Sebastian Vettel finally converted Red Bull‘s pace into victory in Malaysia, leading Mark Webber home in a one-two. Nico Rosberg completed the podium after rain in qualifying left several leading contenders far down the grid.
Race Guide
Season: 2010 F1 World Championship
Race date: 4 April 2010
Race start time: 16:00 local time (UTC+08:00)
Circuit: Sepang International Circuit
Laps: 56 laps
Circuit length: 5.543 km
2009 winner: Jenson Button
| Result | Driver / Time | Team |
|---|---|---|
| Pole position | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing |
| Pole time | 1:49.327 | |
| Fastest lap | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing |
| Fastest-lap time | 1:37.054 on lap 53 | |
| First | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing |
| Second | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing |
| Third | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 2 April 2010 | Practice 1 | 10:00 – 11:30 |
| 2 April 2010 | Practice 2 | 14:00 – 15:30 |
| 3 April 2010 | Practice 3 | 14:00 – 15:00 |
| 3 April 2010 | Qualifying | 16:00 |
| 4 April 2010 | Race | 16:00 |
All times are local. The race time is the scheduled start; weather delays and interruptions are described below.
Championship background
Fernando Alonso arrived at round 3 leading the 2010 F1 World Championship on 37 points, with Felipe Massa on 33. Ferrari headed the constructors’ standings with 70 points.
Race entries
The 12 teams kept the same race line-ups for the Malaysian Grand Prix. Fairuz Fauzy, Paul di Resta also took part in practice.
Free Practice
Lewis Hamilton led FP1 in bright, humid conditions as McLaren worked on its qualifying pace. Vitaly Petrov lost most of his session to a fuel leak, while Sebastian Vettel reported a throttle-response concern. Reserve driver Fairuz Fauzy recovered from a spin during his home appearance, and Jaime Alguersuari stopped in the pit lane with an electrical problem.
Lewis Hamilton stayed ahead in a hot, dry FP2, but Red Bull’s reliability concerns continued. Mark Webber stopped with a drivetrain problem, while Sebastian Vettel complained about his power steering before setting a competitive lap. Jenson Button also found the rear of his McLaren unstable during a late run on the softer tyre.
Mark Webber moved fastest in FP3 as Red Bull recovered from Friday’s difficulties. Heavy cloud prompted some teams to bring their dry-weather programmes forward, although the expected rain stayed away. Sebastian Vettel’s final attempt was compromised by traffic in the last sector, while Vitaly Petrov visited the gravel and Jaime Alguersuari had a half-spin.
Free Practice 1 Classification
2010 Malaysian Grand Prix FP1, 2 April 2010
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren | 1:34.921 | 19 |
| 2 | 4 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | +0.185s | 19 |
| 3 | 1 | Jenson Button | McLaren | +0.286s | 25 |
| 4 | 3 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | +0.304s | 14 |
| 5 | 11 | Robert Kubica | Renault | +0.481s | 22 |
| 6 | 6 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing | +0.558s | 22 |
| 7 | 14 | Adrian Sutil | Force India | +1.034s | 20 |
| 8 | 8 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | +1.038s | 20 |
| 9 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing | +1.122s | 19 |
| 10 | 16 | Sebastien Buemi | Toro Rosso | +1.179s | 20 |
| 11 | 7 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | +1.530s | 22 |
| 12 | 23 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber | +1.582s | 28 |
| 13 | 17 | Jaime Alguersuari | Toro Rosso | +1.724s | 18 |
| 14 | 12 | Vitaly Petrov | Renault | +1.791s | 9 |
| 15 | 15 | Paul di Resta | Force India | +1.970s | 25 |
| 16 | 22 | Pedro de la Rosa | Sauber | +1.978s | 24 |
| 17 | 10 | Nico Hulkenberg | Williams | +2.881s | 27 |
| 18 | 9 | Rubens Barrichello | Williams | +3.357s | 18 |
| 19 | 18 | Jarno Trulli | Lotus Racing | +4.539s | 21 |
