Aegerter fights back, Robin Mulhauser declared unfit

Finishing 9th in the qualifying session for the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang, Dominique Aegerter (Team Technomag-carXpert) could raise his head again after a difficult first day, when he was suffering from severe flu. Sunday morning - at 7:20 Swiss time - Aegerter will start from the third row of the starting grid. Unfortunately Robin Mulhauser will not join his teammate on the grid this time; he has been affected by the virus, that has been circulating in the paddock for the past couple of days, a lot more and did not even leave his hotel on Saturday. Even though he could technically be permitted to start on Sunday - he took part in the first free practice session and set a lap time within 107% from the pole position time - he should be declared unfit.

Dominique Aegerter (9th): "I don't have a fever anymore which is a great news. I will keep taking the antibiotics tonight and on Sunday morning; I feel a lot better but I do lack some strength because the flu cost me a lot of energy. Compared to the two preceding Grand Prix, we have made a step forward. The third row start is decent and my objective for the race is again a Top-5 finish. But it's going to be difficult for all of us because the heat is incredible. Riding in these conditions and feeling sick on the top of that is not the best. We will continue our work on Sunday morning in the warm-up and in theory I should feel a bit better. Also we still have some technical ideas to try."

Frédéric Corminboeuf (team manager):"It is such a pity for Robin but he still had 39,3 fever this morning and he feels completely weak so we decided that in these circumstances it is better for him to stay in the hotel today. Mulhauser is a rookie and he has to learn when he is calm and fully fit. Sending him out on track in these conditions like here in Malaysia - extreme heat and humidity - it would be a disaster. He will look after himself now to be back in full force for Valencia for the 2014 Championship final."