Extraordinary race of Alonso and Hamilton
Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton claimed a one-two for the Vodafone McLaren Mercedes team today at the Malaysian Grand Prix. This was the team’s first victory with Vodafone as a Title Partner and the team’s 41st one-two.
Today’s result sees the team extending their lead in the Constructors’ Championship with a total of 32 points and Fernando topping the drivers’ battle with 18 points. Lewis is third with 14 points. Both drivers were on two-stop strategies with Fernando pitting on laps 18 (8.1 seconds) and 40 (7.2 seconds) whilst Lewis pitted on laps 20 (7.4 seconds) and 38 (7.8 seconds). Lewis did the fastest lap of the race with 1m36.701 on lap 22. The team is now going straight to Bahrain to prepare for the race next weekend.
Fernando Alonso "To win today after coming second in Australia with my new team is like a dream come true. I’m so happy and pleased with the progress we as a team have made since we unveiled the MP4-22 in mid-January. We knew the key to victory today was to make a good start and get in front to control the race which we achieved. To have Lewis in second place makes today’s result even better. There was bit of a drama when there was a problem with my radio after about ten laps, so I wasn’t sure if the team was ready for me when I came in to pit for the first time. However they were and the radio was fixed during the stop. After that it was a matter of fighting the conditions, but as I was not really threatened I could take it a bit easier, however it was tough - really tough. We will now continue our preparations for Bahrain and I can’t wait."
Lewis Hamilton "That was the toughest race of my career. I was defending my position for a lot of the time, and I’m so pleased that I managed to keep both Felipe and Kimi behind me. However it was hard work and it was just so hot inside the cockpit. A big thank you to the team who have worked so hard both with the car but also preparing me for the past months. Today’s result is super for the entire team. I made a good start and was able to get past Felipe and Kimi to take second. At one point Felipe was attacking at Turn 4 and ended up going slightly off the track, and I was able to keep second. Kimi was catching towards the end as I was struggling with the balance a bit but what a race. I now have experience of racing in these conditions and will be even better prepared next year. I’m now looking forward to Bahrain. Congratulations to Fernando, very well done."
Ron Dennis "I’m delighted for everybody in the team who have worked so hard to achieve this result. There is a new spirit within the team that I believe have been witnessed by anyone who watched us during the course of the weekend. Fernando delivers a wealth of experience and racing capability whilst Lewis continues to demonstrate why he has warranted the enthusiasm of all of us who have worked with him over the years. Everybody throughout our entire organisation deserves to celebrate the success that they have achieved tonight, but of course our attention will quickly turn to the challenge of the next race in Bahrain. We are all looking forward to an exciting championship campaign."
Norbert Haug "What a first class race from Fernando and Lewis. Both drivers performed excellently supported by a well executed strategy from the team. All the hard work from everybody in Woking, Brixworth and Stuttgart has paid off. Well done guys and to the next Grand Prix next weekend."
