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It was therefore a slightly surprised pitlane which noted yet another Michael Schumacher pit position, especially when Rubens Barrichello backed this up with a third place slot. The two Williams split the Ferraris and this quartet was followed by the inevitable two McLarens. The start was a repeat performance of Australia but with slightly different actors. This time it was Michael Schumacher who weaved vigorously to place his car ahead of Pablo Montoya's Williams. When neither gave way at the first corner contact was inevitable and Michael's subsequent pitstop to replace his nose cone put him down into dead last . Montoya continued but was down in eighth . Out of this kerfuffle Barrichello went into the lead ahead of Ralf Schumacher but, given that the Ferrari was on a two-pitstop strategy and the Williams on only one, it was never going to be enough to keep the lead to the finish. Nevertheless, Barrichello was heading for a very commendable second place finish when his engine suddenly let go just 16 laps before the end. Long before the two McLarens had also lunched their Ilmore engines, with Kimi Raikkonen having been as high as second place at one stage. The first corner combatants had, in the meantime, started their chase through the field. Montoya's pit drive-through penalty seemed harsh and inconsistent but he shrugged it off and began picking up places. Assisted by retirements in front of him he eventually finished second. Michael Schumacher never seemed to find his electrifying qualifying pace and although he too consistently picked up places the gap to his teammate remained all the time at a stubborn 45 seconds. From last on the road he was up to 16th by lap 25 (out of 56). He passed Heidfeld for fifth on lap 35, moved up another place following Barrichello's retirement and then, on the final lap, was able to squeeze by Jenson Button's ailing Renault to finish third behind the two Williams. Not a very inspiring race. It could have been very different had Michael Schumacher not been forced into an extra pitstop but the Michelin tyres ran very strongly after the initial laps. Still, Michael continues to lead the Championship on 14 points, followed by Montoya on 12, but the Williams are at the head of the Constructors' table with 22, eight ahead of Ferrari. Jean Todt: “After yesterday’s qualifying performance, today’s result can only be described as disappointing. It was a shame for Rubens, who for the second time in a row has failed to score points. Today, he could have finished at least second. Now we have to find out what happened to the engine on his car as this sort of problem is unusual for us. Michael’s race was naturally conditioned by the first corner incident. This is the second time that an incident immediately after the start has cost us dear. Michael left the pits in last place and gave the race his all from then on, to end up on the third step of the podium. However, we must not forget that we have yet to race the F2002 which should be quicker than the modified F2001, even if that car has proved to be pretty competitive ”. Michael Schumacher: “That was an exciting race and my car was reliable and consistent. As far as the accident was concerned, maybe Juan could have given me more room, but he chose not to and we just touched. That’s racing. It was only a little touch, but I had to pit to change the front wing. As for the rules regarding penalties, I think they should be made more consistent, although that might be difficult to achieve. I decided to push right to the end and if I had not, probably I would not have caught Button, who obviously had a problem. We have brought the old car to the first two races and did not really expect to have 14 points in our account at this stage. So to pick up 4 today is fine and I am happy and relaxed about it. From my point of view, given that I had to fight through the field, a two stop strategy was the right one. ” Rubens Barrichello: “I gave it my best shot. I made a good start and managed to stay on the clean side of the track and avoid the accident taking place in front of me. I think the choice of a two stop strategy was the right one for us, because we might have had tyre problems doing just one stop. Given the performance of our main rival’s car-tyre package, I think I could have finished at least in second place, which would have been pretty good. “
RACE RESULTS
Malaysian GP
Sepang, Malaysia
56 laps. Weather: Hot & Humid
Classified:
Pos Driver Team Time
1. R. Schumacher Williams (M) 1h34:12.912
2. Montoya Williams (M) + 0:20.300
3. M. Schumacher Ferrari (B) + 1:01.795
4. Button Renault (B) + 1:09.767
5. Heidfeld Sauber (B) + 1 Lap
6. Massa Sauber (B) + 1 Lap
7. McNish Toyota (M) + 1 Lap
8. Villeneuve BAR (B) + 1 Lap
9. Sato Jordan (B) + 2 Laps
10. de la Rosa Jaguar (M) + 2 Laps
11. Frentzen Arrows (B) + 2 Laps
12. Salo Toyota (M) + 3 Laps
13. Fisichella Jordan (B) + 3 Laps
World Championship Standing, Round 2:
Drivers: Constructors:
1. M.Schumacher 14 1. Williams 22
2. Montoya 12 2. Ferrari 14
3. R. Schumacher 10 3. McLaren 4
4. Raikkonen 4 4. Renault 3
5. Irvine 3 5. Jaguar 3
6. Button 3 6. Sauber 3
7. Webber 2 7. Minardi 2
8. Heidfeld 2 8. Toyota 1
9. Salo 1
10. Massa 1
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After
their dominant performance at the Australian GP much effort was expended,
both by Ferrari and its rivals, to talk down their chances of repeating
the performance in Malaysia. Tyres were quoted as the main reason, with
the Michelins on the McLarens and Williams expected to perform much better
in the tropical heat of the Sepang circuit.
