F1 Malaysia, and the rest will follow

“Why waste billions and make inferior cars to waste on F1 when a RM20 cow head and caning a model can get Malaysia global news coverage? F1 is foreign but those incidents are truly Malaysian!”

THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER

Even before naming its driver and racing down a circuit, the 1 Malaysia F1 team has driven into controversy.

Apart from the perplexing difference in names – the FIA recognises only the Lotus F1 led by team principal Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes while Malaysia named it the 1 Malaysia F1 team – the necessity of the F1 team is the main grumble.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad won over a sceptical public in 1999 when the first  F1 Malaysian Grand Prix took off with crowds spilling everywhere and parties in downtown Kuala Lumpur.

Then again, the former prime minister has won over initial scepticism of both the Penang bridge, the Petronas Twin Towers and the North-South Highway.

Malaysia has had 11 F1 GPs since then, two of which featured Malaysian driver Alex Yoong in a team sponsored by Magnum.

The only Malaysian involvement now is the Sepang F1 circuit, the Malaysian GP and Petronas’ sponsorship of the BMW Sauber which ends this year.

In all the years of the Malaysian GP, the country has seen a spike in tourist figures for the F1 week, some of whom spent it around Kuala Lumpur or in beach or jungle getaways. Malaysia, Truly Asia, has been the brand that became hotter with “The World’s Hottest Race”.

So the F1 has not been bad for Malaysia, good enough for a slew of other nations to bid and host the grand prix, including neighbouring Singapore which has claimed to the world’s first night race, a bit to get more television audience in Europe.

But an F1 team? The supporters say its great for the country, touting technology and tourism as the winners.

No one is better than Dr Mahathir to back the latest venture by prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, whose slogan is the name for the F1 team.

“We viewed Formula One as an important instrument to promote Malaysia to the world,” he said in an interview with Bernama, touting the returns from advertisements and tourism. He said Malaysia would have to pay US$1 million just for a three-minute advertisement in Japan.

No doubt having one’s corporate logo emblazoned on an F1 racer is any advertiser’s dream – the races are broadcast live to millions across the world in the entire season, 17 this year and 18 for 2010 is a major reason for the the sports popularity in the corporate world.

“With the F1 race, Malaysia is shown to the world for hours. We don’t have to pay a single sen. If we were to calculate the advertisement in Japan alone, it may run into US$100 million or US$200 million.

“So imagine … more than 300 television stations telecast the F1 race. People will know more about Malaysia if we have our own F1 team,” Tun Dr Mahathir said.

But millions of tourists, including perhaps some nine million visitors from Singapore, come to Malaysia every year, proof of the veracity of the Malaysia, Truly Asia campaign. How many more could have their interest piqued to visit Malaysia after seeing the multi-coloured racer whizzing around racing circuits of the world?

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