With AT&T Williams driver Nico Rosberg and Kazuki Nakajima starting the fifty six lap 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix from fourth and eleventh the chances for a good result were looking reasonable. Several of the drivers were coming
out on the softer tyre, including Nico Rosberg. Weather at the circuit was sunny with patchy cloud but rain had fallen earlier in the day during a GP2 race. Even while the teams waited for the race start it became overcast. It was felt that the rain would come at around 5PM. The Brawn team would make a late change of Button's front wing. The drivers would get in their cars as the clouds continued to get heavier. Trulli along with the whole grid was on the softer tyre. The rain would hold off for the start.

The grid would move away on the formation lap. They would come back and as the lights went out the race would start with Nico making a great start and was in the lead. Button was in fourth. Trulli was second followed by Alonso. Kovalainen was off into the gravel. Barrichello was fifth as Button passed Alonso at Turn thirteen. Lap one and Nico was 1.2 seconds in the lead from Trulli. Raikkonen was sixth and Webber seventh. Kubica was last sounding very sick. Kazuki was down in fourteenth, behind Piquet. Lap two and a fastest lap from Button, 1m:38.345. Kovalainen simply got it wrong and went off the track. Kubica would retire and Buemi would pit for a new nose. Kubica's car was last to get away from the grid.

Lap three and Button was again fastest with a 1m:38.217. Button was 2.5 seconds behind Nico. The top three were all in the 1m:38 seconds while those behind were some three seconds slower. Nico would set a fastest lap with a
1m:38.041 on lap four. He was leading now by 1.9 seconds. Vettel would pass Hamilton for tenth. Glock was challenging Webber. Lap five and Nico was 3.1 seconds ahead of Button. Lap six and Nico was 2.3 seconds ahead of Trulli with third placed Button closing on onto the Toyota. Raikkonen was challenging fifth placed Alonso. Rain was reported to be on its way. Lap seven and Nico was 2.7 seconds ahead, while Kazuki was still down in fourteenth. Barrichello was fastest on lap eight, 1m:37.948.

Nico continued to pull out a few tenths each lap. Vettel was now ninth and Hamilton tenth. Both got past Heidfeld when the BMW driver ran wide at Turn four. lap nine and Trulli was fastest, 1m:37.887. But Nico would set a personal best with a 1m:37.986. Lap ten and Nico would respond with a 1m:37.660. Raikkonen would pass Alonso for fifth at Turn four. Button fastest on lap eleven with a 1m:37.579, but he was now 4.2 seconds behind Nico. Alonso was attacking Webber while Glock and Vettel were running close behind Alonso. Webber would pull away as Nico continued to set quick times. A personal best from Nico on lap thirteen, 1m:37.598. Vettel would pit on lap fourteen. Button was fastest on lap fourteen, 1m:37.555.

Kazuki was behind Piquet and now in thirteenth. Nico was now in on lap sixteen. If it rains he could be in trouble. He would take on the softer tyre, coming back out in fourth. Glock was in from ninth. Sutil was also in. Trulli was leading from Button. Webber would pit on lap seventeen. Trulli would pit on lap eighteen. Barrichello was fastest on lap seventeen, 1m:37.484. Nico had stayed in front of Trulli in the pit stops. Button was still leading as he set a lap of 1m:36.641. Raikkonen would pit on lap nineteen taking on full wet tyres. They are gambling on heavy rain. Button was flying and would pit on lap twenty. He would take on the soft tyres. His last two laps would see him come out well in front of Nico. Bourdais would pit from eleventh on lap twenty, taking on wet tyres. Barrichello would pit from the lead on lap twenty one.

Button was again leading from Nico and Trulli. There were still no signs of rain. Nico was 4.6 seconds behind Button. Barrichello was right behind Trulli. Raikkonen was some twenty seconds off the pace on his wet tyres. Kazuki would pit from eleventh on lap twenty two. The rain would start to fall as Alonso left the track as Button pitted on lap twenty three. Nico was also in along with Trulli and Barrichello. Everyone was in for wet tyres. Hamilton was up to sixth. It was very dark while Raikkonen said his tyres were completely destroyed. Button was lading Nico by 14.6 seconds. Trulli was still third with Barrichello right behind him. Heidfeld was fifth followed by Webber, Hamilton, and Massa in eighth.

