Vettel and Webber secure Red Bull 1-2

F1 Grand Prix, GP Malaysia, Sepang International Circuit

Sebastian Vettel has finally won his first Grand Prix of 2010. He basically led the race from start to finish after charging to the lead in the first corner of the race. Mark Webber was a very close second while Nico Rosberg secured third plac

As soon as the lights went out under the sunny skies at Malaysia, both Red Bulls are ahead of the rest. Vettel made a stunning start and immediately jumped his teammate in the first corner. Nico Rosberg went through in third,

In the midle of the pack, Rubens Barrichello completely missed his start and didn't get his car moving until everybody had passed.

At the back of the field, the McLarens and Ferrari are pushing hard to improve positions. Hamilton did the best job and is already in 10th place after 4 laps, profiting from the inside line into turn 1 at the start. Felipe Massa initially also jumped to 14th but after that hardly managed to move up while also holding up Alonso and Button behind him.

On lap 7, Hamilton is trying to get past Petrov but the Russian is putting in a nice fight, passing Hamilton again in turn 1. It was only one lap later that Hamilton managed to make a pass, only by pushing the Renault away at turn 1. Hamilton was consequently warned for his driving on the pit straight for excessive weaving, a move he tried to withstand Petrov's challenge.

In lap 10 Button is the first to make a stop, changing his soft tyres to the primes. After his stop, he is a full second a lap faster than the Ferraris he was stuck behind until his stop.

By that time, Kobayashi abandoned the race with a blown Ferrari engine, as well as Michael Schumacher who had a broken left rear suspension. Heikki Kovalainen on the other hand suffered a rear left puncture after breaking Di Grassis front wing in a failed overtaking manouvre.

Tonio Liuzzi then finally ends up in the pits after rolling around the track at a painfully slow pace. There is obviously a technical problem with the Force India and it will likely be the end of his race.

On lap 20 Kovalainen is also pulled into the box, ending his race as well.

Fernando Alonso meanwhile is not stopping but he appears to have a serious downshift issue on the gearbox, making it unable for his to put up a real challenge on his teammate who is ahead of him for about 18 laps. Still it is stunning how the Spaniard is not losing time on Massa.

Race leader Vettel makes his first stop on lap 23, rejoining the track just ahead of Hamilton who still needs to make a stop. Webber follows one lap later but is behind Hamilton, partly due a a slightly longer pitstop.

On lap 30 Hamilton is in the pits and rejoins in 7th. He manages to keep just ahead of his teammate by taking the inside of turn 1. At that time, Vettel is still in the lead, ahead of Webber who now moved up to second. Rosberg is third, ahead of Kubica and Alonso who still has not stopped. Sutil is 6th, followed by the McLarens.

4 laps later Vitaly Petrov's race is over as he appears to have lost traction out of turn 7.

On lap 37, Fernando Alonso is the last man to stop, changing his hard tyres for new soft rubber. He rejoins on a clear track in 9th position. In fact on his outlap, the Spaniard immediately sets the fastest middle sector of anyone, a sector when not many gearshifts can hamper his pace.

2 laps later Alonso even sets the fastest lap, and after that keeps on posting the quickest second sector. With Massa unable to get past Button, Alonso is nearing the two with more than two seconds a lap.

On lap 44 Massa finally passes Button in turn 1, and now Alonso is just behind the Briton, seperating them by only several tenths. It certainly feels like Massa was pressured by Alonso.

With just 2 laps left, Alonso dives into the inside of Button but misses his apex. Sparks were flying off the car, and 2 corner further on Alonso's Ferrari engine blew up with a huge white cloud behind it.

Vettel though easily continued in the lead, ahead of his teammate Mark Webber. At last Red Bull have what they deserve after reliability problems have hampered their points haul in previous races. Nico Rosberg completes the podium for Mercedes GP.