There's a great scene in Robin Williams' classic film "Good Morning Vietnam" where he pretends to be Walter Kronkite talking about the weather. I'm sure it's on the web somewhere if you're curious. I can't quote it here because this is a family site, but suffice it to say that the overall impression was hot and unpleasant. See - there is a point to this story. Because Sepang was indeed hot and unpleasant. Intermittently wet as well, just what you want for getting your setup and everything sorted out.

Anyhow, what can I tell you about the circuit? It's relatively new, it's designed for cars but somehow it has managed to stay intereseting as well. It's got a couple of crazily fast straights linked by a hairpin bend, which is always entertaining, and the start/finish straight ends in a vicious tightening right hander that itself leads into a complex of bends. It's hard work, especially if you're at less than optimal fitness. So Casey Stoner and Dani Pedrosa go there at a physical as well as psychological disadvantage as both are carrying injuries.

Free practice was dominated by Valentino Rossi, with occasional visits to the top by Jorge Lorenzo, Colin Edwards and, on his penultimate MotoGP outing before returning to World Supersport, Anthony West. Stoner, Pedrosa and Hayden were all in the same ballpark but it really was Rossi's time.

Qualifying started wet and that really out the cat among the pigeons as it stopped raining and the circuit started to dry partway through. James Toseland rocketed up to the top, putting ina scorching time but unfortunately misjudging his timing generally. Because the young Englishman used his qualifier too early. the sun came out, the circuit dried more and lap times tumbled. From his lofty perch at the top of the timesheets, Tosleand could only watch helplessly as no less than eleven other riders went quicker, demoting him to the back of the fourth row. Colin Edwards, too, had very variable fortunes, going from first to dead last before finally qualifying fifth. But it was Dani Pedrosa who dug deep and took pole from Valentino Rossi, with Jorge Lorenzo closing out the front row. Nicky Hayden sat next to Edwards with Dovizioso finishing off row two. Stoner really didn't have a good session, ending up on the third row just ahead of Loris Capirossi and Randy de Puniet, while John Hopkins rounded out the top ten, ahead of Chris Vermeulen and Toseland.

Race day was hot. Very, very hot. Forty two Centigrade in the shade (that's 107 Fahrenheit to any readers sticking to Imperial measurements) hot. Which brought its own attendant problems. First of all, it was going to be very hard on tyres. And second, it was going to be very hard on riders. Heat and humidity both make for a tough time when you're physically working hard. Watching the press conference after the 250 race, where at least one podium sitter couldn't speak properly and one rider actually retired through the heat, it was going to be tough.

Talking of tyres, by the way, before I forget I should mention that MotoGP has followed Superbikes in to a one tyre manufacturer agreeement. So from next year, and for the next few seasons, all MotoGP bikes will be on Bridgestone tyres. Which may make things interesting.

Anyhow. With a few clouds hanging ominously around, the race still started dry. And when the lights went out it was Dani Pedrosa who made the most of his pole position to take the lead, followed by Dovizioso, who got an excellent start, and Rossi, with Nicky Hayden close behind. Lorenzo got an appalling start, dropping to seventh behindStoner and Shinya Nakano who, astonishingly, climbed to sixth by halfway round the first lap from his lowly fifteenth place on the grid.

The beginning of lap two saw Rossi barge past Dovizioso and set off after Pedrosa who, though very fast was not able to make the break he'd so obviously hoped for and remained tanatalisingly within reach for the pursuing pair. Further back, Toseland got mugged a bit on the second lap and, while pushing hard to make up positions (and doing OK at it as well, in fairness) overcooked it and lost the front, skating off onto the gravel and out of contention on the third lap. No injuries but he's not helped his struggle to get back into the top ten. Toni Elias had a grim time, too, qualifying dead last and then getting penalised for a jump start.

But up at the front things had stabilised. Rossi and Pedrosa were locked together as if on a bungee cord, with Dovizioso and Hayden just a few metres further back. Behind them, Stoner was being closed down and hassled by Nakano, who incredibly doesn't have a ride next year. Then Lorenzo, Edwards, Capirossi and Vermeulen (though not necessarily in that order) formed a large unruly bunch.

It stayed this way up until lap eleven, when Rossi sneaked past Pedrosa in one of the complexes and immediately started to make a gap. The gap grew and grew until it was unassailable, Pedrosa simply riding beyond the apparent abilities of the Honda as it bucked and weaved all over the place. Behind, Hayden and Dovizioso were engaged in a real ding-dong slugging match, rather reminiscent of Rossi and Capirossi all those years ago. Hayden was certainly faster in places but not whwre it counted and, most of the time, Dovizioso was able to stay in front. And on the occasions that Hayden passed him he was able to immediately counterattack and regain the position. While all this was going on, the pressure cooker in the midfield ejected Jorge Lorenzo, who exited stage right at the same point that Toseland had slid off earlier. Happily, neither rider was hurt at all.

Back to the front, then, and the race became, well not boring but a little processional as Rossi simply kept the hammer down and continued to extend his lead. By the time he took the chequered flag, the World Champion was over four seconds clear of Pedrosa who had another four seconds of air between himself and the battle for third. Hayden and Dovizioso both had something to prove, but in the end it was Dovi who took his first ever podium from the man whose seat he will be filling next year. Shinya Nakano prevailed in the battle with Stoner, whose hand and wrist problems can't have helped his somewhat lacklustre performance this weekend, while Colin Edwards was sandwiched between the Suzukis of Capirossi ahead of him and Vermeulen behind. Randy de Puniet rounded out the top ten.

Stoner's result is enough to guarantee him second place in the championship with Pedrosa assured of third. In reality there are unlikely to be many major changes in the top ten now with just one race left to run, in Valencia this coming weekend.

Then we just wait for the silly stories to start...

SB

Sepang MotoGP Results

1. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha)
2. Dani Pedrosa (Honda)
3. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda)
4. Nicky Hayden (Honda)
5. Shinya Nakano (Honda)
6. Casey Stoner (Ducati)
7. Loris Capirossi (Suzuki)
8. Colin Edwards (Yamaha)
9. Chris Vermeulen (Suzuki)
10. Randy De Puniet (Honda)

MotoGP standings (after seventeen rounds)

1. Valentino Rossi 357 (2008 MotoGP World Champion)
2. Casey Stoner 255
3. Dani Pedrosa 229
4. Jorge Lorenzo 182
5. Andrea Dovizioso 161
6. Nicky Hayden 144
7. Colin Edwards 134
8. Chris Vermeulen 125
9. Shinya Nakano 117
10. Loris Capirossi 111