No sooner has everyone got their breath back after a sensational weekend of action at the Australian MotoGP at Phillip Island than its all on again, 7000 kilometres away at Sepang in Malaysia this weekend (October 23-25). Valentino Rossi will be keen to wrap up the championship and finish in front of rivals Jorge Lorenzo and Casey Stoner.

The Shell Advance Malaysian Motorcycle Grand Prix promises to be a history making event in more ways than one.

The world’s greatest ever rider, Valentino Rossi stands poised on the cusp of another milestone, aiming to claim his ninth world title on Sunday as he takes a 38-point lead over his FIAT Yamaha team mate, Jorge Lorenzo into the penultimate race of the year.

A top four finish will guarantee the title but settling for a fourth place to secure a championship is not in the Rossi makeup and he will have the opposite act to prove a point to his team mate and the world.

When you are a winner you don’t go into a race to go through the motions and do what you have to do – the only option is to go for the win. Rossi does it every race and then sees how it unfolds on the track.

He is also another rider that doesn’t like publicly expressing that he has the title until he does indeed have it but in recent weeks has admitted to thinking about the championship more so than previous years – maybe because the main threat is his team mate. This was demonstrated last Sunday when Lorenzo went out so early. If Lorenzo stayed upright a completely different Rossi would’ve raced. At the Island he said that the angel on one shoulder told him to take it easy and overruled the devil on the other shoulder telling him to go for it.

Let’s hope the devil makes him do it this week!

In a way it is a pity it has come down to this, Lorenzo’s brain fade last weekend putting paid to what was shaping as a three race dog fight to the title. Alas, the only thing on the line for Lorenzo now is pride.

There is no doubt though that it will be an enthralling contest with so many other sub-plots to keep the hardest to please extremely happy

First up, there is the battle for third. Casey Stoner (Ducati Marlboro Team) with his dramatic win last weekend regained the position that he relinquished to Dani Pedrosa (Repsol Honda) during his absence. Casey is back to his best after scoring pole position and the win so he will be aiming to continue. There is no denying Dani but he could still be a bit tender from his qualifying face plant last weekend.

Malaysia is Stoner’s third race back from his mid-season sabbatical so it will be an excellent test of fitness for him in the heat and humidity of the tropics. If he has any flaws that may be still sensitive after his recovery from what ever he was suffering, Sepang will find them but he will be as keen as anyone to see how he fares. If he comes out of Sepang beaming like he did in Australia then look out for Valencia and beyond!