Formula One heads to its second race of the season this weekend in Malaysia with the reigning champion team threatening to withdraw from the sport, the result of the first race still under protest, and race promoters in revolt over the sound of the cars. Cheap Hockey Jerseys . The off-track strife has obscured the sporting promise provided by the season opener in Australia. The race in Melbourne defied those naysayers worried about the reliability of the new V6 turbo engines by having 15 finishers and a welcome shake-up to the sports pecking order; Sebastian Vettel out of the race early, Mercedes winning but with lingering engine concerns, and McLaren and even Williams back in the fight. However the sports apparent eagerness to attach a cloud to every silver lining was on show again immediately after the checkered flag fell at Albert Park. Second-place finisher Daniel Ricciardo was disqualified from his home race for exceeding the new limits on fuel flow, and his Red Bull team immediately appealed, blaming the problem on a malfunction of the FIA-approved sensor fitted to each car. The appeal will be held on April 14, after the third race in Bahrain. Red Bull team owner Dietrich Mateschitz raised the stakes further by saying such disputes will be of more importance than money when it comes to deciding whether the energy drink maker stays in the sport beyond the short term. "The question is not so much whether it makes economic sense but the reasons would be to do with sportsmanship, political influence, and so on," Mateschitz said in an interview with Austrian newspaper Kurier. "In these issues there is a clear limit to what we can accept." The other political spat emerging out of the first race was over the sound, or lack of sound, made by the new engines. Compared to the high-pitched roar of the old V8 engines, the new powertrains produced a muted purr. The outgoing chief of the Australian Grand Prix, Ron Walker, even threatened to sue for breach of contract and said the engine sound will be a major talking point at a scheduled meeting of grand prix promoters next month. Walker is a strong ally of F1s commercial chief Bernie Ecclestone, who has always opposed the cleaner, greener engines and has used the issue as a wedge in his ongoing wrestle with the FIA for control of the sport. With F1s political heavyweights preoccupied by looming fights in courtrooms and boardrooms, the sports fans will be more concerned with the on-track battle which resumes at Sepang, outside Kuala Lumpur, this weekend. Mercedes is again the favourite, with Nico Rosberg having won comfortably in Australia. His fastest lap of the race was with a relatively heavy fuel load in the early stages, indicating he had plenty of speed in reserve had he needed it. Fellow Mercedes-powered team Williams looks the major threat on the race pace it showed in Melbourne, which was obscured by Felipe Massa being taken out at the first corner and Valtteri Bottas losing a wheel when he clipped a wall, costing him the likely podium finish. McLaren, which had its worst season in decades in 2013, is the surprise constructors championship leader after rookie Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button were promoted to second and third respectively by Ricciardos disqualification. But the teams trackside chief Eric Boullier acknowledged that was flattering. "Its true that Mercedes and Williams have some pace, maybe between half and three quarters of a second quicker than the rest of the field," Boullier said. Ferrari had a mediocre performance in Melbourne and technical director James Allison agreed that "we have our work cut out to improve our car in order to compete on equal terms with the Mercedes team." Mercedes technical principal Paddy Lowe hinted that the teams advantage could be even more pronounced in Malaysia. "Sepang is a permanent race track which is generally a lot more differentiating of the cars; particularly with regard to aerodynamics," Lowe said. "As always, reliability and endurance will be crucial, but we believe this venue will provide a more accurate representation of the relative pace between teams." There will be a sombre note to the race in Sepang, as it is a short distance from Kuala Lumpurs airport, from where the ill-fated Malaysian Airlines plane this month took off on a flight which authorities now say resulted in it crashing into the ocean, killing all on board Cyber Monday Hockey Jerseys . -- Ryan Millers debut for the St. Authentic Hockey Jerseys .75 million contract for the 2014 season and avoided arbitration. The team announced the agreement on Tuesday. https://www.fakehockeyjerseys.com/ . Pominville scored in all three of Minnesotas games last week to help the Wild (8-4-3, 19 points) earn four out of a possible six points. His best performance was in a 4-3 win over Montreal on Friday, where he posted a season-high three points (two goals, one assist), including the game-winning goal.LONDON -- Matt Cassel will get a chance to steer the Minnesota Vikings to their first win of the season -- and maybe put himself in position for a more regular role. Cassel will replace injured starter Christian Ponder at quarterback against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday at Wembley Stadium. The Vikings (0-3) ruled out Ponder on Friday with a fractured rib sustained in last weekends 31-27 loss to the Cleveland Browns. "We worked with Matt in the mindset that this was a possibility, so I think were prepared in that way," coach Leslie Frazier said. "Hes been in this role before. His veteran presence -- you can feel it. So there was no shock this week as he got more and more reps. I think (the team) will handle it the right way." Cassel hasnt played a down this season since signing a two-year deal with the Vikings in the off-season. The former New England Patriot threw six touchdowns and 12 interceptions in nine games for the 2-14 Chiefs last season. "Ive been preparing for this and I feel like Im ready to go," Cassel said. "I feel comfortable with this offence. Im excited about it. Thats what you prepare for as a backup." Frazier is hoping Cassel will go out at Wembley and make a statement. "Im hoping that he shines, but I dont foresee a quarterback controversy," Frazier said. "We want him to play lights out and have the best game of his NFL career on Sunday." If Cassel does shine, it could leave Frazier with a decision on who to start against the Carolina Panthers on Oct. Hockey Jerseys Black Friday. 13 after the bye week. Ponder, a third-year pro, has struggled this season, throwing two touchdowns and five interceptions for a 65.9 passer rating. He also has lost two fumbles. Ponder had taken the majority of snaps in practice Thursday and looked determined to play Sunday. "We just felt like it was, from a medical standpoint, too risky to put him out there to take a hit," Frazier said. "Hes a tough guy but it probably wouldnt be wise to put him out in that situation." "Hes a competitive guy and hes played through some tough injuries here. He wanted to play," Frazier said. "This is something you dont know how many times youll get a chance to play in a game like this, but its probably wise since we have a bye coming up, so he understands." Also ruled out for the Vikings are cornerback Chris Cook (groin), safety Jamarca Sanford (hamstring), and tight end Rhett Ellison (knee). The rest of the players on the Vikings injury report all practiced in full Friday and are probable for Sundays game. They are running back Matt Asiata (hamstring), cornerback A.J. Jefferson (ankle), defensive tackle Kevin Williams (knee), linebacker Erin Henderson (heel), and long snapper Cullen Loeffler (neck). The Vikings and Steelers are both 0-3 heading into the NFL International Series match at Wembley Stadium. ' ' '