The rain was getting heavier as Nico was losing time to Button. Webber would run wide between Turn seven and eight. He was attacking Hamilton. lap twenty four and Nico was 13.7 seconds behind Button. Trulli was 4.4 seconds behind
Nico. Kazuki was down in eleventh. Webber would pass Heidfeld for fifth going around him at the final corner. Glock was on the intermediate tyre and he was catching up to Hamilton. Trulli had gained two seconds on Nico on lap
twenty six. He was now 2.4 seconds behind the Williams. Nico was dropping back from Button, 18.1 seconds. Glock would pass Heidfeld for sixth. Barrichello had passed Trulli and the Brawn started to close in onto Nico. Rubens would pass Nico on the back straight. Nico would pit on lap twenty eight. Hamilton was also in. Hamilton would take on the intermediate tyre, along with Nico.

Barrichello would run wide losing places to Trulli and Webber. Barrichello and Trulli would pit on lap twenty nine, taking on the intermediate tyre. Alonso and Kazuki would pit from twelfth and thirteenth. Button was leading from Glock, Webber, and Heidfeld. Button would pit on lap thirty, taking on the intermediate tyre. Webber would also pit. Massa was in from fifth. Button was right behind Glock looking to take back the lead. Glock would pit taking on the full wet as the rain became heavier. Webber also pitted as Nico also came in. A lightning bolt hit the top of the grandstand. This race was now being run under extremely difficult conditions. Vettel would retire as Button pitted on lap thirty two, taking on the full wet.

Glock and Heidfeld were now second and third as Trulli and Barrichello pitted on lap thirty two. The Safety Car was now out with Button leading but the race was red flagged with Button saying that the car was un-driveable in the conditions. The cars would come back to the grid with the race being suspended. If the race is not restarted only half points would be awarded. Nico was out of his car as the rain continued to fall. The thunder and lightning continued as Alonso appeared to say that he did not want to complete the race. It was said that the rain was set in
for the next half hour. Webber would say that he could not see anything. If the race finishes Nico would be seventh, one point.

After a lengthy wait of fifty three minutes the race was finally declared with half points being awarded. The drivers would leave the grid as the mechanics packed up their gear and moved away. Button was the race winner from Glock, Heidfeld, Trulli, Barrichello, Hamilton, Nico, and Webber in eighth. Kazuki was down in thirteenth. But the race result was revised as the drivers waited to go up to receive their trophies. It was declared as of lap thirty one and it would see Button still race winner but Heidfeld was now second from Glock, Trulli, Barrichello, Webber, Hamilton, and Nico in eighth. Nico would take away just half a point.

For a race that promised so much in the early stages for the Williams team with Nico leading the race and then dropping to second it all went away from the team with the arrival of the rain. But the team again showed that there is real pace in the FW31 and should be encouraged by this.

Pos  	Driver  		Team		  Time
1.  	Button        	Brawn GP              	  1h10:59.092 
2.  	Heidfeld      	BMW Sauber           	  + 22.722 
3.  	Glock         	Toyota                	  + 23.513 
4.  	Trulli        		Toyota                	  + 46.173 
5.  	Barrichello   	Brawn GP             	  + 47.360 
6.  	Webber        	Red Bull-Renault      	  + 52.333 
7.  	Hamilton      	McLaren-Mercedes   	  + 60.733 
8.  	Rosberg       	AT&T Williams-Toyota  + 71.576 
9.  	Massa         	Ferrari               	  + 76.932
10.  	Bourdais      	Toro Rosso-Ferrari    	  + 102.164
11.  	Alonso        	Renault               	  +  1 lap
12.  	Nakajima      	Williams-Toyota       	  +  1 lap
13.  	Piquet        	Renault               	  +  1 lap
14.  	Raikkonen     	Ferrari               	  +  1 lap
15.  	Vettel        	Red Bull-Renault      	  +  1 lap
16.  	Buemi         	Toro Rosso-Ferrari    	  +  1 lap
17.  	Sutil         		Force India-Mercedes	  +  1 lap
18.  	Fisichella    	Force India-Mercedes   +  2 lap

Fastest lap: Button, 1:36.641

Not classified/retirements:

Driver        	Team                      	On lap
Kubica        	BMW Sauber            	1
Kovalainen    	McLaren-Mercedes    	0