Story
23.03.2003
Malaysia
Sepang
Kimi Raikkonen claims his first Grand Prix victory with a flawless drive at Sepang, finishing 39 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Rubens Barrichello.
Polesitter Fernando Alonso gets away well, but Michael Schumacher collides with Jarno Trulli at Turn 2, causing chaos behind.
When the stewards hand the German a drive-through penalty, his race is effectively over.
Alonso opens a five-second lead on Raikkonen, but the Spaniard’s car develops problems and limps around the last few laps.
Raikkonen then coasts to the finish line – the first win of many for the young star soon to become known as ‘Iceman’.
Going into the race, David Coulthard had been leading the championship, but his early retirement hands the title baton to the Scot’s young team-mate Raikkonen.
In the post-race press briefings, Rubens Barrichello predicts that Raikkonen will one day become world champion.