Track Record magazine

YOONG IS MERITUSʼ SECRET WEAPON

2 TRACK RECORD 2008

MERITUS DRIVER MERITUS DRIVER

‘Creating International Motorsport Heroes’

TRACK RECORD 2008 3


‘Creating International Motorsport Heroes’

4 Track record 2008

Meritus Meritus

Contents

6-9 Fromcradletopodium

11 Gettingtoknowthechairman

12-14 ThompsonopensdoorsforAsiandrivers

16-17 Asiamustwait forF1champion18-19 Yoongcanbe

guidingforce

20-21 BigbrotherFirhat

26-27 GrunwelldeterminedtoconquerAmerica

28-29 JamisonreadyforEuropeanchallenge

30 DoruvowsSingapore

31 Zoomingin

32-33 QiinvestsbiginMeritus

34-35 QiandMeritus,arecipeforsuccess

36-37 SpeedcarSeriesabighit

38 DudaiAutodromeinsafehands

40 Racingformedals

41 Sato’shighhopes

36-37

12-14

6-9

41

11

28-29

18-19

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Meritus Meritus

Meritusisamulti-dimensionalmotorsportservicescompanywithawinningcultureofrace-engineeringsuccessinEurope,AsiaPacificandtheMiddleEast.

Ourteammottois‘CreatingInternationalMotorsportHeroes’bysupportingandtrainingyoungdriverstoachievetheirdreamsinthehigh-techbusinessofinternationalmotorsport.

InkeepingwithourteambrandMeritus,fromtheLatinmeritummeaning‘toobtainalot,’ourobjectiveistoprovideouradvertising-partnerswiththeexcellenceandresourcestheyrequireinordertogenerateaten-foldreturnontheiradvertisinginvestment.

Theteam’sculture‘WinningisBusiness’

comesfromtheChinesetranslationofourword-brandMeritus.“WanLiDa, meansWinningcomesFirst–eveniftheefforttakes100,000miles”.

Meritushasproventhatsuccessdoesindeedflowfromconsistenthardwork,dedication,professionalism,technologicalleadershipand,aboveall,thecultureanddevelopmentoftalent.

WeareproudofallourdriversandtheMeritushalloffameincludesourF1heros.Inateamsportwhereonlyonepersoncollects

theaward,thebrandMerit-usalsogivesrecognitiontooursponsors,ourengineeringstaffandourwinning

dynamics.WhenMeritusisincludedwith

thesponsorbrandithastheeffectofenhancingandaddingmerittotheteam-brand.MeritisindeedatthecoreofMeritus,andtheteam’sredcolorschemereflectsthewarmth,thepassion,theefficiency,thecultureanddedicationthatflowsthroughtheheartoftheteam.Anthropologistshaveproventhatwearingthecolorredprovidesanunfairsportingadvantage!

What Meritus stands for

6 Track record 2008

Meritus drIVer Meritus drIVerearL BAMBer

“We are the only Asian team on the grid but we have big ambitions. Our main goal this season is to win the team title. I believe we are on the right track.”

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Meritus drIVer Meritus drIVer

Earl Bamber was just a farm boy with a penchant for racing when he was spotted by My Qi-Meritus.Mahara four years ago. Today, that raw talent has slowly but surely been moulded

into a potential Formula One driver by the bosses at the Malaysian-Saudi racing team.

Growing up in Wanganui, a small town 200 kilometres north of Wellington, Bamber always had a love for fast cars and was consistently entering go-kart competition, winning most of them.

My Qi-Meritus.Mahara founder Peter Thompson, who also grew up in a farm in Ireland, recognised Bamber’s talents when he fi rst saw him and signed him up four years ago when the Kiwi was just 14.

Bamber was nurtured along, going from karting to Formula BMW Asia after just two years where he came under the tutelage of Malaysia’s only Formula One pilot, Alex Yoong.

Knowing full well that Bamber needed an experienced head to guide him before his debut in Formula BMW Asia, Yoong was roped in to help fi ne tuned the Kiwi’s driving skills.

