Button wins the Malaysian Grand Prix

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, April 5 (UPI) -- Jenson Button won the rain-shortened Malaysian Grand Prix Sunday, making him a back-to-back victor at the start of the 2009 Formula One auto racing season.

He overcame a poor start and drove through torrential rains before a red flag after just 32 laps signaled the end of the race at Kuala Lumpur.

It was the first F1 race stopped by rain since the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Button, who won the season-opening Australian Grand Prix last Sunday, led behind the safety car for one lap before the red flag was displayed and the event ended.

"What a crazy race, it really was," he said. "My start was pretty bad (and) choosing tires was very difficult."

When the race was stopped, lightning struck the circuit and visibility had deteriorated.

Stewards considered a restart when the weather improved slightly, but impending darkness ended that possibility.

In spots 2-5 were Nick Heidfeld (BMW Sauber), Timo Glock (Toyota); Jarno Trulli (Toyota) and Rubens Barrichello (Brawn GP Mercedes).