| 20 | 24 | Timo Glock | Virgin Racing | +4.834s | 17 |
| 21 | 25 | Lucas di Grassi | Virgin Racing | +5.238s | 25 |
| 22 | 19 | Fairuz Fauzy | Lotus Racing | +5.800s | 19 |
| 23 | 21 | Bruno Senna | HRT | +6.911s | 27 |
| 24 | 20 | Karun Chandhok | HRT | +7.045s | 24 |
Free Practice 2 Classification
2010 Malaysian Grand Prix FP2, 2 April 2010
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren | 1:34.175 | 27 |
| 2 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing | +0.266s | 28 |
| 3 | 4 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | +0.268s | 30 |
| 4 | 1 | Jenson Button | McLaren | +0.363s | 24 |
| 5 | 3 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | +0.499s | 30 |
| 6 | 11 | Robert Kubica | Renault | +0.973s | 34 |
| 7 | 8 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | +1.406s | 34 |
| 8 | 16 | Sebastien Buemi | Toro Rosso | +1.485s | 39 |
| 9 | 12 | Vitaly Petrov | Renault | +1.697s | 20 |
| 10 | 14 | Adrian Sutil | Force India | +1.782s | 32 |
| 11 | 23 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber | +1.843s | 38 |
| 12 | 15 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Force India | +2.046s | 34 |
| 13 | 22 | Pedro de la Rosa | Sauber | +2.150s | 33 |
| 14 | 17 | Jaime Alguersuari | Toro Rosso | +2.150s | 39 |
| 15 | 7 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | +2.427s | 30 |
| 16 | 9 | Rubens Barrichello | Williams | +2.638s | 26 |
| 17 | 10 | Nico Hulkenberg | Williams | +3.240s | 19 |
| 18 | 18 | Jarno Trulli | Lotus Racing | +4.279s | 34 |
| 19 | 19 | Heikki Kovalainen | Lotus Racing | +4.355s | 32 |
| 20 | 6 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing | +4.611s | 13 |
| 21 | 24 | Timo Glock | Virgin Racing | +4.886s | 23 |
| 22 | 25 | Lucas di Grassi | Virgin Racing | +4.983s | 29 |
| 23 | 20 | Karun Chandhok | HRT | +6.909s | 27 |
| 24 | 21 | Bruno Senna | HRT | +7.306s | 32 |
Free Practice 3 Classification
2010 Malaysian Grand Prix FP3, 3 April 2010
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing | 1:33.542 | 17 |
| 2 | 2 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren | +0.017s | 14 |
| 3 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing | +0.045s | 17 |
| 4 | 8 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | +0.209s | 19 |
| 5 | 3 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | +0.450s | 15 |
| 6 | 4 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | +0.548s | 13 |
| 7 | 1 | Jenson Button | McLaren | +0.571s | 16 |
| 8 | 7 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | +0.632s | 15 |
| 9 | 9 | Rubens Barrichello | Williams | +0.998s | 13 |
| 10 | 11 | Robert Kubica | Renault | +1.007s | 17 |
| 11 | 14 | Adrian Sutil | Force India | +1.081s | 11 |
| 12 | 16 | Sebastien Buemi | Toro Rosso | +1.131s | 19 |
| 13 | 10 | Nico Hulkenberg | Williams | +1.340s | 13 |
| 14 | 15 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Force India | +1.415s | 16 |
| 15 | 17 | Jaime Alguersuari | Toro Rosso | +1.484s | 16 |
| 16 | 12 | Vitaly Petrov | Renault | +1.534s | 17 |
| 17 | 22 | Pedro de la Rosa | Sauber | +1.935s | 18 |
| 18 | 23 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber | +2.862s | 19 |
| 19 | 24 | Timo Glock | Virgin Racing | +3.757s | 15 |
| 20 | 18 | Jarno Trulli | Lotus Racing | +3.827s | 16 |
| 21 | 19 | Heikki Kovalainen | Lotus Racing | +4.619s | 18 |
| 22 | 25 | Lucas di Grassi | Virgin Racing | +5.241s | 13 |
| 23 | 21 | Bruno Senna | HRT | +6.326s | 19 |
| 24 | 20 | Karun Chandhok | HRT | +6.353s | 16 |
Qualifying
Mark Webber headed qualifying for Red Bull Racing, with Nico Rosberg second and Sebastian Vettel third.
Mark Webber‘s choice of intermediate tyres in Q3 earned pole ahead of Nico Rosberg and Sebastian Vettel. Ferrari and McLaren misjudged the early rain: Alonso, Massa and Hamilton fell in Q1, while Button reached Q2 but could not take part after becoming stuck in the gravel.
