Sepang, 19th March 2006

Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella and Fernando Alonso finished a dominant first and second in Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix, heading Jenson Button on the podium. But these three were in a class of their own. Fourth placed Juan Pablo Montoya was a further 29s down, 3.9s ahead of the Ferraris of Felipe Massa and Michael Schumacher, who had fought their way up from 21st and 14th on the grid respectively, the former making just one pit stop to the latter's two.

Although it was cooler than in qualifying, it was still 33 degrees but cloudy, with a 37 degree track temperature as the cars formed up on the grid. Fisichella made a good start off pole position from Button, but storming around the outside of the Williamses came Fernando Alonso from seventh on the grid to third. Webber held onto fourth place from Montoya in fifth but his McLaren Mercedes teammate, Kimi Raikkonen, tangled with Christian Klien in turn five and the Finn too no further part in the race, while Klien needed a long pit stop for repairs.

At the end of lap one, Fisichella led from Button, then Alonso pushed by Webber, Montoya, Nick Heidfeld's BMW Sauber and Rosberg. Jarno Trulli (Toyota) was next from Jacques Villeneuve's BMW, with Michael Schumacher already up four places to tenth.



By lap four Fisichella was already two seconds ahead of Button. Behind him, Alonso's heavy-on-fuel Renault was being pushed by Webber's Williams, having pulled away from Montoya. Rosberg had just overtaken Heidfeld and was catching Montoya, but when he did so on lap seven, his engine promptly expired.

By lap 11, Fisichella's advantage was up to 4.4s over Button, while further back, Michael Schumacher overtook Villeneuve to move up to eighth. Within a couple of laps, he was on Trulli's tail, overtaking on lap 14. At the same time, Webber pitted with a hydraulic problem which caused his retirement a lap later.

On lap 17, Fisichella made his first pit stop, with Button stopping two laps later, which allowed Alonso into the lead. He wouldn't stop until lap 26, rejoining back in third place; Fisichella still led at half distance by 8.6s from Button, while Alonso was 7.7s behind. Massa, yet to stop, was in fourth place but he pitted on lap 29, just before half distance, dropping to eighth place.

Behind the first three, Montoya had suffered tyre graining and was in fourth place, but at half distance, that was 21s behind the third placed car. Heidfeld was next from Michael Schumacher once Rubens Barrichello had made his only pit stop in the Honda.

Fisichella had built his lead up to ten seconds when he stopped on lap 38, and Button came in at the same time. But Alonso stayed out for another five, crucial laps, and when he pitted on lap 43, he emerged four seconds ahead of Button. Michael Schumacher had an average second stint, and when he pitted for his second stop, he came out just behind teammate Massa.

The first three raced to the chequered flag, with Renault taking a great one-two ahead of Button's Honda. Montoya was a distant fourth place, and Heidfeld should have been fifth, only to retire with engine failure seven laps from home. Massa therefore led home Michael Schumacher for fifth and sixth places, Jacques Villeneuve just pipping Toyota's Ralf Schumacher for seventh and eighth.