Malaysian Grand Prix 2012 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Fernando Alonso delivered a masterclass in racecraft and tire management to win the Malaysian Grand Prix, securing Ferrari's first victory of the season and continuing the pattern of different winners that would define 2012. The two-time World Champion held off a remarkable charge from Sauber's Sergio Perez in the closing laps, with Lewis Hamilton completing the podium as the season's unpredictability intensified at the tropical Sepang circuit.

Alonso's victory was built on brilliant strategic thinking and extraordinary tire preservation skills, managing the rapidly degrading Pirelli compounds with surgical precision in the sweltering Malaysian heat. Starting from eighth on the grid after a difficult qualifying session, the Spaniard picked his way through the field with patience and aggression perfectly balanced. His Ferrari F2012 - which would prove uncompetitive for much of the season - came alive in race trim, and Alonso's ability to extract performance from an inferior car was already becoming apparent. He seized the lead during the pit stop cycles and controlled the race's crucial middle phase.

The closing laps provided high drama as Perez, driving brilliantly in only his second race for Sauber, closed rapidly on fresher tires. The young Mexican set fastest lap after fastest lap, hunting down Alonso and bringing the crowd to their feet with his charge. But Alonso held firm, using all his experience and racecraft to fend off the challenge and secure a victory that would prove crucial to his championship campaign. Hamilton's third place kept him in championship contention, while pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton's teammate completed McLaren's solid start. The race confirmed that 2012 would be no ordinary season, with the second different winner in two races hinting at the chaos to come.