Check out a short list of favorites for Sunday's Malaysian Grand Prix in Kuala Lumpur.

	Barrichello

Rubens Barrichello (Brazil)
Despite starting from the pole in Melbourne, he was one of eight drivers to exit the race before a lap was completed; trying to protect his position, Ralf Schumacher's aggressive move caught him in the back of his Ferrari which led to a pileup; performed well at Sepang the past two years, with a third place in 2000 improved to runner-up last year behind Ferrari teammate and four-time world champion Michael Schumacher; was instrumental in helping Schumacher and Ferrari take titles last season.

David Coulthard (Scotland)
Although he led briefly at the Australian GP, his race was short when on lap 12 he skidded on grass and developed gearbox problems thereafter; fell back in the field and eventually stopped on the track with 25 laps remaining; the Scotsman finished a distant second behind Michael Schumacher (123-65) in last year's Formula One championship; after a second place at Sepang in 2000, last season he came home third behind Barrichello and Michael Schumacher; earned two victories last season in Brazil and Austria; scored points in 13 of 17 grand prixs

Giancarlo Fisichella (Italy)
One of the eight victims of the first-corner crash in the season opening race in Melbourne; felt he had a good car for a points finish but is ready physically and mentally for Sepang; likes this circuit because it is demanding in terms of fitness and physical stress due to the very high humidity level and temperature; last year he nearly a gallon of water during the course of the race.

Heinz-Harald Frentzen (Germany)
His past two season have been quite disappointing; last year he scored points in three of the first four races including a season-high fourth at Sepang, and failed to earn any more points thereafter; the start to 2002 was not much better as he was one of many casualties to not finish the grand prix in Australia (11th); in 1999 he finished third in the point championship behind Mika Hakkinen and Michael Schumacher.

Juan Montoya (Colombia)
Held the lead at the Australian GP, but Michael Schumacher passed him on lap 16 en route to victory; the Colombian driver had to settle for second place, a good start to the season; collected points in five grand prixs in his debut Formula One season in 2001 including first career victory in Italy; also won three pole positions; won the American-based CART championship in dominating fashion in 1999

Kimi Raikkonen (Finland)
Somewhat surprised himself with a podium third place finish in Australia in his first grand prix for McLaren; he replaced fellow countryman Mika Hakkinen at the team; Raikkonen got caught in the first corner chaos in Australia but was one of the lucky racers to escape major damage; made a pit stop to get a new nose cone and worked his way as far up to second place; a mistake cost him that position when he ran wide to allow Juan Montoya for the pass.

Michael Schumacher (Germany)
Started the 2002 season the same way he ended his fourth world championship -- with a victory in Australia; avoided the opening lap crash and gained the lead from Juan Montoya on lap 16 to capture his 54th career victory; is also the two-time defending champion of the Malaysian Grand Prix, last year from the pole and with a spare car; scored points in all but two races last year to a single season record 123 points and a most deserved fourth world title; clinched the championship in Hungary with four grand prixs to spare; his goal for this year is to equal Juan Manuel Fangio's record of five world titles

Ralf Schumacher (Germany)
An aggressive move at the start of the Australian Grand Prix saw him drive on top of Rubens Barrichello's Ferrari and airborne; that was the end of his race and the accident also took out seven other drivers including Barrichello; the younger brother of the four-time world champion Michael earned his first Formula One wins last year; first win was in April at the San Marino GP, with other successes coming in Canada and the German Grand Prix; finished fourth in the championship standings with 49 points, seven behind Barrichello in third; was fifth in last year's grand prix at Sepang

Jacques Villeneuve (Canada)
The Sepang circuit has not been the most successful for the BAR team over the past three years; Jacques did finish fifth in 2000 and has always qualified in the top 10; the 2002 season got off to a less than ideal start in Australia when nearly half of the grid was eliminated by the first corner multy-car incident; Jaques managed to get by, but a possible point finish was scratched when the rear wing broke off on lap 27; the 1997 Formula One champion did not have a particularly strong season in 2001; started the year with four DNFs before a pair of third place podium finishes in Spain and Germany; scored points in two more grand prixs

Alex Yoong (Malaysia)
The Malaysian driver placed just outside the points finish in seventh at the Australian Grand Prix for Team Minardi; a good result considering the opening lap multi-car crash; drove a conservative race to preserve the car thereafter and was later troubled by a brake pedal that restricted him from braking as late as he would normally; expect the Malaysian fans to show support as the Australians did for 25-year-old Minardi teammate Mark Webber who finished fifth on home ground for the team's first points.