Brawn to keep winning

The Malaysian Grand Prix tomorrow could be an open and unpredictable affair, if the results from Australia last week are taken into account. In Melbourne, Briton's Jenson Button led from start to finish for the debutant Brawn team – behind him though, it was captivating chaos. Button's team-mate Barrichello, who had started in second position but slipped back, ended alongside his partner on the podium. It was the first time since 1954 that a team claimed a one-two finish in their debut race. Both Ferrari drivers crashed out of the race, while defending champion Lewis Hamilton was docked all his points on Thursday for "misleading" the stewards in an incident with Jarno Trulli, who was then awarded third-place. For Button, it was a case of taking full advantage of the unique situation Brawn GP find themselves in: possessing the fastest car at the start of the season – an amazing result for a team that only emerged a month ago after the collapse of Honda. With their big budgets McLaren, Ferrari and the rest are sure to have their cars up to speed soon and Button will want to capitalise in Sepang before the inevitable happens. The performance in Australia showed a whole host of drivers are capable of challenging consistently for Grand Prix wins this season. Sebastien Vettel for Red Bull and Robert Kubica in his BMW Sauber were most impressive and the early indications are that drivers will have to fight harder than ever for podium places. Yesterday's practice times confirmed how much Ferrari like the circuit with Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa finishing fastest. Of the 10 races held there since its F1 debut in 1999, the Italian manufacturer has won five of them including last year when Raikkonen claimed victory. McLaren and Renault have won twice apiece with a single victory for Williams-BMW. Raikkonen's win in 2008 was his second at Sepang following a 2003 victory. Renault's Fernando Alonso (2005, 2007) also has two wins on the 5.543km track. Tomorrow the race is set for a late afternoon start – 1pm UAE time – when many drivers are uncomfortable racing – the setting sun shining in their eyes on some straights, while the diminishing light conditions make it harder to judge shadow-enveloped corners. The high temperatures and humidity in Sepang always play a part in proceedings, with reports claiming drivers lose at least three kilograms of body fluid after a race in Malaysia. Monsoon rains have also been forecast.