The Sepang Circuit was the venue for the second race of the Formula One season - the Malaysian Grand Prix - on Sunday March 23.
Felipe Massa of Ferrari started in pole position with his team-mate and reigning world champion, Kimi Raikkonen, alongside him on the front row of the grid.
After a disastrous opening race in Melbourne just one week ago, both Ferrari drivers got off to a good start.
Further down the field, Toro Rosso team driver Sebastien Bourdais spun off the track and into the gravel trap on lap one, ending any chance of repeating his seventh place finish at the Australian Grand Prix.
Moments later, Timo Glock of Toyota and Nico Rosberg of Williams collided.
The impact forced Glock out of the race, but Rosberg was able to continue, only to pull up much later on with just one lap remaining.
Starting from fifth and seventh respectively, Nick Heidfeld and Fernando Alonso were both pushing hard up the field, battling to over-take Red Bull's David Coulthard after their first pit stops.
But it was Raikkonen who was in superlative form.
He tracked team-mate Massa over the opening laps of the race before taking full advantage of when the Brazilian made his first pit stop on lap 17.
The Finn then set the fastest times for each section of the course on his next lap, ensuring that he would still be ahead of the Portuguese when he emerged from his own stop.
From there on, Raikkonen never looked back.
Australian Grand Prix winner Lewis Hamilton was less fortunate.
After a five-place penalty meant that he started from ninth on the grid, Hamilton charged his way up through the field and into fifth, where he found himself caught behind Red Bull's Mark Webber.
Going in for his first pit stop, a faulty wheel nut on his front right wheel cost the McLaren driver precious seconds and saw him pull out of the pit lane behind Webber.
Hamilton eventually leap-frogged Webber at the final pits to clinch fifth place, while Heidfeld also passed him to take sixth and the Australian had to be content with a seventh place finish.
It was a mixed day for the Ferraris with Massa, winner on the Sepang circuit in 2007, eventually spinning off into the gravel after pushing too hard on a corner as he attempted to claw back some of Raikkonen's lead.
He has yet to pick up any championship points after the first two races of the season.
Honda driver Jenson Button also drove off the circuit, but was able to recover and finished in a credible tenth place having started from 11th on the grid.
Raikkonen took the chequered flag with little pressure, winning the race in one hour, 31 minutes and 18.555 seconds and putting the disappointment of Melbourne, where he only claimed a single point, firmly behind him.
Robert Kubica of BMW Sauber claimed a career best finish after taking second place, with McLaren's Heikki Kovalainen completing the podium places in third.
Satisfied to have laid down his marker for the rest of the season, Raikkonen was pleased with his performance.

Despite finishing in fifth place, Hamilton remains at the top of the drivers championship standings on 14 points, while Raikkonen and Heidfeld are close behind on 11 points apiece.
The next race on the calendar is the Bahrain Grand Prix on April 6th.

Malaysian Grand Prix results:

1. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1:31:18.555
2. Robert Kubica (Poland) BMW Sauber +00:19.570
3. Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) McLaren 00:38.450
4. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Toyota 00:45.832
5. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 00:46.548
6. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) BMW Sauber 00:49.833
7. Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 01:08.130
8. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 01:10.041
9. David Coulthard (Britain) Red Bull 01:16.220
10. Jenson Button (Britain) Honda 01:26.214
11. Nelson Piquet (Brazil) Renault 01:32.202
12. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Force India 1 lap
13. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Honda 1 lap
14. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Williams 1 lap
15. Anthony Davidson (Britain) Super Aguri 1 lap
16. Takuma Sato (Japan) Super Aguri 2 laps
17. Kazuki Nakajima (Japan) Williams 2 laps

Drivers' standings after the Malaysian Grand Prix:
1. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 14
2. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 11
3. Nick Heidfeld (Germany) BMW Sauber 11
4. Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) McLaren 10
5. Robert Kubica (Poland) BMW Sauber 8
6. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Williams 6
7. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Renault 6
8. Jarno Trulli (Italy) Toyota 5
9. Kazuki Nakajima (Japan) Williams 3
10. Sebastien Bourdais (France) Toro Rosso 2
11. Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 2
12. David Coulthard (Britain) Red Bull 0
13. Jenson Button (Britain) Honda 0
14. Nelson Piquet (Brazil) Renault 0
15. Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy) Force India 0
16. Rubens Barrichello (Brazil) Honda 0
17. Anthony Davidson (Britain) Super Aguri 0
18. Takuma Sato (Japan) Super Aguri 0

Constructors' standings after the Malaysian Grand Prix:
1. McLaren 24
2. BMW Sauber 19
3. Ferrari 11
4. Williams 9
5. Renault 6
6. Toyota 5
7. Red Bull 2
8. Toro Rosso 2
9. Honda 0
10. Force India 0
11. Super Aguri 0