The Formula One Federation (FIA) has accepted Malaysia’s bid to enter the 2010 and future FIA Formula One World Championships, that will see the country’s participation via its own racing team – 1Malaysia F1 Team.
The 1Malaysia F1 Team is a government and private sector initiative, combining the collaborative experience of Proton and Lotus, coupled with world-class expertise, and backed by Sepang International Circuit (SIC), Motorsports Association of Malaysia (MAM) as well as Automobile Association of Malaysia (AAM) to compete in Formula One for the standard contractual period of 10 years. This partnership is further enhanced with the proven capabilities of a group of highly respected Malaysian entrepreneurial investors consisting of Dato’ Kamarudin Meranun, Dato’ Sri Tony Fernandes and SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin.
The announcement was made by Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak at a special press conference at his office on Tuesday.
Dato’ Sri Najib said the national team will be based at Sepang International Circuit, making this the first team to be located outside of Europe and only the second, to Ferrari, to have a race track 200 meters from their front door. This is where the cars will be designed, manufactured and tested. These cars will be “Made in Malaysia, by Malaysians”, he stressed.
“1Malaysia F1 Team will fly our colours on the world stage and be the product of our engineers, our universities, our hi-tech centres of excellence,”
The national F1 team will rapidly integrate a Malaysian technical and pit crew totaling some 200 people managed by one of Formula One’s most respected and accomplished Technical Directors, Mr Mike Gascoyne, who has already recruited a core team of international experts with proven track records in the many and various engineering, design and manufacturing disciplines needed to ensure that the 1Malaysia F1 team is of international standard, readiness and capable of competing with the world’s greatest racing marquees on the world’s most prestigious racing stage.
The team will further announce its two drivers by October 31, 2009. Currently, six local and international drivers have been shortlisted for evaluation.
Malaysia has been involved in Formula One since 1999 through Sepang circuit, which has been on the race calendar since and will host the 11th F1 Petronas Malaysian GP next year. PETRONAS, a Malaysian owned oil and gas company, has made further advancements in this arena via its sponsorship of the BMW Sauber team for the last four years, so the setting up of a national team, as envisioned by the Prime Minister, is a natural progression to increase the country’s returns from investments in Formula One.
Dato’ Sri Najib explained that its participation in Formula One with a national team had far reaching objectives mainly the further development of the country’s automotive industry from the technological aspects including initiatives in green technology that the government is already championing, to wider opportunities for local engineering students.
“By establishing our racing centre within the country, we hope to also attract more foreign investment and the best technical minds, which in turn will spur the growth of our automotive industry where we hope to see more R&D into lighter, safer and more cost effective cars.
“We further anticipate higher commitments by organisations and attendance by individuals during the F1 Petronas Malaysian GP, which will be coupled with increased tourism related returns,” he said.
“Formula One today has reached an iconic state, and it is a sport that is becoming rooted in Malaysian culture and has undeniably grown tremendously in its following. By creating a national F1 team, we are taking Malaysian motorsports to its pinnacle thus ensuring our place in this internationally embraced sport that has scaled the heights of entertainment,”
The 1Malaysia F1 Team takes its name from the ‘1Malaysia - People First, Performance Now’ policy mooted by Dato’ Sri Najib in June this year as the unifying foundation for all Malaysians to come together in celebrating the co-operation amongst its multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious society for the betterment of the nation.