FrOM CrADLe tO PODiuMHow My Qi-Meritus.Mahara are preparing Earl Bamber for Formula Oneare preparing Earl Bamber for Formula One

8 Track record 2008

Meritus drIVer Meritus drIVerearL BAMBer

It was a perfect partnership as Bamber absorbed all of Yoong’s knowledge and in 2006, stunned the racing world by winning the Formula BMW Asia drivers’ title by claiming 10 victories in a dominant season. He was still only 16 at the time.

“When I fi rst met Earl, I knew there was something special about him,” recalled Yoong. “My Qi-Meritus.Mahara have a long history of nurturing motorsports champions but Earl was a different class even as a 15-year-old.

“We worked closely for nearly a year before his stunning success in Formula BMW Asia in 2006. He certainly has a bright future ahead of him and his results over the past three years have shown he has the potential to be in Formula One.

“It seems a little strange that we are now team-mates (in GP2 Asia) but we are comfortable with each other and I believe we have what it takes to win the team championship for My Qi-Meritus.Mahara.”

It has been a busy year for Bamber as he has competed in International Formula Master, Formula Master Italy, the Australian Formula 3 Championship, Formula V6 Asia and Toyota Racing Series New Zealand in which he fi nished runner up.

Bamber’s competitive performance also attracted the attention of A1 Grand Prix where he has represented his country in the 2008-9 season fi nishing his fi rst two races on the podium.

In the GP2 Asia Series, he

stunned the more experienced drivers by scoring points in both races at last month’s Chinese Formula One Grand Prix where the GP2 Series was a support race including fi nishing second in the sprint race, making him the youngest ever driver in GP2 history to have a podium fi nish.

Success, however, has not increase the size of Bamber’s ego. He has a surprisingly mature head on his young shoulders and while he can be as playful as any 18-year-old, he never shrugs his responsibilities when it comes to staying fi t.

Having won a quarter of all the races he has competed in, Bamber knows he has the speed and the skill to reach the very top of the motorsport world. But he is also wise enough to know he can’t get

knows he has the speed and the skill to reach the very top of the motorsport world. But he is also wise enough to know he can’t get

“Talent and determination can only get you so far in the sport. A driver must also have an iron will and the discipline to stick to a strict training regime.”

Track record 2008 9


anywhere without discipline.“Talent and determination can only get

you so far in the sport. A driver must also have an iron will and the discipline to stick to a strict training regime,” said Bamber.

“There may be days where I may not feel like training but I don’t give in to the temptation. I also stay away from junk food, although I do love drinking Coca-Cola. I guess that’s my only vice.

“I’m also lucky to be racing for My Qi-Meritus.Mahara, who have a history of creating champions. Part of the reason for their success over the last 12 years is because they treat their drivers as part of the family.

“They take care of our all needs and this helps us to concentrate and stay focus on driving. My Qi-Meritus.Mahara have taken me from a small town in New Zealand into the winners’ circle in motorsports. It has been a perfect partnership and long may it continue.”

On the GP2 Asia Series, Bamber said that while he will be looking to build on his stunning start, it is the team championship which matters.

“We are the only Asian team on the grid but we have big ambitions. Our main goal this season is to win the team title. I believe we are on the right track,” said a confident Bamber.

“The GP2 Series is without doubt, the hardest championship I have raced in but the China results have given my confidence a big boost. I’m sure My Qi-Meritus.Mahara can challenge for

the team title.” Joachim Steffen, Qi GP2 Project Director

said Bamber’s rise to stardom is similar to how QuestNet help their Independent Representatives.

“QuestNet are in the business of helping people who want to change their lives. We nurture people by giving them an opportunity to manage and benefit from a business that runs through e-commerce. To help them, we give them training and development tools to accelerate their quest for success,” he explained.

“This is the similarity that we have with how Meritus develop Earl Bamber from cradle to podium. Bamber started with Meritus about four years ago and since then, he has been winning races in a lot of championships such A1, where he raced for his home country, New Zealand.

“QuestNet provide the same support and share the same passion with Meritus in helping our Independent Representatives and their drivers, and in this case, Bamber to reach the top. This is the synergy we have with Meritus in building champions in our respective industries.”

