What? No comments?

Well, Lotus and Red Bull are doing well, the Mercedes are not looking as hot as expected and McLaren should start last years car.

I have placed a fiver on Button (for no good reason I can think of, except habit) and Massa, so I'm confidently expecting to be a tenner worse off come 10am on Sunday.

McLaren have to keep the faith with this car. If all they do in Sepang and China is data acquisition, it will be worth it. They will turn it into a quicker car, maybe even a winner, but they have to keep the faith.

I'd be interested to see what happens if Red Bull fail to make quali pace stick again. Cynics argue that this was precisely the aim of the new Pirelli tyres.

Alonso for the win, Kimi second, Vettel third. Again.

Being a McLaren fan I do struggle to understand their thinking with this years car They finished last season with the best car, they see what problems Ferrari had with understanding pullrod suspension and next years new engines mean another big change so why do a complete re-design just for one season ? I hope they get on top of it, but unlike Alonso and ferrari they are not getting decent points whilst they wait. Of course it is early but they are behind the Force India team this year.

McLaren's biggest problem (and I agree that an evolution of a quick car would have been a no-brainer in most circumstances) is that they don't have a (lead) driver who can wring the neck of a crap car, like Alonso - or Hamilton, who they might reasonably have supposed would have been driving this year's car.

Maybe the move to pull-rod is because they see it as crucial for 2014 and wanted a year extra to get used to it?

Until Mr Waggy won 4 races on the trot last year, it was anyone's championship, with at least 3 teams struggling to come to terms with their cars. I'm not writing McLaren off yet...

I'm chuffed it is this weekend. Perfect television watching with a beer weather

Looks like the race highlights are on at 2pm on Sunday.

I too am a McLaren fan and I wonder why they made a brand new car, I'm just hoping that there is method in their madness and it evolves. Eventually.

Other than that I'd be happy to see Alonso take the championship this year, and Massa to really pull through. Oh, does that make me a Ferrari fan now?

Meh. Odds on Red Bull keeping the tyres alive long enough to get away from the Ferraris? And odds on Massa finishing ahead of Alonso?

Doh....

Good luck Jim!

I'm going for

1. Alonso
2. Massa
3. Kimi.

Slim and slimmer.

Here's Lewis' post from facebook

"I'm pretty happy with fourth place considering the conditions today. It's the second race on the second row for me and there are lots of positives to take out of the weekend so far. Fingers crossed for tomorrow"

Who else is up to watch this?

Oh yes!

Why didn't Alonso come in ffs?

I think I'm going to start hiding behind the sofa every time a British driver comes into the pits.

Interesting race,I predict some grumpy faces! Think it was telling that webber chose to drive as far away from the team as possible when crossing the line!

Well what started off to be a exciting race turned into a snooze fest with the top 4 holding back.

Oh dear, things not happy in the pre-podium room!

I wouldn't want to be Martin Brundle now!

Wow, the tension and anger in that room was amazing. Hamilton hiding from the camera and Webber, not happy I think!

2 undeserved podium positions there...

Why is Lewis so grumpy? Aside from making an arse of himself driving into the wrong pits he's got nothing to grump about!

Hamilton handled that so much better than Vettel. If you look up "awkward" in the dictionary...

Not grumpy - embarrassed - like Jim, I thought he handled it very very well.

I understand why team orders are there but I'm not sure it did us favours.

Vettel seems to have at least apologised....

Just as well I didn't have a punt on Webber to win (like I did for Melbourne), otherwise that would give me yet another reason to dislike Waggy!!

It's a good job that Lewis didn't allow the McLaren pit crew to change his tyres.... poor old Jenson

The weird thing is. There were 2 lots of team orders going on. One obeyed. The other didn't. And still all parties involved were unhappy. Guess it's a real case of damned if you do etc...

I think Lewis was slightly embarrased at being allowed to take third - he knew Nico was faster and could easily have taken him - I think Lewis would have preferred Nico to have been allowed to take third - it was deserved

However, as was said above, Merc issued team orders and the drivers followed them. I don't believe Vettel should be allowed to get away with his actions - the team cannot afford to employ drivers who choose whether or not to follow orders. Mark has been the consumate team player all his F1 career and he's rewarded with a different set of rules when the team order eventually falls in his favour.

If Vettel isn't chastised, I'd be looking for another drive if I was Mark

I initially thought that, but where would he go?

I think Red Bull could choose whoever they wanted from the grid to replace Webber (perhaps with one or two exceptions), whereas Mark would realistically be looking at a second tier team if he were to leave.

I still feel sorry for him though.

But. As 3 times and current world champion. Do you let him get away with a slap on the wrist and told not to do it again. I didn't hear RB getting on the radio to tell Vettel to give the spot back.

I guess when there was 1 or 2 points difference between 1st and 2nd. The driver behind probably didn't mind as much.

Just proves (again) how much of a narcist Vettel is. I hate team orders, but I hate people like that even more. It was time for him to pay Webber back.