News

The Sepang International Circuit in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, played host to a sensational second day’s Grand Prix motor racing this season.

Sunday April the 10th saw Sebastian Vettel romp home to victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix.  This is the second year in a row the German driving ace has triumphed at this track. Vettel, a part of the Red Bull-Renault team completed the 56 laps in 1hour and 37minutes 39.832.

He finished ahead of Jenson Button, driving for McLaren, who was second place. Germany’s Nick Heidfeld in the Renault came third, while fourth spot was taken by the Australia Mark Webber in the Red Bull-Renault.

Ferrari took fifth and sixth place, with Felipe Massa from Brazil finishing ahead of his Spanish compatriot Fernando Alonso.

There was a somewhat disappointing showing for Britain’s Lewis Hamilton, racing for McLaren. He reportedly had some trouble in the later stages of the race, leading to him finishing in seventh position.

However, the Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi with Sauber-Ferrari is said to have excelled himself to complete the race in eighth spot.

Unfortunately the former champion Michael Schumacher driving for Mercedes fell behind in ninth place. But a new, inexperienced driver, Britain’s Paul di Resta in the Force India-Mercedes came in tenth, earning a second Grand Prix championship point in the process.

The bad news for Hamilton continued after the meet, when race stewards handed him and Fernando Alonso 20 second penalties after a collision. This did not change the Spanish driver’s place on the finishing board, but Hamilton lost his seventh spot, switching with Kobayashi. This left the British driver in eighth place, behind his Japanese counterpart.

This is what the 2011 Grand Prix leader board looks like after two races.

POS    DRIVER            NATIONALITY                ENTRANT    POINTS
1.    SEBASTIAN VETTEL    Germany        Red Bull-Renault        50
2.    JENSON BUTTON        Britain        McLaren-Mercedes        26
3.    LEWIS HAMILTON        Britain        McLaren-Mercedes        22
MARK WEBBER        Australia    Red Bull-Renault        22
5.    FERNANDO ALONSO        Spain        Ferrari                20
6.    FELIPE MASSA        Brazil        Ferrari                16
7.    VITALY PETROV        Russia        Renault                15
NICK HEIDFELD        Germany        Renault                15
9.    KAMUI KOBAYASHI        Japan        Sauber-Ferrari            6
10.    SEBASTIEN BUEMI        Switzerland    Toro Rosso-Ferrari        4
11.    ADRIAN SUTIL        Germany        Force India-Mercedes        2
MICHAEL SCHUMACHER    Germany        Mercedes GP            2
PAUL DI RESTA        Britain        Force India-Mercedes        2

It is now onto the 2011 Formula 1 UBS Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai. This incredible event is due to take place at Sun 17 April 2011 at 15:00 local time.