GP2 is the main feeder for Formula One teams and Bamber’s speed in his debut season has drawn lots of attention. It would not be a surprise if Bamber emulates former My Qi-Meritus.Mahara drivers Narain Karthikeyan and Takuma Sato and signs for a Formula One team.

He couldn’t have asked for a better training ground.

A large proportion of F1’s new young stars cut their teeth in GP2. The list of names counts Nico Rosberg (Williams), Heikki Kovalainen (Renault), Scott Speed (Scuderia Toro Rosso), Nelson Piquet Jr, (Renault), Kazuki Nakajima (Williams), Sakon Yamamoto (Spyker), Andreas Zuber (Honda), Timo Glock (Toyota) Giorgio Pantano, the current 2008 Champion and possibly even India’s Karun Chandock.

The most famous of the lot, however, is Lewis Hamilton who has just been crowned Formula One champion for McLaren. His success has proven that GP2 Series is indeed, the gateway to Formula One.

The success story of the GP2 series has its roots way back in 2004. F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and Renault F1 Team boss Flavio Briatore met to consider the options and decided to launch a new feeder category that had its own personality but would be closer to Formula One than any series that had existed ever before. Naturally strong partners, like Bridgestone did not want to miss the opportunity to embark upon this adventure together.

Four years later, the GP2 Series has delivered upon and exceeded its original objectives. A number of champions from different nationalities and origins, representing big and small nations (Japan, Germany, USA, UK and Finland to name but a few) are on the pace and now freshly enrolled in the ranks of the exciting world of F1 and have experienced something more similar to driving an F1 car.

Last season My Qi-Meritus.Mahara joined the new GP2 Asian series as the only truly Asian team in the paddock. Despite having just two months of preparation, the Malaysia-Saudi outfit stunned many with their pace as they were constantly among the quickest in practice.

The first season ran during the main GP2 series off season, January–April, with five two-race meetings and the events in Malaysia and Bahrain acted as support races for the Formula One championship.

In effort to promote motor racing in Asia, each team is encouraged to have at least one driver whose passport does not come from Western Europe or the Americas (North and South). For the avoidance of doubt, Turkey and Russia are not included in the list of “European” countries.

However, in the 2008 season, four of the 13 teams opted to field two non-Asian drivers with the agreement that one of their two drivers would be a “ghost driver” and receive no prize money for competing in the series.

Qi-Meritus.Mahara drivers Hiroki Yoshimoto and Luca Filippi helped the team to ninth overall in the standings with the team’s best result of fourth achieved at UAE and Bahrain by Yoshimoto.

a sensational debut season

10 TRACK RECORD 2008

Our successes at the track


deliver better performance on the road

www.michelin.com

MAP0290 MS Posters_DPS Technic.indd 1

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My qi-Meritus.Mahara

TR: What are your thoughts on the team’s debut season in the GP2 Asia last year?Raad: I think we had a successful debut last year we only had two months to put the team together and learn the car. The team, headed by Gianfranco Bielli worked very well with each other despite having a big mix of nationalities working together. We are also proud to have brought Asian engineers to this level of racing. The team were capable to demonstrate their pace from the first test sessions in Dubai until the last race of the season.

TR: With the experience gained from last year, what are your expectations from the team in the new season?Raad: This year I would like to establish our selves as one of the front running teams that can challenge for the championship.

We had a great start in Shanghai when Earl Bamber finished on the podium in the GP2 Series sprint race. I have always been confident that we can be more competitive this year and I hope that we will score more podiums, especially in Dubai on our home ground.”

TR: How did you start working with Peter Thompson?Raad: We renewed our relationship around the time of the first Bahrain Grand Prix on April 4, 2004 when we both decided to help grow young local drivers. I convinced Peter Thompson to help the young

champion who would become the 2005 F-BMW Asia winner, Hamad Al Farden. Hamad had just turned 18 and on his birthday he took his first ever Formula win in round 5 of the Formula BMW Asia Championship. Hamad drove a fault-free race, pressuring his team mate and getting the win. Returning to Bahrain he was met at the airport by a royal group of enthusiastic followers including a representative of the Bahraini King. Since the first win of his career, Hamad has gone on to take two more great wins in round 8 and 9 of the championship and has now equalled the championship leader’s points tally. He has also raced Formula Toyota in new Zealand before racing V6 and winning again.

