What to expect at the Malaysia GP: Williams on the rise as Red Bull hope for rain

Time running out for 2016's strugglers to turn their season around

Team to watch: Williams

• The battle for fourth place in the constructors' championship may not sound very exciting. But a huge amount of prize money is riding on it, and where that goes could make a huge amount of difference to one of F1's midfield teams. Williams, who finished third for the last two years' running, have been edged down to fifth in the standings by Force India, who lead them by a single point with six races remaining.

• Both teams need to prepare for the significant rules changes coming next year, and neither can afford to prioritise development on their current car to get an advantage with so few races remaining. However Williams have taken action to address one of their biggest weaknesses in recent races: tyre performance. Tyre expert Andrea Spagnolo has been hired from Ferrari and he is already working on the team's Achilles Heel.
• The team should go well at Sepang as the track doesn't have too many of the slow corners they have tended to struggle on.

Also on the radar: Sauber

• It's a race against time for Sauber to bag their first points of the year and avoid finishing in last place for the second time in three seasons.
• The Swiss team's development was at a standstill in the first half of the year due to a lack of money, but investment from Longbow finance has seen some upgrades begin to trickle through.

• The full extent of their upgrade package ran for the first time at Singapore, but its true benefit should became apparent at this more typical venue. They were competitive at this track last year, and almost won at Sepang back in 2012, and their drivers will be under pressure to grab any opportunity for a top-ten finish.
• Marcus Ericsson qualified well in Singapore but the team slipped up with his tactics in the race. The arrival of ex-Ferrari and Haas strategist Ruth Buscombe should sharpen up their game on the pit wall.

Changing track

• The Sepang circuit has a fresh layer of asphalt and several small but significant changes around its five-and-a-half kilometre length.
• The race is also being held much later in the season than last year. However the usual suffocatingly hot and humid conditions are expected. Expect the darker asphalt to produce some very high track temperatures, however.