With Nico Rosberg finishing the final practice session for the 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix at the top of the times sheets it was again looking promising for qualifying. But the same situation existed in Australia and Nico only finished fifth on the grid and Kazuki was outside the top ten, in thirteenth. The clouds have been present but so far there has not been any real rain. Vettel will have to take his ten place grid penalty and Barrichello will lose five places due to a gearbox change.

The opening twenty minute period would see Nico Rosberg coming out first. He was joined by Kazuki Nakajima, Bourdais, Raikkonen, and Sutil. Raikkonen was on the soft tyres. Nico was on the harder tyre as several other drivers also came out, including both Toyota's, Buemi, Sutil, and Fisichella. Kazuki was also on the harder tyre. Button, Hamilton, Kubica, Barrichello were also out. There was a mixture of soft and hard tyres. Only four cars had yet to come out. Kazuki would set the first time with a 1m:38.014 but Nico was faster with a 1m:36.596. Raikkonen would run wide wasting a lap on his softer tyres.

Bourdais was third as Buemi moved into second, 1m:37.103. Trulli was now second followed by Fisichella. Buemi was now fourth followed by Glock, and Kazuki. Kazuki's next lap would see him third. Raikkonen was now fastest with a 1m:35.476 making full use of his softer tyres. Hamilton was now second, again on the softer tyre. Button would move into second followed by Massa, Trulli, Glock, and Hamilton.

Nico was now eleventh and Kazuki fourteenth. Kazuki and Raikkonen would pit. Hamilton would improve to fifth, 1m:36.010. Button was now fastest with a 1m:35.173. Barrichello would push Massa down to fourth as he went third fastest with a 1m:35.817.assa would improve to now be third, 1m:35.642. Second placed Raikkonen had a 1m:35.476. Nico had pitted as Kazuki came back out. Glock was seventh followed by Vettel, Kubica, Heidfeld, and Sutil. Vettel would improve to be fifth, 1m:35.889. Webber was now ninth. Button was still fastest from team-mate Barrichello. Nico was fifteenth and Kazuki eighteenth. They really need to use the soft tyres.

With just over weight minutes remaining Kazuki was on a quick lap and it would see him move up to second with a 1m:35.341. Alonso was now in tenth. Kovalainen was eighth followed by team-mate Hamilton. Nico was back out Kovalainen was now fifth, 1m:35.637. Piquet was on a quick lap, been fastest in sector one. Trulli was eighth. Kazuki had pitted as Piquet moved into seventh, 1m:35.708. Nico was on the soft tyres with four and a half minutes remaining. Nico was on a quick lap, joined by Trulli who was fastest in sector one and two. Nico was able to improve to second with a 1m:35.331. Trulli was now fastest with a 1m:34.745. He was followed by Button, Nico, Kazuki, Glock, Barrichello, Raikkonen, Kovalainen, Massa, and in tenth Piquet. Nico was now fastest in sector two and he was able to improve his lap time, 1m:35.983, but remained in third.

Kazuki had pitted as the final minute of the period started. Vettel was now third as Webber moved into second. Nico would pit. Glock would move ahead of Webber as Barrichello went fastest with a 1m:34.681. So with the end of the period those not making the cut were Massa, Piquet, Sutil, Fisichella, and Buemi. At the front the order was Barrichello from Trulli, Glock, Vettel, Kovalainen, Webber, Button, Nico, Heidfeld, Kubica, Alonso, Hamilton, Kazuki, Raikkonen, and Bourdais. Ferrari appear to have made a major mistake seeing Massa get dropped or he had a problem with his car. But from reports it looks like it was the former with the team making a big mistake

The second period would see Kazuki out first running on the softer tyre. Kubica and Raikkonen would join him. Heidfeld was also out joined by Bourdais, Button, Glock, and Trulli. Raikkonen was also out the soft tyre. Alonso and Barrichello would also leave the pit lane. Vettel was next out as Kazuki set a time of 1m:35.118. Raikkonen would run wide ending his lap with a 1m:35.202. Kubica was now fastest with a 1m:34.926. Heidfeld was now fastest with a 1m:34.769. Button would move ahead of the BMW with a 1m:34.409. But his time at the top would be short as Trulli went fastest with a 1m:34.250. Barrichello was now second followed by Button, Heidfeld, Raikkonen, Alonso, Kubica, and Kazuki in eighth.