TR: Is there a lot of interest in racing in Saudi Arabia?Raad: Certainly yes. Historically Saudi airlines and TAG are Saudi-owned companies that have invested in F1 for many years. But again many factors join forces and the entire area is roaring with interest. The competition between the Dubai Autodrome, the Bahrain GP, the new Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ensures that racing is featured almost daily in the news. Beyond racetracks, the development of young drivers and young Arab winners is currently in progress. It is a long process. But it all belongs together. In terms of racing events that bring people and race fans enthusiastically together, the situation still has to

Interview with Team chairman

develop in Saudi Arabia. There is a permanent drag strip in Djeddah, which is a start. There are lots of events very close to motocross, but no Formula 1 or other junior Formula races yet.

TR: Will you attend all the GP2 Asia Series races?Raad: I am also running a business and as much as I like racing, I doubt that I can attend all the races. Actually I am just so excited to see the first laps of the car. I promised Peter that I will even wear the team’s red Meritus uniform. It will be a very special day indeed.

TR: Do you see a Saudi driver one day in the car?Raad: It is important to train the right driver first, prepare him and bring him up to the right level to compete at the front. You can spoil a career if you progress it too early. There is a very slight possibility to bring someone from the country in the team’s

Raad S Abduljawad

car. But too early would be a career mistake. What the team would also like to do is to invite representatives of the Federation and the sporting authorities or the President of Youth and Welfare to get more familiar with the team at the first race of the season and even return to watch us race during the remainder of the season.

Always on the phone, always busy, always working hard, 45-year-old Raad Abduljawad, Team Chairman of Qi-Meritus.Mahara is a real businessman. He is the business manager and the managing director of one of the top ranking Saudi

business companies, Saudi Diesel Equipment Co. Ltd, a company which manufactures generators and selling construction equipment.

Raad Abduljawad fell in love with car racing through his father’s activities and from the cultural heritage of his family who imported cars to Saudi Arabia.


12 Track record 2008

Meritus boss Meritus bosspeTer thoMpson

There may be 13 GP2 Asia teams but only one will be able to claim to be truly “Asian” – My Qi-Meritus.Mahara.

The Malaysia-Saudi racing team, who have won 30 of their 34 championships in Asia in the past 12 years, and have employed almost every Asian driver who has reached Formula One since 1998, were recently awarded the ‘super-brand’ status.

Team founder Peter Thompson told Emirates Business how they went from humble beginnings to ‘super-brand’ status.

thompson opens doors for Asians

“The Meritus story begins on a farm in Ireland,” recalled Thompson. “Our family were farmers with no background in motor racing, but I had a passion for cars so I studied automative design and worked in the industry.

“In 1980, when I was 23, with a £1,000 loan from my mother I formed what was Ireland’s first automative industry on the farm. I sold the horses and the stables became the offices, the cows were sold and their pen became the assembly, fabrication place and the hen houses became the paint house. We utilised all the facilities on the farm for Thompson Motor Company (TMC).

It’s this dream that took Thompson to England in 1988 where he started Meritus, the racing team. After competing successfully in Europe for several years, the Irishman decided to expand into Asia in 1995.

“That’s when I fell in love with Malaysia,” said Thompson, who has lived there ever since. “I was also successful in finding sponsorship money in Asia – which is essential to survive in motor racing.

“Motor racing is about engineering and good drivers, but if you can’t find sponsorship money it will never be a business as it all revolves around the sponsors.

“When we moved to Asia, I phoned Marlboro and explained

“We are now in asia for 12 years and have won 30 championships in that time. I think the closest team have won two.”


Meritus boss Meritus boss

my business and as they didn’t have a team in Asia, we did a three-year deal in 1995.

