Yoong Prefers A1 To F1

Former team-mates win on same day in opposite hemisphere...(click image to enlarge)
Yoong dominant in China...(click image to enlarge)
A brand new team coming good and feeling great...(click image to enlarge)

"It has to be a very good deal to pull me back to F1."

Malaysia's only F1 driver, Alex Yoong had 16 races in Formula 1 in 2001 and 2002 with a highest finish of 7th in the 2002 Australian GP - however, he was matched against two of the most highly touted F1 rookies for team-mates. Fernando Alonso who was his team-mate in 2001 is already the youngest world champion while his 2002 team-mate, Mark Webber, is now with Williams as their no. 1 driver.

Both these team-mates of Yoong had extensive F1 test experience before making their debut in F1 - Yoong, without any F1 test experience behind him, had huge odds stacked against him. It was his dream to be in F1 but it wasn't smooth sailing for him by any measure as he had to contend with an underfunded minnow team in addition to a complete lack of testing opportunities with the Minardi team.

A year in the inaugural A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, however, had certainly turned Yoong around with a series of spirited top class drives in his Proton sponsored yellow bedecked A1 Team Malaysia car. Yoong had shown himself easily running with the top third of the 22 to 24 car field from six continents from the word go.

Before midway through the season Yoong had already shown himself capable of taking the podium and he followed up his second in the Indonesian Feature race with nearly a perfect weekend in the season finale in China by topping Friday practice, qualifying pole, fastest in the warm-up, winning the Sprint race and finishing second in the Feature race.

Yoong's stock has now shot up sky high...and he is slotted to pair with former F1 driver and Le Mans specialist Jan Lammers in not only the five-round 2006 Le Mans Series but also in the incomparable Le Mans 24 Hrs in June between the just completed A1 season and the start of the next.

When given a choice between A1 Grand Prix and Formula One, Yoong readily replied that A1 would be for him.

"You cannot compare F1 and A1GP, they are completely different," said Yoong shortly after his inaugural A1 win. "Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsport in terms of technology. It is about manufacturer against manufacturer, about engine deals and about money. A1GP is run by countries, the cars are identical, it is an equal playing field. The aim is to see which is the best team and driver, it is about the people.

"I would definitely stay in A1GP, it would have to be a good deal for me to move to F1. A very good deal!"

Max Revson