Jenson Button says members of the McLaren team will be watching the World Cup on Friday from the track in Montreal. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

Horner Insists Title Not Over For Vettel: According to Niki Lauda, Red Bull could look back on the first two rounds of 2010 and rue precisely where the team blew the world championship. Back-to-back pole sitter Sebastian Vettel left Melbourne on a direct flight to Malaysia on Monday, after retiring from the lead of the Australian Grand Prix with a wheel-mounting problem caused by a loose wheel nut. Two weeks earlier, also whilst leading in the dominant RB6, he dropped to fourth place with a failed spark plug. "There will be consequences," triple world champion Lauda told the German newspaper Bild, in an article headlined "Vettel mad at his Schrott (Scrap)-Bull". Added Lauda: "Red Bull can forget the title." But team boss Christian Horner has urged Vettel's fans not to "panic", arguing that it is not the end of the world for the 22-year-old to be travelling to Kuala Lumpur with a 25-point title deficit. "We know we have got a fast car and I would far rather have a fast car than a slow car. It's a long season," the Briton is quoted as saying by The Sun. "There is still a long way to go and the season will have many different twists and turns.”

McLaren Admits Victory Repeat In Malaysia Unlikely: Two days after Jenson Button scored McLaren's first win of the 2010 season, the British team has warned that a repeat in Malaysia this weekend is unlikely. The MP4-25 car was better suited to Melbourne than it had been at the Bahrain season opener, but reigning world champion Button said on Tuesday: "I think we travel to Sepang mindful that the characteristics of the (Sepang) circuit probably won't suit our car as well as it will suit some of the others." Teammate Lewis Hamilton played up the situation, noting that this year's car "will be far better" in Malaysia than its predecessor was a year ago, when it qualified just 13th at Sepang. But team boss Martin Whitmarsh said the Woking based team is "under no illusions" that it will be the "regular pacesetters" - presumably Red Bull and Ferrari - who will be "up at the front" this weekend. Button, however, is not ruling out his chances of defending his title in 2010, with his Melbourne win propelling him to within 6 points of Fernando Alonso's early lead. "I always thought the (2010) title might be on. It's a long season," the Briton is quoted as saying by the Mirror.

Todt To Tell Teams Of Local GP Nation 'Protocols': FIA president Jean Todt will respond to the lingering saga following incidents involving Lewis Hamilton and Mark Webber during the 2010 Australian GP event. Lewis Hamilton was charged by local Victorian police for doing a burnout on his way out of the Albert Park circuit late on Friday, prompting Mark Webber to slam the "nanny state" that now exists in Australia. Following high-level meetings in Australia on Tuesday, race promoter Ron Walker said Todt will respond by informing teams about the "protocol" of all the host nations they visit. "The protocol will be about a list of what can be done in this country and the rules and regulations for the (other) places they visit," he said. I actually don't think he (Hamilton) knew he was breaking any laws or would have any problems doing wheel spin-outs. "They are going to Malaysia this week ... he would probably get a big round of applause there," added Walker.

Lotus to Unveil New Malaysian Sponsor: Lotus is expected to confirm a new sponsorship deal shortly with Maxis, a leading Malaysian mobile network. The logo of the Kuala Lumpur based company, whose headquarters is the impressive Maxis Tower near the Petronas Twin Towers, was seen on the front nose of the green T127 car at an event on Tuesday. The branding was not on the cars driven by Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen in Melbourne last weekend. But the deal is likely to be confirmed this week, as the team embarks on a busy round of promotional activities leading into its home race. The Maxis logo was seen on the front nose assembly in Kuala Lumpur, at the launch of the new Lotus-branded Proton Satria road car. Headed by Malaysian entrepreneur Tony Fernandes, Lotus was disappointed when state oil company Petronas decided to sponsor Mercedes' new team in 2010 and beyond. Lotus' other third party sponsors are the well-known American news network CNN, and the London clothing label Hackett.