The Malaysian GP:

Well, the setting was perfect, with Schumacher aiming for his sixth successive victory and the rest also wanting a good result. The big surprise was the qualifying where Ralf Schumacher was able to finish third and Jordan getting a fifth place while Montoya came sixth. Ferrari's pace was absolutely stunning with both Schumacher and Barrichello driving at superbly fast speeds. The Ferrari looked very smooth on the curves , something that it lacked last year. The big disappointment was McLaren. They looked nothing of the top team that they boast of. Hakkinen was well off the pace while Coulthard was pathetic at 8th.

Race day was filled with all sorts of confusion. Schumacher had to start with a spare car as the Ferrari team spotted some oil on the back of the no.1 car. Frentzen had a problem with his engine on the formation lap and almost retired. Luckily for him the start was aborted as Fisichella gave a stunning display of non-presence of mind when he sat in the middle of the racetrack unable to decide where his starting grid was.

When the red lights finally went off, the race was off to a start. Hakkinen got off to a pathetic start. He didn't look as if he was driving a McLaren. Then Ralf Schumacher spun round at the first corner causing a major change in the order. As if magically, Verstappen from 18th position on the grid found himself at no.6. Coulthard improved from 8th to 4th and Trulli moved up a position. Then it rained and nearly all of the cars spun off the track. Here is a break down of the teams performances-:

Ferrari (1st and 2nd)- Superb race for both drivers. Barrichello got a taste of Schumacher's aggression and complained to the media. There is no reason to be a crybaby Rubens. Learn to be a sportsman. Be happy with your second place. Anyway, after the rain and the spin off by the Ferrari's the two cars were summoned to the pits at the same time. Barrichello was kept sitting at the pits for more than a minute, god knows for what. They rejoined at 10th and 11th places respectively. And my god, the cars were so fast that they went more than 7 seconds faster than the rest. They overtook the other cars as if the were toy cars. What is with the Ferrari?? Did somebody notice that Schumacher changed the subject when asked about the stunning speed of his car.

McLaren(3rd and 6th)-: Absolutely pathetic performance. What is Ron Dennis doing? If they dont pull their socks up, they are going to lose any chance of winning either the drivers or the constructors championship. Hakkinen looks a bit rusty, but he is a very very good driver. He must try his level best.

The rest of the teams especially Jordan and Williams are the ones who shall probably end as 'the best of the rest', unless they are able to bring their car up to the standards of McLaren and Ferrari mid-season. It's all very simple in the beginning of the season, but with the progress of the season, it shall become tougher.

At the bottom- Now a very interesting topic is which team shall occupy bottom place at the end of the season? Many would say Minardi, but I would also add a few more names, Jaguar and Prost. Prost just might be able to do something but Jaguar are looking downwards as the season is progressing.

All said and done, the race was one of the best in history. This season promises to be the same.

Watch out for in the Brazilian GP

1.BAR- They shall come back strongly.

2. Sauber- It's like a renaissance for them.