Malaysia

Malaysia

So Button did it again, i.e. get on Pole.

Despite Vettel getting 2nd, he is 13th after his tackle with Kubica last weekend, so that leaves the Toyotas on 2nd and 3rd.

Then Rosberg and Webber before the the first of the big contenders from last year, i.e. Kubica, and then Raikonnen.

Judging by the weights of the cars - a new feature this year, allowing everyone to know who weighs what - Jenson is fuelled 3Kg heavier than the next 4 cars. So he has some advantage.

I would like to think that it is button's race, but either of the Toyota's could spoil things, but I am wondering if Kubica's pace at the end of the last race was a sign of things to come... I have little doubt he would have won... or come close, had he not tangled with Vettel.

As for Hamilton, he is heavily fuelled. He will have to think this week, not only about the race, but what happens at the end. He will be - as ever - under the microscope - so he needs to do all he can to prove himself at Sepang.

Oh, and watch out for Fernando. Placed 9th - which is not too bad - and heavier than all in front of him. You don't win 2 championships without having some idea of what you are doing, and I don't doubt that he will be doing anything less that 100%.

Malaysia

Well, it is bucketing down, and after 33 laps, they have red flagged the race, and are currently sitting on the grid waiting to see what is decided. If it is decided as a result, it will be half points, and of course, win number 2 for Jenson !

Malaysia

So Jenson did it again. Even though he only got half points.

So much for my predictions regarding Kubica and Alonso. Kubica retired early with a sick engine, and Alonso - despite starting well - ended up well out of the points.

The Toyotas did prove to be good as expected, with a 3rd and 4th, and Heidfeld's 2nd also proves that he has some skill in the wet.

Williams still yet to prove themselves over the whole race - perhaps a lack of experience, and with Mark Webber, Red Bull proved they can do well this year.

Hamilton perhaps made the most of the chaos to get a point (It could of course been 2 had the race been completed) but then he could still be disqualified from the whole season for being such a "naughty boy".

Ferrari were basically a joke today. Sending Raikonnen out on full wets when it was barely spitting was a huge mistake, and Massa was nowhere at the start, and finished pretty much in the same place.

As for Jenson's performance, crap start, but it didn't take long for him to get into stride. I am amazed by the fact he was 3rd when Rosberg and Trulli came into the pits for for the first stop, and then a few laps later when he emerged from the pits from his stop, he was about 6 seconds in the lead. Amazing performance, but had it been dry all the way through, perhaps it would have gone wrong ?

They all knew it was going to rain after all, but Ross Brawn has proved so many times before to be a master tactician, and that, together with a superb car means wins.

Even more incredible is the fact that the car had never been tested in the wet before. Probably a testament to Button's smooth driving style - his first win way back in 2006 was of course in the wet - but then the car has the aerodynamic abilities that everybody else wants in this time of reduced downforce.

Talking of which, this week sees the enquiry regarding that matter, i.e. the appeal against the Steward's Enquiry regarding the Brawn, Toyota and Williams Car's Rear Diffusers.

I hope it is a case of all three being ahead of the game, and getting it right. If so though, you have to wonder why the likes of Ferrari and McLaren are so out of sorts.

.....anyway, well done Jense, and hopefully that will mean the same for China and Bahrain. Once it gets to Europe, they say things could well change, but even given that, I doubt the Brawn will be that far off. Given the performance of McLaren and Ferrari, it will mean them challenging the Brawn, Toyota and others, instead of being at the mid to back of the pack.

Malaysia

Didn't seem like a real race though, being flagged so early on.

I'm not convinced by Button, just as I was *barely* convinced by Hamilton last year, and Hamilton's he's certainly looking very ordinary this year.

Malaysia

Let's put it like this. Button, despite not doing much in 9 seasons, has remained in F1 all this time. He has never driven a Ferrari, or McLaren, and has managed 1 Win prior to 2009, and achieved 2nd place.

But what he has is an ultra smooth driving style. It has meant nothing with traction control and Grooved tyres, but now it means a lot more.

He really isn't the non-entity you think he is. Look at what he achieved before in his F1 career. Also, look at how he compares to his team-mate. Barrichello may be the "old-boy", and still pretty damn good and a race winner, but he hasn't had many wins. Despite being a Ferrari driver.