The rain held off, the sun shone, and so did BMW's Polish star - despite admitting to not having felt his best all weekend.
by Chris Hayes
Coolly, calmly and very nearly imperceptibly, Robert Kubica raced to his second career rostrum finish in the Malaysian Grand Prix.
The BMW star made amends for the disappointment he suffered in Melbourne a week ago - when he failed to capitalise on his front row starting position after lucking-out with the safety car periods - with a stunning and seemingly effortless drive to the runner-up spot in Kuala Lumpur.
"It's a fantastic day for the team, for Petronas and for me - the second consecutive podium," rejoiced the ecstatic 23-year-old. "After Monza 2006 I finally managed to get another podium myself. I want to thank everybody in the team who has worked very hard over the last two months to improve the car."
For a brief moment it looked as though Kubica would be overtaken by his team-mate Nick Heidfeld into the first corner, only for a tangle between the German and Toyota's Jarno Trulli to allow the Pole to seize third place from fourth on the grid.
"I didn't have a good start because of too much wheelspin, and I was fighting with Nick and Jarno Trulli," he explained. "I took the dirty inside line and almost lost the car, but somehow I managed to get through the corner and overtake them. From this moment on I drove at my own pace."
Despite Kubica's best efforts to hustle the Ferraris, Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa remained firmly out of reach for the BMW ace.
"The Ferraris were too quick," he candidly acknowledged, "but I was able to increase the gap to the cars following me. After the second pit-stop I reduced the revs to save the engine and took it easy. I didn't feel very well all weekend and it was very hot in the car, so the last ten laps were pretty tough, but it all paid off with a brilliant result."
In something of a role-reversal from Melbourne it was Heidfeld who wound up further down the final classification, after the Australian Grand Prix runner-up never really recovered from being forced wide into the first corner. He did at least take away the satisfaction of having set the fastest lap in a grand prix for the first time in his nine-year career in the top flight. He also produced what was inarguably the overtaking manoeuvre of the race when he swept past both David Coulthard and Fernando Alonso in one fell swoop along the back straight and into turn 15 early on.
"I have mixed emotions about today's race," the 30-year-old confessed. "Of course I'm happy to have clocked up my first fastest race lap in F1, and eleven points are also the best-ever result for our team.
"The pace of the car was really, really good - about the same level as the McLaren. That's all very positive, but it makes it even more disappointing that I only finished sixth.
"My start was very good and then I tried to overtake right on the outside in the first corner. Robert was on the inside and Jarno Trulli was between us - I just ran out of room.
"It was a try, but it didn't work out. I picked up some dirt and lost two more positions on the first lap. At least I got them back when I overtook David Coulthard and Fernando Alonso on lap four, and again our pit crew did a very good job."
BMW Motorsport Director Dr Mario Theissen was buoyed by his two drivers' performances - ones that have lifted the Munich and Hinwil-based outfit up above Williams into second spot in the constructors' title chase, just five points adrift of leaders McLaren-Mercedes - both of whose drivers Kubica comfortably had the beating of in Sepang.
"This was another good performance for our team," Theissen enthused. "Robert was able to establish himself behind the Ferrari right after the start.
"He drove a very strong race and claimed not only his second podium, but also his best result in F1. Nick had no luck in the first corner and lost some positions, but I regard it as a success that he still managed to finish sixth and also clocked up the fastest race lap."
