Malaysian GP: Single point for Hulkenberg

The AT&T Williams team would see their drivers qualify fifth and seventh for the 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix. Nico Hulkenberg would lead team-mate Barrichello on a day dominated by the weather. Come Sundays the weather would see the day dry with overcast skies. For the teams it would now be a choice of which dry tyre ton select for the start of the race. On pole was Webber from Rosberg, Vettel, Sutil, Nico, Kubica, Rubens and Michael Schumacher eighth. The forecast had no rain for at least the next forty five minutes. The start of the race would be interesting with Massa, Alonso, and Hamilton all starting from the rear of the grid. On his warm up lap Nico would make a mistake at Turn four running over the gravel but would continue to take up his place on the grid. De la Rosa would not start the race after an engine failure with his car.

The top three cars were all staring on the softer tyre while at the rear of the grid Alonso, Massa, and Hamilton would start on the harder tyre. Button was on the softer tyre as well as Schumacher. The start of the race would see Webber leading from Vettel but Vettel would pass as they went into Turn one. Rosberg was third from Kubica, while Rubens was at the back of the field after having stalled at the start. Sutil was fifth from Schumacher, Liuzzi, and Nico was in eighth. Hamilton was up to twelfth while Button was passed by both Ferrari's. Vettel was now leading by 1.3 seconds and would set a fastest lap of 1m:41.853 on lap two but Webber would respond setting a new fastest time with a 1m:41.632 on lap three.

Glock was stopped in the gravel at Turn nine after making contact with Trulli's Lotus, retiring from the race. Rubens was running in seventeenth while Nico was up to seventh but was 1.8 seconds behind Schumacher. Hamilton was up to tenth behind Petrov. Lap five and a fastest lap from Vettel, 1m:41.403. Hamilton was fighting with Petrov while Liuzzi was attacking Nico. It was suspected that Rubens problems at the start may have been due to an over heating clutch. Hamilton would pass Petrov going into the final turn keeping him behind as they continued the lap even with some weaving. Button would pass Alonso for fifteenth at Turn one. Kobayashi would retire at Turn one. Nico was now 4.8 seconds behind sixth placed Schumacher. Button would pit on lap ten swapping to the harder tyre. Rubens was up to sixteenth while Hamilton had been warned about his driving.

Schumacher would pull off the track with something broken in the left rear. lap ten and Webber was fastest with a 1m:41.355. Eighth placed Hamilton was up to the Liuzzi Nico fight. Lap eleven and Vettel would respond with a 1m:41.206 to now be 1.2 seconds in front of Webber. Liuzzi would slow seeing Hamilton up to seventh behind Nico. lap twelve and Button was fastest with a 1m:41.155 while Kovalainen had pitted. Nico would also pit on lap fourteen joined by Petrov. Liuzzi would make it back to his pit where he would retire while Nico would return in twelfth. Tenth placed Buemi would also pit while Button was again fastest on lap fourteen with a 1m:41.095. Vettel was still leading from Webber, Rosberg, Kubica, Sutil, Hamilton, Alguersuari, Massa, Alonso, and Button. Lap fifteen and Hamilton was fastest with a 1m:400.899 while Nico would set a personal best with a 1m:41.998.

Lap sixteen and Webber was pushing with a 1m:40.688 while Rubens had moved up to fourteenth. Nico was running in eleventh. Vettel's lead was now 1.1 seconds Lap eighteen and Senna would pit from seventeenth. Vettel was fastest on lap eighteen, 1m:40.593, with Webber again 1.4 seconds behind his team-mate. It was predicted that there would be no rain for at least the next thirty minutes. Kovalainen would retire in his pit on lap twenty. Hamilton was fastest on lap nineteen, 1m:40.574, while Alguersuari would pit from ninth on lap twenty. Alonso appeared to be having down shift problems while fifth placed Sutil would pit on lap twenty one. Hamilton was now fifth after having set a new fastest lap, 1m:40.416. Sutil would take on the harder tyre rejoining in eighth. Kubica would pit from fourth on lap twenty two returning in sixth ahead of Massa. Nico was now in tenth and Ruben's still in fourteenth. Lap twenty three and Rosberg would pit from third taking on the harder tyre.

Sutil was fastest on lap twenty two, 1m:40.090. At the front it would be Vettel who would pit first seeing Webber leading. Vettel would also take on the harder tyre returning in front of Hamilton. Vettel would pull away from Hamilton while Webber would pit on lap twenty four having a small problem with the right front. Lap twenty four and Rosberg was fastest with a 1m:39.861, while Webber had returned in third while Vettel would respond setting another fastest lap on lap twenty five with a 1m:39.854. So Vettel was leading from Hamilton, Webber, Rosberg, Kubica, Massa, Alonso, Sutil, Button, and Nico in tenth. Massa would pit on lap twenty seven taking on the softer tyre. Webber was pushing with a 1m:39.739 on lap twenty six. Massa was now ninth just ahead of Nico. Hamilton was yet to stop while Webber was dropping away from Vettel, while Massa was now fastest on lap twenty eight with a 1m:38.002.

