World champion Sebastian Vettel maintained his perfect start to the 2011 Formula One season Sunday with a comfortable victory in the Malaysian Grand Prix.The Red Bull driver followed up on his season-opening success in Australia with another dominant win in Sepang, finishing three seconds clear of McLaren's Jenson Button after starting from pole.
"I always had a couple of seconds in hand so we could control that," said Vettel.
"But it was much closer here than in Australia, that shows how fast things can change."
Nick Heidfeld held off Red Bull's Mark Webber to secure a surprise podium finish for Renault.
Ferrari's Felipe Massa came in fifth, followed by team-mate Fernando Alonso. McLaren's Lewis Hamilton trailed home in seventh following a collision with Alonso while lying third.
Hamilton and Alonso were later handed 20-second penalties for the collision. It meant Hamilton dropped to eighth behind Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi, but Alonso kept sixth spot.
Vettel's victory sees the German head the drivers' standings with a maximum 50 points from two races, followed by Button on 26 and Hamilton on 24.
"It was a really confusing race in a way, trying to understand the pit stops," said Button. "I am happy to come away with second."
Vettel's win was never in doubt from the moment the 23-year-old led into the first corner while Heidfeld signalled his intent by moving up four places to second ahead of Hamilton.
Vitaly Petrov in the second Renault also started strongly, jumping three places to fifth spot behind Button with Webber, in contrast, dropping down the field to ninth by the end of the first lap after his car suffered a KERS failure.
After the excitement of the opening lap, the race settled down somewhat with Vettel slowly pulling away from Heidfeld at the front to open up a seven-second gap after 10 laps.
With rain threatening, all the leaders looked to preserve their tyres to avoid the risk of having to pit twice in quick succession although the struggling Webber was forced to come in after 11 laps for a fresh set of tyres.
Hamilton was next to pit following a frustrating first stint behind Heidfeld but the Briton at least managed to leapfrog the German.
Vettel made his first stop on lap 14 as did Button, who came out ahead of Heidfeld.
Button dropped a place on the 17th lap, however, when Alonso took full advantage of a slight mistake by the McLaren driver to move up to third.
Hamilton began eating into Vettel's lead before pitting on lap 25 with the race leader coming in a lap later. Alonso, meanwhile, dropped a place behind Button during his pit stop.
At this stage Vettel was informed over his team radio that he was unable to use his car's KERS system and the news spurred the Red Bull driver into action as he reeled of a string of faster laps to open up a seven-second gap on Hamilton after 34 laps.
Button was the clear winner of the third set of pit stops, coming out ahead of Hamilton to move up to second behind Vettel, who was the last of the leaders to come in on lap 42.
Alonso began challenging Hamilton for third place but any hopes of a podium finished ended for the Spaniard on lap 46 when he ran into the back of his rival's McLaren and was forced to pit immediately for a new nose cone.
The collision also damaged the car of Hamilton, who struggled on before being forced to cede third spot to Heidfeld with five laps remaining.
Hamilton was then passed by Webber before being eventually forced to pit with just three laps remaining.
"This is racing I guess", said a resigned Hamilton. "It was one of those days and you have to take it on the chin."
Vettel took full advantage of Hamilton's misfortune, staying out of trouble over the final laps to take the chequered flag ahead of Button to extend his championship lead ahead of next weekend's Chinese GP in Shanghai.
However, the clear progress shown by McLaren coupled with Red Bull's ongoing KERS issues means that race could be even closer.
"I think we made some good progress so am looking forward to China. Hopefully we can challenge these guys," said Button.
"I always had a couple of seconds in hand so we could control that," said Vettel.
"But it was much closer here than in Australia, that shows how fast things can change."
Nick Heidfeld held off Red Bull's Mark Webber to secure a surprise podium finish for Renault.
Ferrari's Felipe Massa came in fifth, followed by team-mate Fernando Alonso. McLaren's Lewis Hamilton trailed home in seventh following a collision with Alonso while lying third.
Hamilton and Alonso were later handed 20-second penalties for the collision. It meant Hamilton dropped to eighth behind Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi, but Alonso kept sixth spot.
Vettel's victory sees the German head the drivers' standings with a maximum 50 points from two races, followed by Button on 26 and Hamilton on 24.
"It was a really confusing race in a way, trying to understand the pit stops," said Button. "I am happy to come away with second."
Vettel's win was never in doubt from the moment the 23-year-old led into the first corner while Heidfeld signalled his intent by moving up four places to second ahead of Hamilton.
Vitaly Petrov in the second Renault also started strongly, jumping three places to fifth spot behind Button with Webber, in contrast, dropping down the field to ninth by the end of the first lap after his car suffered a KERS failure.
After the excitement of the opening lap, the race settled down somewhat with Vettel slowly pulling away from Heidfeld at the front to open up a seven-second gap after 10 laps.
With rain threatening, all the leaders looked to preserve their tyres to avoid the risk of having to pit twice in quick succession although the struggling Webber was forced to come in after 11 laps for a fresh set of tyres.
Hamilton was next to pit following a frustrating first stint behind Heidfeld but the Briton at least managed to leapfrog the German.
Vettel made his first stop on lap 14 as did Button, who came out ahead of Heidfeld.
Button dropped a place on the 17th lap, however, when Alonso took full advantage of a slight mistake by the McLaren driver to move up to third.
Hamilton began eating into Vettel's lead before pitting on lap 25 with the race leader coming in a lap later. Alonso, meanwhile, dropped a place behind Button during his pit stop.
At this stage Vettel was informed over his team radio that he was unable to use his car's KERS system and the news spurred the Red Bull driver into action as he reeled of a string of faster laps to open up a seven-second gap on Hamilton after 34 laps.
Button was the clear winner of the third set of pit stops, coming out ahead of Hamilton to move up to second behind Vettel, who was the last of the leaders to come in on lap 42.
Alonso began challenging Hamilton for third place but any hopes of a podium finished ended for the Spaniard on lap 46 when he ran into the back of his rival's McLaren and was forced to pit immediately for a new nose cone.
The collision also damaged the car of Hamilton, who struggled on before being forced to cede third spot to Heidfeld with five laps remaining.
Hamilton was then passed by Webber before being eventually forced to pit with just three laps remaining.
"This is racing I guess", said a resigned Hamilton. "It was one of those days and you have to take it on the chin."
Vettel took full advantage of Hamilton's misfortune, staying out of trouble over the final laps to take the chequered flag ahead of Button to extend his championship lead ahead of next weekend's Chinese GP in Shanghai.
However, the clear progress shown by McLaren coupled with Red Bull's ongoing KERS issues means that race could be even closer.
"I think we made some good progress so am looking forward to China. Hopefully we can challenge these guys," said Button.
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