Schumacher wins Malaysian GP.

Michael Schumacher held off a stern challenge from David Coulthard to take his ninth win of the 2000 season at Sepang.

The Ferrari driver - and new world champion - benefited from Mika Hakkinen jumping the start, and took full advantage of Coulthard's inability to build a big enough gap on his first set of tyres to win his fourth straight race at the end of the year. The Scot was never far away, however, and closed back to within a second of Schumacher at the flag.

Hakkinen drove a storming race to battle back from 19th and last after his penalty stop but, on a one-stop strategy, could do nothing about the leaders, or Rubens Barrichello, who finished a flu-stricken third for Ferrari. Hakkinen at least had the consolation of recording a string of lap records in his pursuit of the podium, such was the pace of the race on Bridgestone's super sticky new compounds.

Jacques Villeneuve and Eddie Irvine rounded out the point scorers, setting up an intriguing tie-breaker between BAR and Benetton for fourth place in the constructors' championship now won by Ferrari. Alex Wurz could not build on his solid qualifying performance and finished just outside the top six.

Neither Williams finished, Jordan suffered a nightmare, and Johnny Herbert's final grand prix ended with a big accident after rear suspension failure on the Jaguar. The Briton was helped from his car, but is not thought to be seriously injured.

Full report and results to follow....

Leading finishers - Malaysian GP.

1. Michael Schumacher Ferrari
2. David Coulthard McLaren
3. Rubens Barrichello Ferrari
4. Mika Hakkinen McLaren
5. Jacques Villeneuve BAR
6. Eddie Irvine Jaguar