“In 1996, we won the Formula BMW Asia championship with Indian driver Narain Karthikeyan, who went on to race in Formula One [in 2005 for Jordan]. In 1997, Takuma Sato was the winner [and he progressed to Formula One in 2002].

“We are now in Asia for 12 years and have won 30 championships in that time. I think the closest team have won two.”

Malaysian team Director Firhat Yuri Mokhzani invested in Meritus in the late 1990s making it a part-Asian owned team, while Saudi Arabian businessman Raad Abduljawad bought a stake in the team last year, when they took part in the inaugural GP2 Asia series, to give My Qi-Meritus.Mahara a Middle East co-owner as well.

The team have a reputation for identifying and nurturing young talented drivers from the region and when the concept of a GP2 Asia series was formulated, F1 boss Bernie Ecclestone offered Meritus the only Asian license for GP2. So, what has helped Meritus achieve so much success?

“I think it’s the personality of the team,” said Thompson. “We have created a family environment.

“Sometimes drivers are not taken care of by a team, but I’m like a father to these boys. When they have an argument with their

parents they come live in my house – when they come to Malaysia they live in my house.

“I have six children of my own, but sometimes I have six more race drivers living at my house – which creates a family environment for the team.”

Success on the track means success in the bank as well and despite recent news that Formula One are looking at new ways to cut costs in the near future,

motorsport is still a lucrative business for Meritus.

“The GP2 season is costing us €1.7m and we target to make about €2.5m – a 20 per cent return on our investment. “Sometimes things don’t go according to plan and accidents happen, but the insurance covers most of the losses.

“The cost per driver is €100,000 for Formula BMW, €275,000 for V6 and €650,000 for GP2 and for that they get a third of the ad rights on the car. We try to sell the ad rights at around €1.5m euros per car and so the company does turn over

quite a bit, but we invest a lot back into the company.

“The success of Meritus also attracts sponsors – they like winning, they are not fools. Sponsors want to generate more exposure for their company. Last year, we generated $35m from television for sponsors and $9m in the print media.

“Every article that gets written, we get professional people to evaluate it. Like, for example, last season in the GP2 we had about 350 articles written on us in the print media, 100 on the internet and we generated $5m for sponsors on TV. We also spent $2.5m on advertising campaigns in Asia and the Middle East.”

So what are Thompson’s plans for Meritus in the future?

“Meritus were awarded ‘super-brand’ in Asia, and we are only the 81st company to get it. This shows the sponsors we are a serious company. We are a Meritus brand now.

“We want to use the success to generate other avenues in motorsport.

“I want to get into manufacturing Asian race cars within the next two years. Next year I plan to launch a Meritus lifestyle clothing range.

“Just as Virgin got into different things, we want to do the same. Obviously, we will never be as big as Virgin, but we want to move the brand in different

“Motor racing is about engineering and good drivers, but if you can’t find sponsorship money it will never be a business as it all revolves around the sponsors.”


Meritus boss peTer thoMpson

directions as well.”In the future, one of those

directions could be Formula One, considering how well upcoming young star Earl Bamber performed in his first ever GP2 race.

The 18-year old New Zealander finished sixth and second respectively in his first two races at the Shanghai circuit, impressing racing experts. For now though, Thompson is happy to act as a feeder for F1 teams.

“We have development programmes for our drivers,” said Thompson.

“We introduce them to F1 teams who then take the drivers out of our Asia programme into F1

development programmes and there is transfer a fee involved in buying their contract from us.”

Every now and then there emerges a young driver that gets motorsport fans all excited and 18-year old Bamber is one of those young stars.

The New Zealand driver, who has won more than a quarter of all the professional races he has entered.

His performance led the My Qi-Meritus.Mahara team to promote him to drive in the GP2 Asia series were he ended up sixth and second in the two races of the first round at the Shanghai Grand Prix – the

first time he had ever raced a GP2 car.

The onlooking Formula One scouts and team owners were impressed and racing experts predict it won’t be long before he gets snapped up by one of the F1 teams.

“Formula One is the ultimate goal for every driver,” says Bamber, who was the first and only rookie to win the Formula BMW Asia Championship. “GP2 is the development series and while it’s very close, it’s still very far. But I’m still young and it’s where I need to be – getting more experience, racing against the best guys in the world here.”

