The Malaysian Grand Prix provided good racing, lots of overtaking and, as usual, some controversy. Roger Horton returns from the Sepang paddock with insights from the second race of the 2002 season

The battle for the 2002 titles really started at this Malaysian Grand Prix. We had three days of extremely hot, but consistent weather conditions, so the teams were essentially left with nowhere to hide; those who were quick had the opportunity to show it, and the rest had no excuses.

Once again we had drama at the start of the race. Michael Schumacher made his now ritualistic move across the track to block his fellow front row starter, which as a blocking move has now become pretty ineffective because it has become so predictable. Juan Pablo Montoya just drove around him and the superior acceleration of his Williams did the rest. Montoya also looked to be moving just a fraction before Michael, and it was just as well, because Rubens Barrichello had made a flyer from the second row and they were all three abreast entering the braking zone for the first corner.

What happened next was considered by just about everyone in the paddock I encountered to be a pure racing accident. Montoya lent on Schumacher through the right handed turn one because he needed to ensure he had the inside line for the following left-hander, turn two. Michael drifted a little wide and the two made hard enough contact to dislodge the Ferrari's front wing and for Montoya to momentarily leave the track on the outside.

The steward's decision that Montoya had caused 'an avoidable accident', and the punishment that was to be the newly instituted drive-through penalty, looked to be harsh in the extreme. There are just too many examples of similar incidents that have gone totally unpunished for the decision to have any credibility. The decision was a mistake, pure and simple, and the sooner the FIA constitute a more even-handed method of dishing out penalties the better.

Despite Montoya's rather macho image, the Colombian has had a pretty good record of avoiding contact with other cars, especially given the number of ballsy overtaking manoeuvres he executes. In this instance, the two drivers who are almost certainly going to be fighting it out for this year's Championship were doing what they get paid millions to do: driving on the limit and entertaining us all, but for some reason race control didn't see it that way.

So what effect did the incident have on each protagonist? Certainly the contact seemed to take the edge off Schumacher's car, and although he made it back onto the podium, his speed was not overly impressive throughout the race. Certainly it leaves a major question mark over whether he could have beaten a two-stopping Montoya, and one feels that Ferrari might now need their new F2002 sooner rather than later.

For Montoya, the incident was actually a triple whammy, and it effectively ended his hopes of victory as soon as he fell behind his teammate on that first lap. The Williams team knew from their simulations that two stopping around Sepang was about eight seconds faster than a one stop routine, which is why Montoya, who was ahead of Ralf on the grid, was given the faster option.

Provided the Colombian had got away cleanly at the start, the two teammates would not have been on conflicting strategies with the need for one to yield to the other. Once Ralf was ahead, however, Montoya would have faced the prospect of passing his teammate, which would have been next to impossible to achieve.

For good measure, an aero fin in front of Montoya's right hand bargeboard was also damaged, and Sam Michael, Williams's operational chief, estimated that the damage was worth at least four tenths of a second per lap. Add to that the drive-through penalty, which he took on lap nine, and which cost him some twenty seconds, and you can see why he ended up pretty pleased with a second place finish, but mad about receiving the penalty.

In an age when there is so much talk about the lack of overtaking in Formula One, it is worth noting Montoya's progress throughout this race.

Lap 1. Briefly in the lead, then down to thirteenth position after his off-track excursion. He re-passes Enrique Bernoldi and Felipe Massa before the end of the lap and is eleventh across the line.
Lap 2. Ninth. Passes the two Jordans, which have collided with each other.
Lap 3. Seventh. Passes Mika Salo and Jarno Trulli.
Lap 7. Sixth. Passes Jenson Button for the first time.
Lap 10. Ninth again after drive-through penalty.
Lap 15. Seventh. Passes Allan McNish and a slowing David Coulthard.
Lap 20. Fifth. Passes Mika Salo again, and Heidfeld (in the pits).
Lap 21. Pits. Rejoins in sixth.
Lap 25. Fifth. Passes Mika Salo (in the pits).
Lap 27. Fourth. Passes Heidfeld again.
Lap 32. Third. Passes Button for the second time.
Lap 39. Pits for the second time. Rejoins in fourth.
Lap 41. Third. Passes Michael Schumacher (in the pits).
Lap 44. Second. Passes Jenson Button for the third time.
Lap 56. Finishes second.

A case of the harder you work the luckier you get perhaps, but as the champagne was opened and a first one/two result ever for BMW in Grand Prix racing was entering the history books, the only man missing from the celebrations was the team's founder Frank Williams. By half distance he was gone from the circuit and already flying away, but fortunately for Frank his cars were flying too, and no one could catch them.