Rubens Barrichello handed Kimi Raikkonen a lifeline but it cames at some expense to the Honda driver who was disqualified from the Australian GP.
Barrichello finished the race in sixth place, a vast improvement on last year's Championship which saw him fail to score a single point.
However, the Brazilian lost his three points after the race stewards deemed him to have left the pitlane while the red light was on.
The punishment for this offence is disqualification, as seen by Felipe Massa and Giancarlo Fisichella at last year's Canadian GP.
Asked about the incident, an apparently bemused Barrichello replied: "I didn't see it."
The Honda driver's disqualification played into the hands of Ferrari as Kimi Raikkonen, who was classified ninth even though he didn't finish the race, moved up to P8, earning his first point of the season.
Not quite what Ferrari had wanted, but one is better than none.
Revised Classification
1. Hamilton McLaren
2. Heidfeld BMW
3. Rosberg Williams
4. Alonso Renault
5. Kovalainen McLaren
6. Nakajima Williams
7. Bourdais Toro Rosso
8. Raikkonen Ferrari
