Fisichella: win shows potential
Fisichella had luck to thank for his first Grand Prix win in Brazil in 2003, and he was given a lucky break for Sunday's race when weather worked in his favour in the first qualifying session.
But the Italian driver did not put a foot wrong as he led from start to finish and after cruising to the chequered flag he insisted Renault will continue to live up to the pre-season hype about the team's title chances this season.
"It is completely different (to my first win),"said Fisichella, who took his first GP victory in the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix, but was only declared the winner a week after the race. "It was a great day for me, a fantastic race, I was conservative and I didn't push. This is the best part of my career, to win the first race of the season is great."
"I know this is just the first race but already we have fantastic potential. I felt it the first time I drove the car and it was easy to drive, so we need just to work on it, carry on with development and try to win again."
Fisichella took it easy from the off as he held a comfortable gap to initial second-placed driver Jarno Trulli then kept Scot David Coulthard's Red Bull Racing car at long distance before Rubens Barrichello moved into second spot.
The Ferrari driver moved into the runners-up spot after the final set of stops and began to push Fisichella but the Italian had plenty in reserve to maintain the gap and ease his way to the finish.
"Rubens was catching me at one point so I drove a bit faster but the car was great, had good balance and the tyres were consistent from beginning to end," he said. "I would like to thank all the mechanics and the whole team.
"For the first part of the race I was conservative so at the end the car was still really, really good, in fact the last five or four laps I did my quickest lap of the race.
Team-mate Fernando Alonso also finished on the podium and Fisichella added: "I am happy for Fernando to finish third and that is a great result for the team. I am really confident for the rest of the season."
Happy Fisichella Confident of More Glory
Barrichello: Ferrari Still Strong
The pioneering pair who brought a new glory era to an F1 heavyweight
With the team’s founder now retired and a new boss at the helm, change was coming to Brabham – change that would shape the future of Formula 1. In the third part of our four-part history of Brabham, DAMIEN SMITH examines the effect Bernie Ecclestone had on the team
The combination behind the Silverstone racing battles Hamilton called "F1 at its best"
OPINION: The late battling in the British Grand Prix wowed Formula 1 fans and surely represents the best racing action of the season so far. And there was a cocktail of factors that created the action, from which Carlos Sainz emerged as a popular new winner
How Ferrari’s Monaco headache became its Silverstone migraine
OPINION: Ferrari won the British Grand Prix with Carlos Sainz, but it ultimately cost Charles Leclerc a chance to make a bigger dent in Max Verstappen's title lead by leaving the Monegasque out on old tyres towards the end. Like Monaco, indecision over strategy proved to be the Scuderia's biggest issue - and if the team doesn't reflect, the headache can only intensify
The five factors behind Sainz winning a British GP he’d twice lost
Formula 1 has a newest race winner, in a grand prix the victor appeared to have lost twice, only to charge back to headline a sensational and dramatic British Grand Prix. From a massive start crash to a late sprint finish, here’s how five factors saw Carlos Sainz take his maiden grand prix win
Why there was no case to answer in Aston’s latest F1 copycat saga
The appearance of a revised Aston Martin in Spain caused controversy but PAT SYMONDS explains why the FIA investigation found the Silverstone team had no case to answer
Why it's Red Bull that really leads a three-way fight so far at Silverstone
After a slow start to Friday at Silverstone, all the Formula 1 teams had to effectively cram in a day’s worth of practice into one hour. But there was still plenty to learn and while Ferrari topped the times, a three-way battle is brewing ahead of the British Grand Prix
Why the future is bright for the British GP
It wasn’t so long ago the situation looked bleak at Silverstone with the future of the British Grand Prix under threat. But a transformation has seen it restored to one of the most important races on the Formula 1 calendar, with bigger and better to come
Could mixed fortunes for F1's leading Brits turn around at Silverstone?
For the first time in many years, none of the local racers starts among the favourites for the British Grand Prix. But George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris could have reasons for optimism