Nico was out on soft tyres as Vettel moved into second, 1m:34.276, as Nico moved into fifth, 1m:34.547. Kazuki was now eleventh. Hamilton was in ninth. Webber was fifth with Nico now sixth. Trulli was still fastest from Vettel, Button, Barrichello, Webber, Nico, Heidfeld, Raikkonen, Alonso and Hamilton in tenth. Both Nico and Kazuki had pitted. Button had set his time on the harder tyres. With six minutes remaining everyone was back in their pits. Kovalainen would return running on soft tyres. Raikkonen was also back out. Both Brawn cars would come back out. Nico was next out joined by several other drivers. Kovalainen's lap would see him remain in eleventh. Raikkonen was now sixth, 1m:34.456. Trulli was also back out as everyone was out their last attempt. Button was now fastest with a 1m:33.784. this run was on the soft tyre. Glock would improve from fourteenth to sixth.

Nico was on a quick lap while Kazuki was fourteenth and also looking to improve. Hamilton drop to twelfth as Kazuki moved up to eleventh. Webber was now second as Trulli moved ahead of the Red Bull and into second, 1m:33.990. Those not making the cut were Heidfeld, Kazuki, Hamilton, Kovalainen, and Bourdais. The top ten was Button from Trulli, Webber, Glock, Vettel, Barrichello, Raikkonen, Nico, Kubica, and Alonso.

The final period would commence with Raikkonen first out on the soft tyre. Nico was next followed by Barrichello. The drivers are out with their race fuel onboard. Only Alonso was still in his pit as the drivers swapped fastest sector times. Raikkonen would set the first time with a 1m:37.020. Nico would go faster with a 1m:36.681 as Barrichello moved ahead with a 1m:36.420. Glock was fourth as Trulli went fastest with a 1m:36.017. But Button was now fastest with a 1m:35.773. Nico was now fourth.

Webber would move up to third, 1m:36.2312 as Vettel moved into second, 1m:35.969. Nico was down to seventh. Trulli was now fastest with a 1m:35.769 to be ahead of Button on his second flying lap on the softer tyres. Button would pit. Alonso was slowest with a 1m:37.659. Vettel and Webber would also pit. Nico was also in as Button and Webber returned to the track. Trulli was still in his pit but with just under two minutes remaining would come back out. Raikkonen was on an improved lap which would see him in fourth, 1m:36.170. Button was on a quick lap, fastest in sector one.

Barrichello was now fastest with a 1m:35.651. Vettel was also on a quick lap. Kubica was now fifth as Button went fastest with a 1m:35.181. Webber was now fourth as Nico improved to be in third. But Vettel was now second as Trulli improved to second and team-mate Glock fifth. Nico had dropped down to sixth.

The final order was Button from Trulli, Vettel, Barrichello, Glock, Nico, Webber, Kubica, Raikkonen, and Alonso. But Vettel will drop to thirteenth with his ten place grid penalty. Barrichello will drop to ninth due to his five grid place penalty. So the order will be Button, Trulli, Glock, Nico, Webber, Kubica, Raikkonen, Alonso, Barrichello, and Heidfeld in tenth. Kazuki will start the race in eleventh despite having finished in twelfth.

For the AT&T Williams team with Nico starting the race from fourth and Kazuki eleventh the prospects for the race were looking good. But the race in Malaysia has always had a lot of variables, the main one being the weather and the possibility of rain come Sunday's race.