Practice
The second session saw Ferrari take over with Michael Schumacher completely eclipsing the efforts of Alonso in the previous session. He went fastest with a 1:34.980. His teammate, Rubens Barrichello , managed second with a 1:35.681 lap at the end of the session.
Race
Both the BAR of Jacques Villeneuve and the Toyota of Cristiano da Matta failed on the grid, causing them to start from the pit lane; however, this caused confusion after the warm-up lap, forcing Giancarlo Fisichella to reverse into his grid spot, the second-time the Italian took up the wrong position at this circuit. Alonso led the all- Renault front row and led the cars into the first corner, but Michael Schumacher , who started from third position, tangled whilst attempting to repass David Cou... A chain reaction further back in the field caused Jaguar driver Antônio Pizzonia to rear-end Juan Pablo Montoya , removing the latter's rear wing. Montoya was forced to pit, losing two laps during a rear-wing replacement. As a result, David Coulthard of McLaren-Mercedes was left in second position, but his prospects were ended on the second lap with an electronics failure. He later criticised the team. His team-mate Räikkönen had moved into second place by passing the Sauber of Nick Heidfe... The podium positions stayed that way with Räikkönen cutting into the lead when Alonso pitted first out of the front three on lap 14, a sign that he was carrying a lighter fuel load during qualifying. Alonso did break the record for youngest driver to lead a race (the previous record having remained since 1951). Räikkönen circulated until lap 19, using the lighter fuel load to post faster lap times, and after his pit stop emerged ahead of Alonso. Barrichello also made up time before pitting on the 21st lap, but did not clear Alonso upon his return to the track, with a deficit of over three seconds. By this stage, Trulli had recovered to 6th place, challenging the BAR of Jenson Button for fifth position. Räikkönen gradually extended his lead, which reached 17.8 s by the 33rd lap. Button pitted on the 34th lap, allowing Trulli clean air to post faster lap times. Alonso then pitted on the 35th lap, freeing Barrichello, who did not pit until the 38th lap and re-entered the race ahead of Alonso. Räikkönen was the last of the contenders to pit, doing so on lap 40 and further extending his lead. Meanwhile, a delay with a fuel nozzle had denied Trulli the opportunity to jump Button in the pits. Michael Schumacher, with a light car at the end of his stint, passed Trulli and Button in quick succession before conceding his gains with a final pit stop.
External links
2°45′39″N 101°44′18″E / 2.76083°N 101.73833°E / 2.76083; 101.73833
Race Result
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Q1 Time | Q2 Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Fernando Alonso | Renault | 1:36.693 | 1:37.044 |
| 2 | 7 | Jarno Trulli | Renault | 1:36.301 | 1:37.217 |
| 3 | 1 | Michael Schumacher | Ferrari | 1:34.980 | 1:37.393 |
| 4 | 5 | David Coulthard | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:36.297 | 1:37.454 |
| 5 | 2 | Rubens Barrichello | Ferrari | 1:35.681 | 1:37.579 |
| 6 | 9 | Nick Heidfeld | Sauber-Petronas | 1:36.407 | 1:37.766 |
| 7 | 6 | Kimi Räikkönen | McLaren-Mercedes | 1:36.038 | 1:37.858 |
| 8 | 3 | Juan Pablo Montoya | Williams-BMW | 1:35.939 | 1:37.974 |
| 9 | 17 | Jenson Button | BAR-Honda | 1:36.632 | 1:38.073 |
| 10 | 20 | Olivier Panis | Toyota | 1:36.995 | 1:38.094 |
Championship Standings After This Race
The Paddock Breakdown
Barry · Gary · KatGary — 33 · Three Fantasy F1 leagues
The air hung thick with the scent of burning rubber and high-octane ambition – a familiar perfume at Sepang. McLaren's MP4-17, a beast of 840 horsepower courtesy of the Mercedes V10, wrestled with the track, its gearbox a frantic heartbeat against the Malaysian afternoon. A curious detail: the Michelin tyres, a relatively new arrival to Formula 1, were running at a consistent 28. 5 psi, a pressure seemingly dictated by the relentless pursuit of grip in this humid environment. Räikkönen, a raw force unleashed, navigated the chaos, etching his name into the history books with a victory that felt both inevitable and utterly, breathtakingly new.
The air hung thick with the scent of rain-slicked asphalt and a palpable tension – a familiar prelude to Sepang's drama. Twenty-three years prior, 1901, the early days of motorsport offered a stark contrast: no sophisticated telemetry, no Michelin rubber, just audacious men wrestling with steam-powered engines. Räikkönen's victory, a sudden eruption of scarlet amidst the grey, was a statistical anomaly.
Kat — 30 · Technical journalist
The rain, a venomous grey, slammed into the cockpit of Räikkönen's McLaren. A fractured heartbeat of spray and rubber, the Sepang air thick with the metallic tang of impending disaster. Coulthard, a ghost of blue and orange, trailed twenty seconds behind, the championship slipping through his fingers like wet sand. A desperate gamble – a wider racing line, a calculated risk against the relentless deluge. Victory, a shimmering mirage, hinged on this single, agonizing lap. The roar of the crowd, a muted, anxious plea against the storm's fury. This was the brutal beauty of Formula One, distilled.
Coulthard, a man forged in the Scottish Highlands, stood motionless in his garage, a grey shadow against the vibrant blue of his car. He'd carried the weight of the championship on his broad shoulders, a burden he'd accepted with stoic grace. But Sepang, this young circuit, was a beast of its own – a watery, unforgiving challenge. A flicker of frustration crossed his face, quickly masked; a veteran understanding the brutal dance between man and machine. This wasn't a battle to be won with brute force, but with patience, with instinct. The scent of wet asphalt and high-octane fuel hung heavy in the air, a primal perfume of speed and risk.