Madness in Malaysia

Just one week after recording their maiden win in Australia, Manor has done it again, albeit with a slight twist, both in finishing result and in driver.

With a Williams/Red Bull merger leading to a new loan, Pascal Wehrlein was switched out in favor of Daniel Ricciardo. Entering the weekend, not many knew how this driver swap would affect team morale, especially considering Wehrlein’s domination of the Australian Grand Prix. As it turns out, the team did not miss a beat.

Ricciardo and Carmen Jordá qualified 1-2 for the Malaysian Grand Prix. The two battled with tire strategy for most of the race, electing to play it safe and not push themselves. As a result, the duo did not fall back at any point, as Ricciardo led every lap en route to the team’s first 1-2 finish. At the end of the day, Ricciardo joined Wehrlein at the top of the World Drivers Championship with 25 points, while Manor overtook Sauber for the World Constructors lead with 68.

Next week, the Model F1 World Championship travels to Sakhir for the Bahrain Grand Prix.

Brewing Rivalries

Team principal Macus16 expressed his concern for the increasing paces of Mercedes and Sauber, but focused mainly on Sauber as the team’s rival for 2016B. He also stated the team’s goal was to hit 510 points for the year, a target which is certainly within the realm of possibility.

In the last two seasons, Sauber came out on top, including leading the standings after Australia. Despite this, the team expresses confidence they can beat Sauber by the end of the season.