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08 Race by Race Review: The Malaysian GP
By BMW Sauber F1 Team
November 28 2008
Whoever believed that the good performance of the BMW Sauber F1 Team during the season opening-race in Melbourne had been due specifically to the circuit's characteristics was taught otherwise in Malaysian Grand Prix, home race of Petronas, the team's Premium Partner. Robert Kubica scored a maiden second place; Nick Heidfeld's sixth place added a further three points.
The BMW Sauber F1 Team remained firmly on its road to success in the second race of 2008. At the »Sepang International Circuit« Robert carried the flying colours of the team from Munich and Hinwil onto the podium. Having scored third place in the 2006 Italian Grand Prix, the race in the heat of Malaysia saw the Pole score his second podium place of his Formula One career. Thanks to Nick's sixth place the team was able to celebrate a haul of eleven points - the highest score in its history to date.

The start of the race brought mixed fortunes for the BMW Sauber F1 Team. Nick started well and chose the outside line, aiming to out-brake Jarno Trulli (Toyota). The Italian, however, did not cede, forcing Nick further out. Both drivers lost position, with the BMW Sauber F1 Team pilot dropping down to tenth place. Robert, though, profited, taking third off Trulli.

Whilst the two Ferraris driven by Felipe Massa and Kimi Räikkönen pulled away at the front, Robert consolidated his solid third place by displaying impressive pace and avoiding mistakes.

Further back Nick was confronted by rather more action. On the fifth lap the 30-year-old driver delivered the most spectacular overtaking manoeuvre of the second leg of the world championship: David Coulthard (Red Bull) and Fernando Alonso (Renault) were involved in a duel ahead of him. When Coulthard made a mistake, Nick saw an opportunity and moved alongside the two protagonists. His courage was handsomely repaid: After a late braking manoeuvre he annexed eighth place coming out of the last turn - having overtaken both drivers.

During his first stop on Lap 18 Nick defended his position, and, after the retirement of Massa, moved up to seventh place. Thanks to some sterling work by his pit crew during his second stop on the 42nd round, Nick returned to the track ahead of Mark Webber (Red Bull), thus moving up to the sixth place he held to the end of the race. A lap in 1:35,366 saw the German driver post the first-ever fastest lap of his Formula One career.

Should further proof of the BMW Sauber F1.08's overall competitiveness be required, then Robert certainly provided it. The 23-year-old regally kept the McLaren of Heikki Kovalainen behind him to end the race with an advantage of 18.8 seconds over the Finn. Robert, too, profited from Massa's race-ending excursion on Lap 31 to be classified second, 19.5 seconds behind winner Räikkönen. The BMW Sauber F1 Team's pit crew had further reason to celebrate: they once again managed to post the fastest stops of the race.

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