Hamilton is still getting used to being in the spotlight

The McLaren driver finished third on his F1 debut in Australia a fortnight ago and the spotlight will be firmly on him in Sepang.

"There's no rush as there are 16 races left," said the 22-year-old Briton.

"But I'm here to win and whether it's the first weekend or the last, as long as I get one in then I'll be happy."

Hamilton had a taste of the Sepang track in a four-day test session last week.

"From what I had seen of the track before arriving for the test I thought it looked like a great circuit and I was not disappointed," he said.

"Its layout means you can build up a great rhythm, with all the corners running into each other.

It is a bit strange with all the attention Lewis Hamilton

"It is also really wide, which I imagine will lead to exciting racing."

But if he is already familiar with the track conditions, getting used to the fame sparked by his new life as an F1 driver has been harder for Hamilton.

"I'm still relaxed about it all but it is a bit like an out of body experience," he said.

"It's like I'm sitting out there watching myself. Just yesterday in town, I saw a big poster of myself. It is a bit strange with all the attention."

Hamilton's team-mate Fernando Alonso won the Malaysian Grand Prix in 2005 and was second behind Giancarlo Fisichella last year.

And the Spaniard sees the race as a chance to keep tabs on Ferrari, who appear to have the upper hand early in the season.

"It was a solid start to the season in Australia. We knew we were not as quick as the Ferraris so we had a good result in light of that," said double world champion Alonso.

"In the early part of the season it is important to keep scoring points and finishing on the podium as we push forward with our development programme.

Getting inside the top 10 for qualifying is going to be tough Jenson Button

"Everyone within the team has been pushing really hard since the Australian Grand Prix to try to close the gap."

Meanwhile, Jenson Button is expecting an improved performance from his Honda but admits a points finish is the best he can hope for.

"There's been quite a few things that have been put on the car and it has improved the balance," said the Briton, who limped home in 15th in Australia.

"The lap times are still not where we want to be but it is a definite step forward.

"It's a small one but should make it a little bit better for us - we should be a little more competitive.

"Getting inside the top 10 for qualifying is going to be tough but we've got a reliable car and I think our race pace is much better than our qualifying pace at the moment."