2016 Malaysian Grand Prix

Lore & Background

Daniel Ricciardo won the race, with teammate Max Verstappen finishing second to secure Red Bull Racing's first 1–2 finish since the introduction of hybrid engines in 2014 and the team's last one until the 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Rosberg completed the podium, extending his championship lead to twenty-three points following the retirement of Lewis Hamilton. This was Ricciardo's first win since the 2014 Belgian Grand Prix.

In Their Own Story

The humidity hung heavy over Sepang as Lewis Hamilton pushed the W07 to its limit, chasing the ghost of his teammate ahead. On lap 27, a sharp vibration shuddered through the chassis, followed by the sickening smell of burning oil. 'Engine failure,' he muttered into the radio, pulling the car toward the gravel trap as black smoke engulfed the cockpit. In the pit garage, engineers watched in horror as telemetry flatlined. Nico Rosberg, now leading, felt a surge of relief mixed with tension. The gap to his rival was gone; only Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel remained behind him. But victory slipped away just meters from the checkered flag. On lap 43, a sudden loss of power seized the engine. The V6 hybrid sputtered and died on track. Rosberg sat in silence, staring at the smoking dashboard, while the pit wall erupted not in celebration, but in disbelief. Two cars, one team, zero points.

Reader's Guide

At the start of the race, Sebastian Vettel collided with Nico Rosberg going into turn one, causing Rosberg to go into a spin to the back of the grid while Vettel damaged his front-left suspension in the process, retiring after getting to an escape road a few corners later. On lap 8, Romain Grosjean spun into the gravel trap due to brake failure once again, prematurely ending his race. Later, on lap 41, Lewis Hamilton's engine failed while he was in the lead of the race, forcing him to retire. Esteban Gutiérrez also retired when his front-left wheel came off the car in the latter stages of the race. Daniel Ricciardo, who inherited the lead of the race when Hamilton's engine failed, went on to win the race. It was the fourth win of his F1 career. Max Verstappen finished second, giving Red Bull Racing their first one-two since Brazil in 2013, with Nico Rosberg recovering to finish third from his spin on lap 1. For the next race in Japan, Vettel was handed a three-place grid penalty for causing the collision with Rosberg.

Did You Know?

• Nine Australian men, subsequently dubbed the 'Budgie Nine' by Australian media, were arrested for intentional insult and public indecency after celebrating Ricciardo's win by stripping to their 'budgie smuggler' swimming
• Ricciardo said that the nine had not realized the effect their actions would have and called for them to be released.
• After three days in custody, the nine were charged with the lesser offence of public nuisance and released. The briefs had been made in Australia, not Malaysia.