels like we’re getting good value. The bookmakers continue to price up Sebastian Vettel (16/5 Boylesports) with his 2011 form in the forefront of their minds. But times have moved on.

Jenson Button looks almost as good a price at 4/1 (Ladbrokes) to top qualifying. But the winner of the Australian Grand Prix tends to save his very best for Sundays. Hamilton started higher on the grid than his team-mate in 13 of 19 races last year, and that pattern continued last week. The McLarens both look like good picks but based on these statisitcs Hamilton should just get the nod at 9/4.