MotoGP : Rossi takes ownership with fifth Malaysian GP win at Sepang

Rossi used to have a habit: he would arrive in a new formula, take a year to learn it and then win it until he decided to leave.

When he joined Yamaha, it seemed that a similar pattern would be followed - but he suffered injury and as a result, underperformed in his first year with the team, whose bikes were, to be blunt, not very good.

Last year, then was his learning year - and one in which he taught Yamaha how to build a winning bike.

This year has been back to form.

No messing. In Sepang today, he has stamped his authority over the pretenders who dared to win the championship when he didn't.

In a classic Rossi ride, he sat on the back wheel of Lorenzo, the pole sitter. Half-way through the race, he slipped through into the lead and sauntered off. The rest of the field chased but couldn't catch Lorenzo.

Dovizioso ran an immaculate and hard-fought third for his first podium position. Hayden didn't slide off and didn't slow down in the last few laps but still could not pass the young Italian.

Stoner had a fairly dull race. A couple of skirmishes but his injuries are getting the better of him as the season comes to a close. Despite a win at Philip Island last time out, Stoner is in need of a rest. He's fallen in several races recently, and we speculated at the time that he was finding the sport more physical than his present condition can stand. He finished sixth behind star Nakano who made Hayden's life a misery for much of the race and deserves to not be dumped, as seems likely, for the 2009 season.

The expected rain did not materialise, although permission was given to change bikes to wet set up when a few spots started to fall on one side of the circuit.