Heidfeld a brilliant 3rd in Malaysia

The Malaysian Grand Prix would see the BMW WilliamsF1 team take their first podium finish of the year, with Nick Heidfeld finishing in a fantastic third. But the result could have been far better had it not been for a collision between Mark Webber and Renault's Giancarlo Fisichella while Mark was challenging or third. The Renault driver was to lock his brakes and run into the FW27. Mark was very angry with the Italians driving, waving his arms at the Italian.

Webber said: "He braked very late on the inside on the dirty lines. The podium was there which was really disappointing." Fisichella responded by saying: "I saw him coming on the outside and there was no possibility (to overtake). It is not my fault."

With the drivers facing another very hot time in their cockpit the grid would from up for the Malaysian Grand Prix, with BMW WilliamsF1 driver mark Webber in fourth position on the grid. All the drivers were able to get away for their formation lap prior to the start of the 56 lap race. For most of the grid this race will see their engines been used for a full race distance for the second time. The start of the race would see Alonso lead Trulli, Fisichella, and Webber into Turn One. Alonso would cut off Trulli going into this corner. There would be no incidents as the drivers settle into their first lap. Behind Mark it was Ralf Schumacher, Raikkonen, Button and Coulthard. David had passed team-mate Klein. Button had moved from ninth to seventh. He would pass Kimi for sixth going into the first corner.

Michael Schumacher was down in 14th. Mark was 4.0 seconds down from Alonso after the first lap. Nick Heidfeld was in eighth, having moved up from tenth. Alonso would set the first fastest lap of the race, a 1m:36.838. Minardi's Friesacher would put his car into the first corner gravel trap to retire, while both Button and team-mate Davidson would retire with engine failures even before three laps had been run.

At the front Alonso was pushing hard been 2.1 seconds ahead of Trulli. Mark and Nick were in fourth and seventh. The Bridgestone runners were struggling, the highest been Barrichello in eleventh. By the end of lap five Alonso had further increased his lead over Trulli. Mark was been challenged by Ralf Schumacher, the Toyota just 0.6 behind the FW27. The McLaren's of Raikkonen and Montoya were in sixth and tenth. Alonso's lead had grown to be 4.3 seconds on lap seven. Nick had opened up the gap to the following pair of Red Bull cars, still running in seventh.

Nick would look at making a passing attempt on Raikkonen going into the first corner but would hold back. lap ten and Alonso had set another fastest lap, a 1m:36.458 to increase his lead to 6.3 seconds from Trulli, with Fisichella third and Mark in fourth. Mark was 12.1 seconds behind the leading Renault. End of lap twelve and it would be another fastest lap for Alonso, a 1m:36.396. Nick was just 1.7 seconds behind Raikkonen. Klein was closing on Coulthard.

Another fastest lap for Alonso, a 1m:36.026. Both Ferrari's were outside the top ten and going no where. Fisichella would start to push to catch the leading Toyota of Trulli. Nick was now just 0.7 seconds behind Kimi after fifteen laps. Ralf in fifth would set his personal best time, a 1m:36.321. On lap sixteen Alonso would start to lap the slower cars, including Albers. Fernando would continue to set a blistering pace with a lap time of 1m:36.000 on lap sixteen. Albers would be the first to pit. the front left tyre of Alonso appeared to be taking a hard time with a dark line appearing on the tyre. Lap eighteen and Trulli would set the fastest lap with a 1m:35.816 as he chased Alonso. Klein would pit from tenth.

Mark was still in fourth but had Ralf right behind him. Nick was right behind the sixth placed Raikkonen. Lap twenty one and both Ralf and Nick would pit. Coulthard would join them. The following lap and Alonso and Trulli would both would pit. Alonso would get a tyre pressure adjustment in his 7.8 second stop. Next lap and Massa would come in. Fisichella was temporarily in the lead as he would pit on lap twenty two. Mark would also come in from his second place. Raikkonen was now leading. Mark would come out in sixth while Nick was in tenth. Alonso was in second.

