Raikkonen Follows Hakkinen as McLaren Winner

Kimi Raikkonen emulated compatriot Mika Hakkinen, the man he replaced at McLaren, today as the Formula One team savoured another win with a Finn.

But whereas it took twice World Champion Hakkinen 96 races before he claimed his first win for the team, Raikkonen required just 36. He still has a long way to go before he can match now-retired Hakkinen's achievements but few had any doubts that they had witnessed the emergence of a future champion at the Malaysian Grand Prix.

Make that two.

Spaniard Fernando Alonso, still just 21 and becoming the youngest driver ever to start on pole, was clearly another challenger after finishing third for Renault.

"I think both are future World Champions," said Ferrari's Brazilian Rubens Barrichello, sandwiched between the youngsters in second place. "I just hope I can win the World Championship before them."

Raikkonen, dubbed the 'Iceman' by team boss Ron Dennis, kept his cool while others around him were losing theirs to cruise to a crushing winning margin of 39.2 seconds after an hour and a half in the steamy Sepang heat.

The victory took a while to sink in, although Dennis's eyes were watering and his voice faltered with the emotion as the Finn crossed the line to give McLaren their second win in two races this year. Hakkinen was special to Dennis and Raikkonen looks every bit a chip off the same block of ice.

"He is the Iceman. It's a great name which he strongly deserves," said Dennis. "He was cool and calm after the race and that's a pleasure to see because he's able to focus in a pressured situation."

Bad Luck

Raikkonen's win had been threatened for some time. It could have been at France last year, when he led only to skid on oil with six laps remaining and hand the race and world Championship to Ferrari's Michael Schumacher.

He could have won the opening race in Australia two weeks ago, leading for much of the distance, but betrayed by a miss-set pitlane speed limiter and given a drive-through penalty that killed off his hopes. This time there was to be no mistake.

"I feel that I have been a little bit unlucky not to win last year or win the last race," he said. "Nevertheless this came now and I'm very happy. I haven't been counting how many races I have done or how much everyone else has done before they have won their first race. I have just been trying to do my best and trying to win the race.

"Now it's come and it should be much easier now because people are not asking me all the time 'when are you going to win your first race? It's easier now."

Raikkonen said he would fly home to Switzerland before celebrating. Fast as he was on the track on Sunday, he seemed slow to appreciate just what he had done. Entering Formula One in 2001 with Sauber with just 23 single seater races under his belt, Raikkonen's rise through the ranks has been swift indeed and Dennis was happy to give him time to let the achievement sink in.

"I normally find that the real pleasure of winning races floods into you when you wake up the morning after," he said. "And it's a much better emotion to have."