Fisichella delights in Renault's perfect race

SEPANG, Malaysia, Mar 19 (Reuters) Giancarlo Fisichella hailed a change of fortune today after leading world champion Fernando Alonso to a Renault one-two in Malaysia.

''It's the opposite of last year,'' said the Italian, celebrating his first win since the 2005 Australian season-opener.

''I'm just looking forward now. I'm really comfortable in the team. There's a nice atmosphere and fantastic potential with the car,'' he added.

Last year, Fisichella arrived in Malaysia as the championship leader. He failed to finish and became locked in a spiral of bad luck as 24-year-old Alonso won seven races and became the youngest champion.

Fisichella's pre-season optimism, boosted by news that Alonso would be decamping to McLaren for 2007, faded into fury in Bahrain last weekend after Renault failed to fix a problem he had identified in qualifying.

Alonso won that race instead.

Today, it all came good and the 33-year-old took his third race win from pole position at a sweltering Sepang. It was Renault's first one-two in 24 years and only their second as a constructor.

''It was an amazing race from Fisi and what a bounce back,'' said Renault director of engineering Pat Symonds.

''Such disappointment at the last race and he pulled it back. I said in our preview let's see what his character's like and there it is.'' Team boss Flavio Briatore praised both his men.

''It was a fantastic day,'' he said. ''A fantastic race, fantastic performance from both drivers, fantastic performance by the team, by the engine, by the chassis, by the pit stop crew.

''Fisi did a fantastic job and Fernando also because we made a mistake in Fernando's car and he turned in a good result anyway.'' The Spaniard, who started today with an unintentionally heavy fuel load, has now led the championship for a full year after winning in Malaysia in 2005.

Given the team's concern that Alonso's car might not make it to the finish, the Spaniard was delighted with his result.

''Eighteen points in two races is what I dreamed of before Bahrain and I will try and win again in Australia and finish this first part of the championship away from Europe in the best way possible,'' he said.

The Australian Grand Prix has been moved to the third race this season, to avoid a clash with the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, and Fisichella is looking forward to returning to the scene of his second race win next week.

''It was fantastic for me and then the bad luck came through the rest of the season,'' he said.

''This year I had bad luck in the first race and I have won the first race afterwards, so I hope I had all the bad luck in Bahrain.'' Reuters DH GC1730