Qualifying Classification
2010 Malaysian Grand Prix Qualifying, 3 April 2010
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing | 1:51.886 | 1:48.210 | 1:49.327 | 18 |
| 2 | 4 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:52.560 | 1:47.417 | 1:50.673 | 22 |
| 3 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing | 1:47.632 | 1:46.828 | 1:50.789 | 19 |
| 4 | 14 | Adrian Sutil | Force India | 1:49.479 | 1:47.085 | 1:50.914 | 21 |
| 5 | 10 | Nico Hülkenberg | Williams | 1:49.664 | 1:47.346 | 1:51.001 | 22 |
| 6 | 11 | Robert Kubica | Renault | 1:46.283 | 1:46.951 | 1:51.051 | 19 |
| 7 | 9 | Rubens Barrichello | Williams | 1:50.301 | 1:48.371 | 1:51.511 | 21 |
| 8 | 3 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | 1:52.239 | 1:48.400 | 1:51.717 | 24 |
| 9 | 23 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber | 1:48.467 | 1:47.792 | 1:51.767 | 21 |
| 10 | 15 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Force India | 1:49.922 | 1:48.238 | 1:52.254 | 21 |
| 11 | 12 | Vitaly Petrov | Renault | 1:47.952 | 1:48.760 | — | 15 |
| 12 | 22 | Pedro de la Rosa | Sauber | 1:47.153 | 1:48.771 | — | 14 |
| 13 | 16 | Sébastien Buemi | Toro Rosso | 1:48.945 | 1:49.207 | — | 15 |
| 14 | 17 | Jaime Alguersuari | Toro Rosso | 1:48.655 | 1:49.464 | — | 16 |
| 15 | 19 | Heikki Kovalainen | Lotus Racing | 1:52.875 | 1:52.270 | — | 16 |
| 16 | 24 | Timo Glock | Virgin Racing | 1:52.398 | 1:52.520 | — | 13 |
| 17 | 1 | Jenson Button | McLaren | 1:52.211 | No Time | — | 3 |
| 18 | 18 | Jarno Trulli | Lotus Racing | 1:52.884 | — | — | 6 |
| 19 | 8 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 1:53.044 | — | — | 8 |
| 20 | 2 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren | 1:53.050 | — | — | 8 |
| 21 | 7 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1:53.283 | — | — | 7 |
| 22 | 20 | Karun Chandhok | HRT | 1:56.299 | — | — | 9 |
| 23 | 21 | Bruno Senna | HRT | 1:57.269 | — | — | 9 |
| 24 | 25 | Lucas di Grassi | Virgin Racing | 1:59.977 | — | — | 4 |
What happened in the 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix?
Vettel passed Rosberg and Webber before the end of the first corner to seize the lead. The Ferrari and McLaren drivers began climbing through the field, with Hamilton making particularly rapid progress.
Webber remained close, but a delay at his stop helped Vettel retain control. Rosberg held third while Kubica and Sutil established themselves among the leading runners.
Hamilton recovered to sixth but could not find a way past Sutil. Alonso spent much of the race managing a gearbox problem before an engine failure ended his challenge near the finish.
Vettel won ahead of Webber and Rosberg, with Kubica fourth and Sutil fifth. Alguersuari and Hülkenberg earned their first Formula 1 points in ninth and tenth. Massa’s seventh place moved him into the championship lead.
Further down the points places, Felipe Massa, Jenson Button, Jaime Alguersuari and Nico Hülkenberg completed the scoring positions. Mark Webber set the fastest lap, but no bonus point was awarded under the 2010 rules.
After the race, Felipe Massa headed the drivers’ standings with 39 points, followed by Fernando Alonso on 37. Ferrari led the constructors’ table on 76, with McLaren on 66.
