Formula 1: Fernando Alonso wins in Malaysia
With a strong performance Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso secured victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix. The Spaniard who is relying on dampers from ZF Friedrichshafen AG in his race car only started from grid position eight but did the best job of handling the wet conditions at the second Formula 1 round of the season. By clinching his first victory this season, the Spaniard took the lead in the drivers championship.
Only 2.3 seconds behind Alonso, Sauber driver Sergio Pérez finished as the runner-up. The young Mexican in whose car dampers from the ZF brand are used as well was the quickest driver in the field some of the time but lost his chances for victory due to a slip just before the finish.
In eighth place, the Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne scored his first championship points in his second Formula 1 race. The Frenchman’s Toro Rosso is fitted with dampers and a clutch from ZF.
Results, GP Malaysia (MAL), round 2, FIA Formula 1 World Championship, 23 March - 25 March 2012:
1 Fernando Alonso, Ferrari, 2h 44m 51.812s, ZF
2 Sergio Pérez, Sauber-Ferrari, + 2.263s, ZF
3 Lewis Hamilton, McLaren-Mercedes, + 14.591s
4 Mark Webber, Red Bull-Renault, + 17.688s
5 Kimi Räikkönen, Lotus-Renault, + 29.456s
6 Bruno Senna, Williams-Renault, + 37.667s
7 Paul Di Resta, Force India-Mercedes, + 44.412s
8 Jean-Eric Vergne, Toro Rosso-Ferrari, + 46.985s, ZF
9 Nico Hülkenberg, Force India-Mercedes, + 47.892s
10 Michael Schumacher, Mercedes, + 49.996s
Drivers championship:
1 F. Alonso, 35 points; 2 L. Hamilton, 30; 3 J. Button, 25; 4 M. Webber, 24; 5 S. Pérez, 22; 6 S. Vettel, 18; 7 K. Räikkönen, 16; 8 K. Kobayashi and B. Senna, 8 each; 10 P. Di Resta, 7.
Constructors championship:
1 McLaren-Mercedes, 55 points; 2 Red Bull-Renault, 42; 3 Ferrari, 35; 4 Sauber-Ferrari, 30; 5 Lotus-Renault, 16; 6 Force India-Mercedes, 9; 7 Williams-Renault, 8; 8 Toro Rosso-Ferrari, 6; 9 Meredes, 1.