Rossi wins in searing heat of Malaysia

World champion Valentino Rossi was happy to bide his time before easing to his ninth victory of the season at the Malaysian Grand Prix on Sunday.

The Fiat Yamaha rider was on the tail of pole-sitter Dani Pedrosa from the start and eventually passed the Spaniard on lap 10.

From there the six-time champion comfortably maintained the lead to the chequered flag.

Pedrosa claimed second for Repsol Honda while Andrea Dovizioso (JiR Team Scot) took his first ever podium with third.

Nicky Hayden finished fourth and Shinya Nakano took fifth while Casey Stoner's sixth-placed finish was enough for him to secure second place in the championship standings with one race remaining.

Loris Capirossi, Colin Edwards, Chris Vermeulen and Randy de Puniet completed the top 10.

Britain's James Toseland capped a disappointing weekend when he retired from the race on the Tech 3 Yamaha while Rossi's team-mate Jorge Lorenzo retired on lap 12 after a fall at turn one.

Rossi's victory means he extends his points tally to 357 while Marlboro Ducati rider Stoner has 255. Pedrosa is third with 229 points.

Rossi is chasing his 2005 MotoGP season tally of 367 points from 17 races and he has set his sights on victory in the season-ending race in Valencia.

"The conditions were unbelievable because the temperatures were incredible out there," said the Italian.

"We worked hard to get the M1 strong during the winter here, and we knew that the bike was suitable for the type of corners that we have here."

"We worked very well with the team this year and started off with a great setting."

"I had a great battle early in the race with Dani, but I had 10 laps alone which, although the track is fun, were hard work."

"I'm happy because it is my ninth victory of the year; I like this number and will try for 10 in Valencia."

Stoner struggled throughout the race with cramps in his right hand - caused by the excessive forced required to compensate for the scaphoid injury to his left. Despite that he chased Dovizioso and Hayden hard for the final podium position, but faded towards the end and eventually conceded fifth place to Shinya Nakano.

"I had no feeling whatsoever from my injured hand today, it just wasn't working," said Stoner. "It meant I had to put all the pressure on to my right hand and in such physically demanding conditions it was really difficult.

"It started cramping up and I couldn't even get the throttle fully open down the straights. To be honest I don't think we quite found a perfect set-up this weekend, but I can't complain about that because I wasn't able to push the bike to the limit today.

"It's been a tough weekend and we have another one coming up at Valencia, which we will push hard to get through with as good a result as possible before finally looking ahead to the operation. At least we have the runner-up spot already in the bag, which is an achievement I think myself and the whole team can look back on and be very proud of."

The third Australian in the MotoGP race, Kawasaki's Anthony West, was 12th.

For full results from Malaysia, click here.