Sepang banking on Michael Schumacher fan power

Organisers of next month's Malaysian Grand Prix hope to attract more than 100,000 fans thanks to seven-time champion Michael Schumacher being on the grid again.

Last year's 80,000 crowd at Sepang was a third down on the 2008 gate but circuit chief Mokhzani Mahathir said: "With Lotus, Mercedes back in F1 and the return of Schumacher, we are seeing renewed interest in the sport."

Lotus won 79 F1 races and seven constructors' titles between 1958 and 1994 before the team collapsed due to money problems.

Mercedes-Benz has returned to F1 racing under its own name for the first time in 55 years by buying Brawn GP, which won the drivers' and constructors' championship last season.

This year's Malaysian GP on April 4, the third leg of the F1 circuit after Bahrain and Australia, will start an hour earlier at 4 p.m. local time (0800 GMT), officials said.

The 2009 race - which started at 5 p.m. local time to better suit European fans - was suspended after 33 laps as a tropical storm lashed the Sepang International Circuit, making conditions impossible for drivers.

It was ultimately brought to an early end just before 7.00 p.m, making it the shortest Formula One race in 18 years.