Kimi’s Column: Australia review | Malaysia preview

Great way to start

Obviously, winning the race as soon as the season starts, netting 25 points in the championship and getting the fastest lap time, feels good. I could not have asked for more.

The main reason to be happy with the first weekend of the racing season was, however, the feeling I had with the car. As I thanked the team in the radio after the race, I really meant it: We have a good car!

In Australia the race went very well, but we could have done better in the qualifying. It was a strange session split in two days. I had done the qualifying on Sunday morning only one before long time ago in Japan, and, while it’s the same for everybody, it was still quite tricky to get the lap together in those conditions.

After qualifying everything went as we planned. We had decided to go for two stop strategy after Friday practise and it was exactly the right way to go. I didn’t have any kind of issues with the tyres and the win must be one of the easiest I’ve ever got in F1.

Now we head for the Malaysian Grand Prix. I’ve got nice and not that nice memories from Sepang circuit. We have won there twice and it was ten years ago, while I did it for the first time in my F1 career.

The circuit is very challenging. It’s not my favourite place, while it’s always that hot, but it’s always a great circuit to race a F1 car. This time we should have a good car for the hot track temperatures, as well, but we have to wait until Friday practise, to find out more precisely.

Obviously, we do our very best to get it right at Sepang, and, hopefully net some good points again.