“We introduce them to F1 teams who then take the drivers out of our asia programme into F1 development programmes and there is transfer a fee involved in buying their contract from us.”


p39tr44 AlexAD.indd 39 11/26/08 12:57:02 AM


Meritus Meritus

TR: We now have the first ever black Formula One world champion in Lewis Hamlton. How long before an Asian is able to reach the pinnacle?Sonencher: I think it is diffi cult to tell. The fi rst black winner came out of the blue and I dont think there is any particular set programme which we can set which will guarantee success.

There are a lot of talented Asian drivers who are on the road to Formula One. I can say that we could be having Asian drivers who will be competitive but in terms of winning the title, it will be very tough. As we have seen

with Lewis Hamilton, it’s a bit of a hit and a miss. The main thing we have to focus on at the moment is to ensure our Asian drivers are competitive when they reach Formula One.

It is important to have programmes and a striving motorsport scene in Asia. We must put in place all the lessons drivers need to learn for when they do reach F1.

Karun Chandok is knocking on the door while Narain Karthikeyan and Alex Yoong have tasted life in F1. It is a matter of feeding the system and getting a good structure. If we prepare out

WITH 28 years of involvement in various areas of motorsports, David Sonenscher has seen enough to believe Asia will move out of its infancy stage and become a key

player in the sport in the near future.The Motorsport Asia Limited chief executive offi cer

states that it isn’t just about India, Singapore and South Korea coming into play at Formula One level within the next few years, but the possibilities of the next Lewis Hamilton coming from out of this region has also become more visible.

Sonenscher shares his thoughts on the future of motorsports in Asia.

TR: We now have the first ever with Lewis Hamilton, it’s a bit of WITH 28 years of involvement in

Asia must wait for F1 champion



Meritus Meritus

drivers well, they could have a shot at the title eventually.

Jazeman Jaafar has got big talent but he still has a long way to go. We can’t tell if he can make it as he has a lot of work to do.

Earl Bamber is fighting to get into Formula 1, although I don’t know if we can really classify him as an Asian. I think we still have a lot of work to find more drivers do and get the numbers in F1. And then, who knows.

TR: Do you think V6 is really a good way for drivers to come up?Sonencher: V6 is a vital and necessary step and I don’t just say

that because we run it. I say that because we actually created it to fill in the gap between the junior formulas and GP2 and A1.

We chose V6 as it is cost effective and teams can’t run at that budget anywhere in the world. F2 have the same concept and same idea as us where they have a fix or limited budget. Drivers can learn how to handle the car and pressure of racing in a competitive environment before going into a higher formula.

It may not have been as successful as we like it to be in terms of grid numbers but we are looking at it and addressing that problem. If Asia lost that level, it will be a major hit to Asian motorsports.

A lot of the top drivers have been through Formula V6 such as Earl Bamber, James Grunwell and many others.

V6 also helped to resurrect Karun’s career. Many drivers have come out of it. Lot of these guys would not be where they are now if not for Formula V6. We have to work hard to maintain the series.

The thing about V6 unlike Formula3, it teaches the driver all they need to know throttle control for a high powered car. Paddle shifting, we believe it is a better format than Formula 3 as it is more cost effective.

I’m not saying Formula 3 is not good, it is a very good series worldwide but it may not fit into Asia at the moment

because of the budget.

TR: Are there enough top notch circuits in Asia?Sonencher: There are plenty of top notch circuits that exists now, A lot more coming in India, Korea and one or two being developed in China.

We have plenty of good facilities but need the infrastructure to build up.

We need them to be run in a more effective manner outside of Formula One.

TR: What does the future hold for Meritus?Sonencher: I think Meritus have done a fantastic job and have been consistently the leading team in Asia for a long time.

It can be a bit boring for all of us but they put in so much effort to achieve incredible results.

They do well in every series they enter and they are a credit to Asia and Asian motorsport. They hold up the standard for everyone to look up to. Their success against the European teams have shown how high the standard of racing can be in Asia.

