malaysian grand prix

250cc World Championship leader Hiroshi Aoyama got his Malaysian Grand Prix weekend off to a perfect start by setting the fastest lap time in Friday practice at Sepang, while title rival Marco Simoncelli managed just tenth.

Valentino Rossi looks set to claim his seventh MotoGP World Championship during this weekend Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang, the penultimate round of the 2009 season.

"Phillip Island was like gold dust and now we go to Malaysia with our first match point" - Valentino Rossi.

Nick Heidfeld has set out his stall to potential future F1 employers by reminding the paddock that - as he is set to be left without a drive following BMW's withdrawal at the end of the 2009 campaign - he still has a lot to offer at the highest level.

Jenson Button:

The honeymoon shows no signs of ending just yet for Formula 1 'new' boys Brawn GP, with Jenson Button allaying all fears about the performance of the BGP 001 in wet conditions with a masterful drive to triumph in the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang.

Nico Rosberg was far from downcast after leading the opening 15 laps of the 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang today only to ultimately be classified just eighth in the final reckoning - remaining confident that on Williams' current form, his day will surely come.

As in Australia last week, the FIA's publication of the post-qualifying weights of all 20 Formula 1 cars on the starting grid for the 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang this weekend has thrown up a number of surprises.

This weekend's Malaysian Grand Prix - the second round on the 2009 Formula 1 World Championship calendar - could be disrupted by thunderstorms, throwing an added element of the unknown into an already highly unpredictable season.

Michael Schumacher said he though that the Malaysian Grand Prix would provide a truer test of the competitiveness of this year's Ferrari challenge.