Fisichella Leads Renault One-Two
Giancarlo Fisichella led from the front to earn his first Grand Prix win of the year to beat Renault team-mate Fernando Alonso into second in Malaysia.
The Italian held off Alonso’s mid-race charge at the Sepang circuit to secure his third career win.
Briton’s Jenson Button rarely threatened the leading pair but came home third for his first podium finish of the season, ahead of McClaren’s Juan Pablo Montoya.
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and Michael Schumacher were fifth and sixth.
Fisichella, who dedicated his win to a boyhood friend who died in an accident a week ago, said: “It was a tough race, physically and mentally, but the car balance was just fantastic.”
“It was an emotional weekend for me and it was important to do my best because I lost a friend of mine.”
Alonso added: “For me it’s the perfect start to the championship. 18 points in two races is what I dreamed of before Bahrain.”
Button, starting from second on the grid, twice emerged from the pits behind Montoya to find himself held up by the Colombian, as he did in Bahrain last week.
“There was no part of the race where we could have gone faster,” Button said.
“That was the maximum I could get out of the car, we were on the limit in every lap. We’ve got a bit of work to do.”