Meritus also are very active in driver development and offer many jobs to young drivers.

Peter (Thompson) is a very ambitious man with big plans. I don’t see any reason why they can’t achieve their targets as he works incredibly hard and it is paying off for him.


“Peter (Thomp-son) is a very ambitious man with big plans. I don’t see any reason why they can’t achieve their targets as he works incredibly hard and it is paying off for him.”

“There are a lot of talented Asian drivers who are on the road to Formula One. I can say that we could be having Asian drivers who will be competitive but in terms of winning the title, it will be very tough. As we have seen with Lewis Hamilton, it’s a bit of a hit and a miss.”


ALEX YOONG

MALAYSIA’S most successful driver Alex Yoong is a driver who can proudly say: “Been there, done that and got the shirt” and really mean it. From Formula One to the 24 Hours Le Mans Series, from A1 to American Champ cars – the

Malaysian has experienced almost everything motorsports has to offer.

“I haven’t done Indy 500 yet,” joked Yoong. “It has to be next.”

The 32-year old, who was a teammate of double

Formula One world champion Fernando Alonso at Minardi, completed another milestone in Shanghai in ocotober when he took part in his fi rst GP2 race for the My Qi-Meritus.Mahara team in the fi rst round of GP2 Asia.

“I have been doing A1 for three years now with reasonable success,” said Yoong. “I wasn’t planning to do GP2, but Peter

Thompson (President of My Qi-Meritus.Mahara team)

gave me the call about a week before the fi rst test and I said, ‘why not? I’d love to’.

“I have known Firhat (Mokhzani, Meritus’ Malaysian co-owner] and Peter for a long time. I have never driven for them, but pretty much every single seat driver in Asia has.

“I have developed a good friendship and mutual respect and the time seemed right to race with them now.”

Drivers these days usually do GP2 fi rst before progressing to Formula One and for someone who has already experienced F1, does Yoong think that GP2 is the right platform for F1?

“There is quite a lot less horsepower in a GP2 car,” said Yoong, who raced with then F1 team Minardi in 2001 and 2002. “The downforce though, is not that far away.

“It doesn’t do as much as a Formula One car back in my time and defi nitely not as much as a F1

Yoong can be guiding force


TRACK RECORD 2008 19

car now, but the feeling and the dynamics of driving the car are still the same.

“When you drive a high downforce car like GP2 or F1 it requires a certain level of commitment. Both are very similar and that’s what makes it an excellent proving ground for F1.”

During his stint in Formula One, Yoong had the privilege to be the teammate of a driver that he calls “one of the most complete on the grid” – Fernando Alonso – in the young Spaniard’s fi rst season in F1.

“Alonso was very good, he was always very, very quick,” said Yoong about the Renault driver who won back-to-back F1 titles in 2005 and 2006.

“Back then he was not so savvy with what the car was doing, with giving feedback and his English was non-existent, but his car control and his quickness was very apparent even in his fi rst year. He was able to do the lap times consistently in any kind

of scenario. “There were people in the team

who had been there since Ayrton Senna and who were there when Michael Shumacher fi rst came into the sport and Alonso was rated as every bit as good as they [Senna and Shumacher] were on their fi rst impressions.

“So Minardi always knew he was going to be a superstar and from there on he progressed into becoming probably the most complete driver on the grid.”

Now that he has committed to GP2, what’s next for Yoong? Will he be chasing a place in Indy 500 after the completion of GP2?

“No, I’m looking to do stuff around Asia,” he said. “Growing up in Malaysia and seeing motorsports slowly decline in the years – I would like to do my part to help revive it.

“I have a touring car team and I am looking to get into the manufacturing side of things as Malaysia has a lot of skilled, yet

cheap labour.”After experiencing pretty much

all that motorsports has to give from winning back to back races in the A1 GP and being named rookie of the year in Le Mans to a major accident in Formula 3000 and being dropped from Formula One, would Yoong advise young people to take up the sport?

“What you see on TV is the successful F1 drivers,” said Yoong. “The rewards in motorsports are very good, but the risks are extremely high. Very few make it to the top and it is a very risky sport to get involved in.