Kimi would push while in the lead, setting a fastest lap a 1m:35.483. Montoya would pit from fifth on lap twenty three. Villeneuve would also stop. The following lap and Kimi would stop handing the lead back to Alonso. Michael Schumacher would stop from eighth in what must be a very disappointing race for the Ferrari team. Barrichello was in sixth but yet to stop, which he would do so on lap twenty five. Raikkonen would suffer a tyre puncture forcing him to drive slowly back to his pit.

He would have his tyre replaced, been allowed to do so under the 2005 rules allowing damaged tyres to be changed. At the front Alonso was 12s seconds ahead of Trulli, Fisichella second, Mark third followed by Ralf Schumacher, Nick in sixth, Montoya, Barrichello, Coulthard and Klien. Kimi was in fourteenth position. Villeneuve would end his race in the gravel after what appeared to be a brake lock up on his car, another disappointing race for the former champion.

Half distance and Alonso was 13.1 seconds ahead of Trulli. Mark was just 1.3 seconds behind the second Renault of Fisichella and closing. Ralf was 2.0 seconds behind Mark. Lap thirty two and mark was right up with the Renault, with the Toyota of Ralf right behind Mark. Nick was 2.8 seconds behind Ralf. Fisichella was complaining of oversteer in his car. Lap thirty three and Mark and Ralf would make contact at the first corner allowing Nick to pass. Ralf was to hit the FW27 of Mark. But Mark would fight back repassing Nick. Ralf would drop away from the two WilliamsF1 cars. This would see Mark and Nick fourth and fifth. But Fisichella saw his lead open back out to be 2.5 seconds on lap thirty three. Ralf was 1.6 seconds behind Nick.

Both red Bull cars would pass Rubens seeing Coulthard eighth and Klein ninth. Mark would again close in onto Fisichella, lap thirty five saw the gap at 0.3 seconds. Nick was just 0.5 seconds behind Mark. Barrichello would pit on lap thirty six, while Alonso's lead was 15.2 seconds from Trulli.

Mark would pass Fisichella but the Italian would try to repass the FW27. They would collide at the last corner, with Fisichella locking up and sliding into the FW27 of Webber. Webber was to look very angry as a result of the move that Fisichella made that took them both out.

Nick was now in third with Ralf fourth. lap forty and Nick would set the fastest time of the final sector with Ralf some 7.6 seconds behind. lap forty one and Alonso would pit from the lead, stopping fro seven seconds. Klein and Massa would also pit. Montoya and Coulthard were in fifth and sixth. The next alp and Ralf and Coulthard would both pit. Ralf would have his front nose replaced.

Toyota team-mate Trulli would also pit. Nick would also pit from third. The following lap and Montoya would make his second stop. Michael Schumacher was in sixth. Montoya would come out ahead of Ralf to now be in fourth. Michael would final stop on lap forty four. at the front Alonso was 15.9 seconds ahead of Trulli, with similar gaps for the places further back up to Ralf in fifth who was just 1.5 seconds behind Montoya. with ten laps to go it was Alonso leading Trulli, Nick in third, Montoya, Ralf Schumacher, Coulthard, Michael Schumacher and Klien in the points.

All the drivers had significantly dropped their laps times from earlier in the race with leader Alonso running in the 1m:37 second bracket. Such were the gasp it was unlikely that any places in the top six would change unless their was a retirement, with six laps left to run.

Barrichello would retire on lap fifty. In his garage it was seen that his right rear tyre was completely finished with no tread showing. Would Michael's tyres been in a similar state as his Ferrari team-mates at the end of the race. With three laps to go Alonso was leading comfortably from Trulli and Nick. This was a race where Michelin totally dominated their Bridgestone rivals. In the closing stages Kimi would close in on Klein but was not able to pass the Red Bull car for eighth.

As the drivers started the final lap Alonso was leading with Trulli in second. Both Toyota's were in the points with Ralf in fourth. Nick was third. they would cross the line in that order with Alonso taking the lead in the drivers championship. Both Red Bull cars would also finish in the points with Coulthard sixth and Klein eighth. Montoya was in fifth and Michael Schumacher seventh.