The 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix is in the books – and that is the last time we will see Sepang for the foreseeable future – as the circuit has been dropped from the Formula One racing calendar after nearly 20 years. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen is no longer a teenager [he is 20 years old now] and he took the opportunity to drive like the “almost-adult” that he is, winning over Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in second and his Red Bull teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, in third. Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel finished fourth after Vettel had to start from last place due to incurring penalties for replacing his engine.
Hamilton was the pole-sitter for the race but did not drive like it as Verstappen quickly – and easily – passed him a mere four laps into the race and eventually finished nearly 13 seconds ahead of Hamilton. Ricciardo was mostly left alone in third place until Vettel caught up to him in the final laps – but by that time, Vettel has used up his tires passing everybody else and could make only one serious attempt at passing Ricciardo before the team elected to hold back and take the fourth-place points.
Now that he’s an “almost-adult”, ASN awards Verstappen his first three-pointer of the year with the race win, Vettel gets second-place points for his spirited drive from last place to fourth and McLaren-Honda’s Stoffel Vandoorne once again put in a good performance in his underpowered car to snag an impressive seventh place finish that has given him 13 points for the season and into 14th place – vaulting him past his more decorated and recognizable teammate, Fernando Alonso. Meanwhile, with his drive, Vettel has nearly clinched the ASN Formula One driver rankings for 2017, building up an 11-point lead over Hamilton in second.
Once again, the Pastor Maldonado Driving School Award is a no-brainer – perhaps literally – as Williams’ Lance Stroll inexplicably crashed into Vettel during the post-race lap, potentially damaging Vettel’s gearbox – which may incur yet another penalty for Vettel for the upcoming 2017 Japanese Grand Prix. However, Toro Rosso’s Sergio Perez still clings to a one-point lead over a slew of drivers in a four-way second-place tie.
The Kimi Raikkonen “Leave Me Alone! I Know What I’m Doing! Award goes to Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, after being punted by Renault’s Jolyon Palmer resulting in Magnussen referring Palmer in the phrase – “What a f-king lunatic!” Alonso still holds a one-point lead over Vettel in the category.
The Bernie Ecclestone Doofus Moment Award goes to Malaysian Grand Prix officials who showed one reason why this is the last race for them when a drain cover on the circuit caused Haas’ Romain Grosjean to crash in qualifying. The category’s namesake – Ecclestone – is still the clear leader with three points, though officials from numerous Grands Prix this year have accounted for five points in total.
2017 ASN Formula One Driver Rankings [after Malaysian Grand Prix]
1] Sebastian Vettel – 29 points
2] Lewis Hamilton – 18
3] Valtteri Bottas – 12
4] Daniel Ricciardo – 10
5] Esteban Ocon – five
6] Fernando Alonso/Kimi Raikkonen/Stoffel Vandoorne/Max Verstappen – four
10] Sergio Perez – two
11] Romain Grosjean/Lance Stroll – one
2017 Pastor Maldonado Driving School Award [after Malaysian Grand Prix]
1] Perez – three
2] Daniil Kvyat/Carlos Sainz, Jr./Verstappen/Vettel – two
6] Grosjean/Kevin Magnussen/Jolyon Palmer/Stroll/Vandoorne – one
2017 Kimi Raikkonen “Leave Me Alone! I Know What I’m Doing!” Award [after Malaysian Grand Prix]
1] Alonso – three
2] Vettel – two
3] Bottas/Jenson Button/Grosjean/Hamilton/Mercedes [Bottas pit]/Magnussen/Ocon/Red Bull [Verstappen [pit]/Ricciardo/Verstappen – one
2017 Bernie Ecclestone Doofus Moment Award [after Malaysian Grand Prix]
1] Bernie Ecclestone – three
2] Australian Grand Prix officials/Bottas/British Grand Prix officials/Canadian Grand Prix officials/Force India/Goodwood Festival of Speed/Hamilton/Malaysian Grand Prix officials/Mercedes marketing/Singapore grand Prix officials/Stroll/Williams – one