Team mate Ralf Schumacher made it a strong team performance all round when he qualified fifth and finished in the same position after 56 laps in the sweltering Malaysian heat.

The result gives a tremendous lift to the entire Panasonic Toyota Racing team because, not only was it achieved on merit, with the TF105 among the quickest cars all weekend, but it was also the first time that F1 engines had run to the demands of two-race duration. Both TF105s demonstrated exemplary reliability, as Trulli pointed out.

“This has come at a great time for the team and is a tremendous boost,” the 30-year-old Italian said. “We have a lot of talented and experienced people, like Mike Gascoyne on the chassis side and Luca Marmorini in charge of the engine. The whole team has done a great job over the winter and I am delighted to be able to deliver the team its first podium finish.”

Although clearly satisfied by a job well done, Trulli was restrained on the podium and did not spray his champagne out of respect to a good friend, Stefano Bandini, an air rescue pilot recently killed in an accident.

Schumacher Jr had the pace to join Trulli on the podium but lost time when he made contact with Mark Webber while trying to take fourth place from the BMW Williams driver. The team fitted a new front wing at Schumacher’s second pit stop and he went on to add four points to the team’s haul.

“Like Melbourne I didn’t have the best of luck,” Ralf said, “but at least I managed to score decent points this time. I said all winter that we had made a step forward and we have proved it here. We know what we are doing with the development programme and I see no reason why we cannot continue to show this kind of form.”

Trailing Alonso and Trulli, Nick Heidfeld scored his first podium finish since Brazil 2001 and Juan Pablo Montoya finished fourth for West McLaren Mercedes. Behind Schumacher Jr’s TF105, David Coulthard and Christian Klien achieved the second successive double-points score for the new Red Bull Racing team, the cars sandwiching the seventh placed Ferrari of seven times world champion Michael Schumacher.

Panasonic Toyota Racing Technical Director, Chassis, Mike Gascoyne said: “Both drivers did a great job and I am delighted that all those who have worked so hard in the race team and at the factory have now had tangible reward. This was a big test, both of competitiveness and reliability, and I am delighted to say that we have passed it with flying colours.

“Our partners Michelin did a superb job with the tyres and we had no worries at all as far as rubber was concerned. Obviously though, with the kind of heat generated by 50 degree track temperatures, we exercised caution. When it was obvious that Jarno could not match Alonso’s pace, we instructed him to slow his pace, and from half distance on he was able to manage his race and bring the car home. But, to be able to do that, you have to have the initial pace, which we clearly did. A fantastic result for the whole team – well done to everyone!”

At this early stage of the 19-race F1 season, the longest in the sport’s history, Panasonic Toyota Racing now heads to Bahrain in second place in the constructors championship, behind Mild Seven Renault.