Pacific GP. Preview

Malaysia will be a hosting a Grand Prix that may decide two World Championship titles
Under extreme heat and humidity conditions, Rossi and Pedrosa will be fighting for the title in a decisive weekend, while Toni Elias will keep on working to close the gap on the leadership
 With only three races left to reach the end of the 2003 season, the Malaysian round gains special relevance, because some of this seasons titles may be decided in Sepang. After increasing the distance to his rivals at the Pacific GP, Valentino Rossi has good chances to clinch the title of the premier class. After scoring fifty additional points in Motegi and having a total 282 on his account, he has now a fifty-eight point advantage over the second classified, Sete Gibernau with 224 points, followed by Biaggi, third, with 199 points. Rossi has already been testing twice in Sepang during the preseason and knows the layout very well. His teammate Nicky Hayden, who achieved his best result of the season in Motegi, is eager to ride again on the Malayan circuit, where he also had the possibility to test before his first season on the MotoGP class. Rookie in this class and third in the Pacific Grand Prix after Tamadas disqualification, Hayden arrives in Malaysia set to get on the podium at least once again before the end of the season. He is seventh in the overall standings, only two points behind the Japanese Ukawa. In the quarter-litre class, Toni Elias arrives in Sepang with 176 points after his victory in Motegi, shortening the distance to the leader of the class, Manuel Poggiali, to 30 points. His teammate, Fonsi Nieto, fifth with 151 points, will be facing the challenge of reducing the 55 points difference with regard to Poggiali to have a chance to fight for the title. The Argentinean Sebastián Porto, eighth in the overall standings, will keep on trying to get on the podium in Sepang, after crashing out in Motegi. Joan Olivé and Héctor Faubel, will continue with their eagerness to get a place among the top ten. In the 125 class, Dani Pedrosa is still leading the standings with 198 points, 29 ahead of Stefano Perugini, who after the race in Motegi only managed to get three points closer to the young Repsol rider. Pablo Nieto is fifth with 132 points and Héctor Barberá, after his victory in Motegi, the second of the season, moved-up to the sixth position only 2 points behind his teammate. Both have as their main aim reaching the third place of the standings before the end of the season.