Lotus F1 Car
Starting next year, Malaysia will officially have its own Formula One team, named 1Malaysia F1 team. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced yesterday, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) has accepted Malaysia’s bid to enter the 2010 and future Formula One World Championships. The team is backed by Malaysian government with investment through Proton and from private sectors, including by Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes (AirAsia CEO), Datuk Kamarudin Meranun (AirAsia Deputy CEO) and SM Nasaruddin SM Nasimuddin (Naza Group CEO).
This Malaysian-owned team will mark the return of Lotus into Formula One. Lotus, which is now owned by Proton, left Formula One in 1994. Mike Gascoyne, former Renault, Jordan, Toyota, and Force India technical director, will lead this team and will be first based in Norfolk, UK, before eventually moved to Sepang International Circuit, the first outside Europe. He had already recruited a core team of international experts with proven record in the various engineering, design and manufacturing disciplines needed to ensure that the 1Malaysia F1 team was of international standard, readiness and capable of competing with the world’s greatest drivers in Formula One. As of today, six local and international drivers have been shortlisted for evaluation and the team is expected to announce its two drivers by Oct 31st.
Najib said the project would provide a strong marketing element to the country when it competed in the F1 championship. ”If we want to export the Proton, we must ensure that the brand is strong. There is a strong element of marketing. It is not merely a sporting activity because there is an element of marketing for Proton and Malaysia while at the same time, the Air Asia and Naza brand names can be popularized,” he said.
