2007 Malaysian F1 Grand Prix Race Report & Results

Event: Malaysian Grand Prix
Track: Sepang International Circuit

Weather: hot, humid, dry

Fernando ALONSO won his 16th F1 World Championship race at the 2007 Malaysian F1 GP, his first for McLaren, delivering a masterclass in front of a nervous new team. The McLaren driver started from 2nd on the grid and won at Sepang by 17.557 seconds from rookie teammate Lewis Hamilton. It was the 149th win for the McLaren F1 team and Alonsos 1st win for the team, in what was already looking like a fascinating intra-team rivalry.

Massa pole, Alonso closes at start

Sepang on 8 April 2007 opened with Felipe Massa taking pole for Ferrari with a 1:35.043 lap, Alonso second, Raikkonen third, Hamilton fourth. The McLaren pair sat comfortably between the two Ferraris and would soon show a race-pace advantage on the abrasive Sepang tarmac.

Race day: McLaren 1-2, Hamilton chases Alonso

Alonso passed Massa at the start (Massa dropped down and later collided with another car) and led 52 of the 56 laps. Hamilton, having climbed to second, ran the entire race behind his teammate. Alonso won by 17.557 seconds from Hamilton, giving McLaren their first 1-2 of the season and the paddock a first look at the internal-rivalry dynamics of Ron Denniss two-driver 2007 lineup. Raikkonen took third for Ferrari, Heidfeld fourth for BMW Sauber, Massa a distant fifth after his first-lap trouble. Hamilton set the fastest lap on lap 22 with a 1:36.701, another statement.

Championship: Alonso 18, Hamilton 14, Raikkonen 16

After two races Alonso 18, Raikkonen 16, Hamilton 14. McLaren 32 constructors, Ferrari 22, BMW Sauber 13. The 2007 championship was already turning into a three-driver, two-team fight.

Classification 2007 Malaysian F1 GP

Pos	#	Driver	Constructor	Car & Engine	Grid	Laps	Led	Time	Pts
1	1	FernandoAlonso	McLaren	McLaren MP4/22Mercedes FO 108	2	56	52	1:32:14.930	10
2	2	LewisHamilton	McLaren	McLaren MP4/22Mercedes FO 108	4	56	2	1:32:32.487+17.557s	8
3	6	KimiRäikkönen	Ferrari	Ferrari F2007Ferrari 056	3	56	1	1:32:33.269+18.339s	6
4	9	NickHeidfeld	BMW Sauber	BMW Sauber F1.07BMW P86	5	56	1	1:32:48.707+33.777s	5
5	5	FelipeMassa	Ferrari	Ferrari F2007Ferrari 056	1	56		1:32:51.635+36.705s	4
6	3	GiancarloFisichella	Renault	Renault R27Renault RS27	12	56		1:33:20.568+1:05.638	3
7	12	JarnoTrulli	Toyota	Toyota TF107Toyota RVX-07	8	56		1:33:25.062+1:10.132	2
8	4	HeikkiKovalainen	Renault	Renault R27Renault RS27	11	56		1:33:26.945+1:12.015	1
9	17	AlexanderWurz	Williams	Williams FW29Toyota RVX-07	19	56		1:33:44.854+1:29.924
10	15	MarkWebber	Red Bull	Red Bull RB3Renault RS27	10	56		1:33:48.486+1:33.556
11	8	RubensBarrichello	Honda	Honda RA107Honda RA807E	22	55		+1 lap
12	7	JensonButton	Honda	Honda RA107Honda RA807E	15	55		+1 lap
13	22	TakumaSato	Super Aguri	Super Aguri SA07Honda RA807E	14	55		+1 lap
14	19	ScottSpeed	Toro Rosso	Toro Rosso STR2Ferrari 056	17	55		+1 lap
15	11	RalfSchumacher	Toyota	Toyota TF107Toyota RVX-07	9	55		+1 lap
16	23	AnthonyDavidson	Super Aguri	Super Aguri SA07Honda RA807E	18	55		+1 lap
17	18	VitantonioLiuzzi	Toro Rosso	Toro Rosso STR2Ferrari 056	16	55		+1 lap
18	10	RobertKubica	BMW Sauber	BMW Sauber F1.07BMW P86	7	55		+1 lap
DNF	16	NicoRosberg	Williams	Williams FW29Toyota RVX-07	6	42		Hydraulics
DNF	10	DavidCoulthard	Red Bull	Red Bull RB3Renault RS27	13	36		Brakes
DNF	21	ChristijanAlbers	Spyker	Spyker F8-VIIFerrari 056	20	7		Engine
DNF	20	AdrianSutil	Spyker	Spyker F8-VIIFerrari 056	21	0		Collision

Fastest lap: 1:36.701 min. by Lewis Hamilton

About the author

Leopold

Leopold Pleijsier founded F1-Fansite.com in 2001 and has followed Formula 1 since the early 1980s. He writes about daily F1 news, race weekends, drivers and the sport’s history.

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