SEPANG, Malaysia — After fumbling around in Australia, Ferrari bounced back in Malaysia with Felipe Massa and Kimi Raikkonen starting on the front row and Raikkonen going on to win. It wasn’t a perfect day for the team, however, as Massa spun out of second place after clipping a curb.
Robert Kubica put in an outstanding performance in the ever-improving BMW Sauber to finish second. Following his third place in the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, it was the second podium of his career.
Having qualified third but starting eighth because of a penalty [see separate story], Heikki Kovalainen also earned the second podium finish of his F-1 career by bringing his Vodafone McLaren Mercedes home third.
After the carnage of Australia, this was a race with few incidents and even fewer accidents. Seventeen of the 22 starters finished, and Massa was the only one of the top dogs to go out.
Starting from pole, Massa led until he pitted at the end of lap 17. Raikkonen took over first place and held it for the rest of the race except for the eight laps Kubica led during the two rounds of pit stops.

KIMI COMES THROUGH: Defending world champion Kimi Raikkonen leads the way during Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix. Raikkonen claimed the victory from the front row alongside Ferrari teammate Felipe Massa. (Steve Etherington Photo)

“We were pretty similar speed wise,” Raikkonen said of Massa. “Once he went into the pits my car got much better because when you are one or two seconds behind it is a massive difference. I was able to go much quicker on my in-lap and I could pass him. After that when you are in free air, the car was handling perfectly and I was able to pull away. It was a pretty easy race after that first pit stop.”
Kubica’s BMW didn’t have the speed to match the Ferraris, but it was about level with the McLarens. He spent the afternoon in a lonely third place and then in a lonely second.
Nick Heidfeld got shoved back from fifth to 10th in the first corner. He worked his way back up to sixth, setting his first fastest F-1 race lap along the way. The 11 points BMW Sauber earned was its biggest points haul yet in a race.
The McLarens never showed the domination they did in Australia. Kovalainen and Australian Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton, gridding eighth and ninth, respectively, after their penalties, certainly had an uphill battle.
Hamilton carved his way to fifth on the opening lap, but then he came up against Mark Webber’s Red Bull and could advance no further. While both McLaren drivers eventually passed Webber during the pit stops, Hamilton then found Jarno Trulli’s Panasonic Toyota in front of him in fourth place and had to settle for fifth place.
Webber vaulted from sixth to fourth on the first lap, and that put him in front of Hamilton. Webber eventually fell back to a more realistic but well earned seventh place just ahead of Fernando Alonso’s Renault.