Hamilton would pit on lap thirty one returning just in front of Button. They came very close to each other as they went around Turn one. Alguersuari was able to pass Nico in Turn four and five running around the outside of the Williams. lap thirty one and Vettel was now leading by 5.8 seconds from Webber, Rosberg, Kubica, Alonso, Sutil, Hamilton, Button, Massa, and Alguersuari in tenth. lap thirty two and fastest lap from Hamilton, 1m:37.745. Still there was no sign of the rain with twenty two laps remaining. Petrov would retire pulling off the side of the track. Hamilton was starting to attack sixth placed Sutil. Buemi would pit from twelfth on lap thirty five. Lap thirty four and a personal best from Rubens with a 1m:40.686 seeing Nico and Rubens running eleventh and twelfth. Rubens was 17.6 seconds behind Nico while Alonso would pit from seventh on lap thirty seven, taking on the softer tyre.

Massa was attacking Button for seventh while Sutil was defending his position from Hamilton. Vettel had lost time in traffic now been 3.9 seconds behind after lap thirty eighth. Rosberg was still in third for Mercedes while Alonso on his new tyres would set a new fastest lap with a 1m:37.633. Nico and Rubens were in eleventh and twelfth while Webber was now 3.4 seconds in front of Webber. Lap thirty nine and another fastest lap from Alonso with a time of 1m:37.415. Massa continued to attack seventh placed Button. At the front the drivers times continued to come down with Rubens setting a personal best on lap forty, 1m:40.623. Lap forty one and another fastest lap with a 1m:37.231 as he closed in onto Massa. Buemi was attacking Rubens for twelfth while Nico was running in a lonely eleventh place. Buemi would pass Rubens at Turn one taking twelfth while Massa would pass Button for seventh. Rubens would pit again on lap forty six seeing him take on the harder tyre returning in thirteenth and one lap down. Alonso was running behind Button but not able to find a way past.

Lap forty eighth and Vettel was able to extend his lead out to 4.3 seconds over Webber. Rosberg was still third from Kubica, Sutil, Hamilton, Massa, Button, Alonso, and Alguersuari in tenth. Nico was still in eleventh and Rubens thirteenth. Massa was closing in onto Hamilton with only a handful of laps remaining. Hamilton was still following Sutil closely but could not pass the Force India. Lap fifty two and a personal best from Nico with a 1m:39.124. Alonso was right with Button but could not find a way past, made even more difficult with his down change problem. Lap fifty three and a fastest lap from Webber with a 1m:37.054 to be 5.4 seconds behind Vettel. Alonso would try to pass Button at Turn one but his race would come to an end with smoke pouring from his Ferrari pulling off to the side of the track. This would see Nico move up to tenth.

Vettel would start the final lap taking the chequered flag in the 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix. Webber was second making it a one-two for Red Bull. Rosberg would get a podium for Mercedes Benz while Kubica was fourth from Sutil, Hamilton, Massa, Button, Alguersuari, and a single point to Nico for tenth. Buemi was in eleventh and Rubens twelfth. Another points scoring finish for Williams but there pace in the race did not inspire any feeling that the team would be able to find pace from the FW32 in the next race in China.

Pos  Driver  	  Team		  	Time
 1.  Vettel       Red Bull-Renault
 2.  Webber       Red Bull-Renault      + 4.8s
 3.  Rosberg      Mercedes              + 13.5s
 4.  Kubica       Renault               + 18.5s
 5.  Sutil        Force India-Mercedes  + 21.0s
 6.  Hamilton     McLaren-Mercedes      + 23.4s
 7.  Massa        Ferrari               + 27.0s
 8.  Button       McLaren-Mercedes      + 37.9s
 9.  Alguersuari  Toro Rosso-Ferrari    + 1m10.6s
10.  Hulkenberg   AT&T Williams         + 1m13.3s
11.  Buemi        Toro Rosso-Ferrari    + 1m18.9s
12.  Barrichello  AT&T Williams         + 1 lap
13.  Alonso       Ferrari               + 2 laps
14.  Di Grassi    Virgin-Cosworth       + 3 laps
15.  Chandhok     Hispania-Cosworth     + 3 laps
16.  Senna        Hispania-Cosworth     + 4 laps
17.  Trulli       Lotus-Cosworth        + 5 laps

Not classified/retirements:

     Kovalainen   Lotus-Cosworth        46 laps
     Petrov       Renault               32 laps
     Liuzzi       Force India-Mercedes  12 laps
     Schumacher   Mercedes              9 laps
     Kobayashi    Sauber-Ferrari        8 laps
     Glock        Virgin-Cosworth       2 laps
     De la Rosa   Sauber-Ferrari        0 laps