2010 Malaysian Grand Prix race results
The 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix was held on 4 April 2010, with a scheduled start of 16:00 local time.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Retired | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull Racing | 56 | 1:33:48.412 | 25 |
| 2 | 6 | Mark Webber | Red Bull Racing | 56 | +4.849 | 18 |
| 3 | 4 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 56 | +13.504 | 15 |
| 4 | 11 | Robert Kubica | Renault | 56 | +18.589 | 12 |
| 5 | 14 | Adrian Sutil | Force India | 56 | +21.059 | 10 |
| 6 | 2 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren | 56 | +23.471 | 8 |
| 7 | 7 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 56 | +27.068 | 6 |
| 8 | 1 | Jenson Button | McLaren | 56 | +37.918 | 4 |
| 9 | 17 | Jaime Alguersuari | Toro Rosso | 56 | +1:10.602 | 2 |
| 10 | 10 | Nico Hülkenberg | Williams | 56 | +1:13.399 | 1 |
| 11 | 16 | Sébastien Buemi | Toro Rosso | 56 | +1:18.938 | 0 |
| 12 | 9 | Rubens Barrichello | Williams | 55 | +1 Lap | 0 |
| 13 | 8 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 54 | Engine | 0 |
| 14 | 25 | Lucas di Grassi | Virgin Racing | 53 | +3 Laps | 0 |
| 15 | 20 | Karun Chandhok | HRT | 53 | +3 Laps | 0 |
| 16 | 21 | Bruno Senna | HRT | 52 | +4 Laps | 0 |
| 17 | 18 | Jarno Trulli | Lotus Racing | 51 | +5 Laps | 0 |
| NC | 19 | Heikki Kovalainen | Lotus Racing | 46 | +10 laps | 0 |
| Ret | 12 | Vitaly Petrov | Renault | 32 | Gearbox | 0 |
| Ret | 15 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Force India | 12 | Throttle | 0 |
| Ret | 3 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | 9 | Wheel nut | 0 |
| Ret | 23 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber | 8 | Engine | 0 |
| Ret | 24 | Timo Glock | Virgin Racing | 2 | Collision | 0 |
| DNS | 22 | Pedro de la Rosa | Sauber | Engine | 0 |
2010 Malaysian Grand Prix Fastest Laps
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. Average speeds are in km/h. No fastest-lap bonus point was awarded.
2010 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 2010 Malaysian Grand Prix.
2010 Post-Race F1 Drivers' Championship Standings
| POS | Driver | Nationality | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Felipe Massa | Brazilian | Ferrari | 39 |
| 2 | Fernando Alonso | Spanish | Ferrari | 37 |
| 3 | Sebastian Vettel | German | Red Bull Racing | 37 |
| 4 | Jenson Button | British | McLaren | 35 |
| 5 | Nico Rosberg | German | Mercedes | 35 |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | British | McLaren | 31 |
| 7 | Robert Kubica | Polish | Renault | 30 |
| 8 | Mark Webber | Australian | Red Bull Racing | 24 |
| 9 | Adrian Sutil | German | Force India | 10 |
| 10 | Michael Schumacher | German | Mercedes | 9 |
| 11 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | Italian | Force India | 8 |
| 12 | Rubens Barrichello | Brazilian | Williams | 5 |
| 13 | Jaime Alguersuari | Spanish | Toro Rosso | 2 |
| 14 | Nico Hülkenberg | German | Williams | 1 |
| 15 | Sébastien Buemi | Swiss | Toro Rosso | 0 |
| 16 | Pedro de la Rosa | Spanish | Sauber | 0 |
| 17 | Heikki Kovalainen | Finnish | Lotus Racing | 0 |
| 18 | Karun Chandhok | Indian | HRT | 0 |
| 19 | Lucas di Grassi | Brazilian | Virgin Racing | 0 |
| 20 | Bruno Senna | Brazilian | HRT | 0 |
| 21 | Jarno Trulli | Italian | Lotus Racing | 0 |
| – | Timo Glock | German | Virgin Racing | 0 |
| – | Vitaly Petrov | Russian | Renault | 0 |
| – | Kamui Kobayashi | Japanese | Sauber | 0 |
2010 Post-Race F1 Constructors' Championship Standings
| POS | Car | PTS |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferrari | 76 |
| 2 | McLaren | 66 |
| 3 | Red Bull Racing | 61 |
| 4 | Mercedes | 44 |
| 5 | Renault | 30 |
| 6 | Force India | 18 |
| 7 | Williams | 6 |
| 8 | Toro Rosso | 2 |
| 9 | Sauber | 0 |
| 10 | Lotus Racing | 0 |
| 11 | HRT | 0 |
| 12 | Virgin Racing | 0 |
2010 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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