MASSA'S F1 MISERY

IT has been a dreadful start to the season for last year's Gulf Air Bahrain Formula One winner Felipe Massa who is suffering the most from the new rules that ban traction control and other electronic aids.

In Sepang, like a week earlier in Melbourne, the Brazlilian was as recalcitrant as a child who has been deprived of its favourite toy.

The result: two retirements in two races and rumours of his future at Ferrari being at stake in only his second year with the team.

Much like tennis ace Roger Federer, who suffered yet another defeat, this time at the hands of journeyman Mardy Fish at the Indian Wells Masters, Massa has a Herculean task ahead of him.

Both have to win their struggles with their personal demons first before going on to conquer the world. Such are the perils of the unexpected in the unforgiving world of modern sport.

The present plight of the two reminds me of what Muhammad Ali once famously said: 'you can't hit what you can't see'.

So the best thing for Massa and Federer is to think of what is possible rather than the improbable.

It was not spectacular but sublime driving in short bursts in Malaysia that won the day for Ferrari and Kimi Raikkonen. And it was all over as a spectacle in a matter of seconds for both the race winner and the championship contender.

Raikkonen needed only two-tenths of a second to grab the lead from teammate Massa while 19.2 seconds was enough to force McLaren's Lewis Hamilton into damage control rather than a dash for the podium.

But first the winner - Raikkonen was Schumacher-like when Massa went in for his first pit stop on lap 20. Making the most of some clean and clear air, the Finn pressed on the pedal hard and true. The result: he shaved two-tenths off a second of his fastest lap - just enough to emerge ahead of Massa after his own pit stop. He could have well said, check and checkmate and headed for a much-needed sip of the bubbly.

On the other hand, Hamilton too could have walked out of the race after the first pit stop when a troublesome front-right tyre failed to oblige.

It cost him all the places he had gained with a daring move at the start of the race. From there on in it was more of a game of catch-up rather than a keen wheel-to-wheel contest for the Briton.

The Malaysian Grand Prix was an uneventful and incident-free event, and in stark contrast to the Melbourne Grand Prix just a week ago. Except for a few chaotic overtaking manoeuvres at the start of the race, it had very little to offer in terms of real Formula One action.

If at all there was any action, it was certainly not at the business end of the race where Raikkonen was in a league of his own once Massa drove himself out of contention getting trapped in the gravel.

Where Massa let his heart rule over his head and lost the race, Raikkonen won it by doing just the opposite.

The Malaysian Grand Prix, however, has thrown up an exciting prospect for the rest of the season.

It may after all not be a two-horse race between Ferrari and McLaren like last year. BMW has already split the two in the constructors table with 19 points compared to the leaders McLaren's 24 and third-placed Ferrari who have 11.

BMW was the best of the rest last year, but this year they are clearly among the front runners having bagged two second places (Nick Heidfeld in Melbourne and Robert Kubica in Sepang).

Heidfeld also presents a mouth-watering third dimension to the driver's championship. With 11 points from two races, the German shares the second spot with Raikkonen, the two just three behind leader Hamilton. The BMW has certainly arrived in style and its power and panache was there for all to see in Sepang.

As if to confirm it, Heidfeld left his best for last and clocked the fastest lap in Sepang (1:35.366) just before taking the chequered flag.

Two races down and two winners, and with Bahrain the next stop the air is expectant with endless possibilities.

Ferrari will certainly have an edge having tested here during the pre-season and Massa can perhaps concentrate on that winning feeling he enjoyed so much 12 months ago.

But Renault were the winners here for two years before that with Fernando Alonso using the Bahrain International Circuit as a springboard for championship status. Alonso is now back with Renault and as he proved in Melbourne and Sepang, he is craving for a real shot at the title.

It is equally exciting at the middle of the table with Williams and Toyota determined to keep a resurgent Red Bull with the veteran duo of Mark Webber and David Coulthard at bay.

So Bahrain in many ways will be presenting an exciting and level playing field for many battles and battles within battles.

Time to put on the seat belts again for anther hair-rising ride at Sakhir.