Sebastian Vettel stuns Mercedes in Malaysia to win maiden Ferrari grand prix and first since 2013

Sebastian Vettel stunned world champion Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes on Sunday with an audacious Malaysian Grand Prix victory which ignited the Formula One season.

The Ferrari driver took advantage of an early safety car as he hit the front and held off Hamilton and Nico Rosberg after pitting only twice, compared to three for the Mercedes pair.

The four-time world champion has now racked up 40 career wins but it is his first with Ferrari, breaking a dry spell which stretches back to his last race with Red Bull in 2013.

Few of the German’s victories can have been as telling or as satisfying as Sunday’s, since he shattered assumptions of Mercedes’ unassailable superiority in 2015.

“Fantastico, fantastico!” he screamed down the team radio in Italian. “Yes boys, can you hear me? Thank you, thank you. Forza Ferrari!”

Further back, there were also celebrations for Max Verstappen as the 17-year-old finished seventh, becoming the youngest points-scorer in Formula One history.

RESULTS FROM THE MALAYSIAN GRAND PRIX

1. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Ferrari 1:41:05.793

2. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes +00:08.569

3. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 00:12.310

4. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 00:53.822

5. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams-Mercedes 01:10.409

6. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams-Mercedes 01:13.586

7. Max Verstappen (Netherlands) Toro Rosso — Renault 01:39.085

8. Carlos Sainz Jr (Spain) Toro Rosso — Renault 1 lap

9. Daniil Kvyat (Russia) RedBull — Renault 1 lap

10. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) RedBull — Renault 1 lap

11. Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus — Mercedes 1 lap

12. Felipe Nasr (Brazil) Sauber — Ferrari 1 lap

13. Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India — Mercedes 1 lap

14. Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India — Mercedes 1 lap

15. Roberto Merhi (Spain) Marussia — Ferrari 3 laps

r. Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus — Mercedes 9 laps

r. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 15 laps

r. Fernando Alonso (Spain) McLaren 35 laps

r. Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Sauber — Ferrari 53 laps

(rank: r = retired, nc = not classified)

Fastest Lap: Nico Rosberg, 1:42.062, lap 43.