“I have seen so many drivers fall by the wayside. Some were good enough to make it to F1, but because of bad luck or lack of resources they fell into fi nancial ruin.

“When pursuing a dream you do whatever to achieve it and sometimes it takes driver’s houses, property and money – so the risk is high.”

“When you drive a high downforce car like GP2 or F1 it requires a certain level of commitment. Both are very similar and that’s what makes it an excellent proving ground for F1.”



Meritus Team manager Meritus Team managerfirhaT Mokhzani

Firhat Mokhzani joined Meritus as Managing Director of Asian Operations in 1999, and led

the team to championship success for the first time with a Malaysian driver (Ng Wai Leong) in 2000.

With the restructuring of the team in 2005 Firhat took on the extra role as ‘Team Manager’ in charge of all the team race operations. He is also responsible for specific data analysis supporting the team’s engineers and drivers.

As a former successful racer himself, Firhat knows what it takes to to create champions. He is sometimes referred to as “my older brother” by some of Meritus drivers as he is constantly by their side advising them and helping correct their faults.

Recognised as Asia’s most successful team manager, Firhat has helped the Meritus Racing Team cement their position as Asia’s most successful motorsports team with 30 titles in the past 12 years.

TR: You had a successful year last season with Jazeman Jaafar. You

seem to have the knack of polish rough diamonds. That can be seen with Earl Bamber who has won the Formula V6 Asia title. What’s your secret?Firhat: There is no secret really. It is not easy and maybe I’ve been lucky but I’ve had some talented drivers to work with.

We are in the business of teaching them to take care of themselves, how to train properly, race craft and how to handle the media and sponsors.

Once we have taught them these values, we go into testing and it is easier for the driver to improve.

TR: Drivers such as India’s Narain Karthikeyan and Takuma Sato have graduated from Meritus into Formula 1. Can we expect more Meritus drivers to make the grade?Firhat: We have a good history of unearthing good drivers and it is my hope that we shall continue to do so. Earl Bamber has been earning rave reviews for his recent performances and surprised many when he finished on the podium in his first two A1 races as well as finishing second in the GP2 Asia

Big brother Firhat


Meritus Team manager Meritus Team manager

Series. We also have great drivers like James Grunwell and Ross Jamison, to name but two. So the potential is there.

TR: Meritus Racing has been known as a stepping stone towards bigger things for drivers, most prominently your part in the early years of Takuma Sato’s carreer and a host of other drivers who’ve now moved on. An interesting new addition to the team’s repertoire is set to be backed by sponsors Qi. Can you tell us a bit more about it?Firhat: It is a scholarship programme for promising Malaysian drivers. As you know, Qi is a very passionately Malaysian company and they wanted to do something more for the sport, rather than just be sponsors of the team. On top of that, we’ve realised that the nature of the sport means the drivers mainly come from those who have the support from big sponsors or from well-to-do families. This programme will give young drivers who are not so fortunate, the chance to achieve their goals. In a way, it is about giving something back to the sport.

“We are in the business of teaching them to take care of themselves, how to train properly, race craft and how to handle the media and sponsors. once we have taught them these values, we go into testing and it is easier for the driver to improve.”



date of Birth: 9 Jul 1990 (18 years old)

Place of birth: New Zealand (Wanganui)

Nationality: New Zealand

Height: 181 cm

Weight: 72 kg

offi cial website: www.earlbamber.com

Hair: Dark Brown

eyes: Brown

Blood type: O+

Hobbies: Tennis and running

Favourite sport: Motorsport

Favourite music: All types of music

Favourite food: Kiwis

Favourite drink: Coca-Cola

earl BaMBer

www.earlbamber.com

All types of music

Meritus drIVer


Meritus drIVer

date of birth: Born July 20, 1976 (32

years old)

Place of birth: Malaysia

Nationality: Malaysia

offi cial website: www.alexyoong.com

Hair: Black

eyes: Brown

Favourite music: Rock

Favourite food: Malaysian food

Favourite drink: Sugar cane juice

Best racing memory: F1 in Monza with the Minardi team

Best racing weekend: A double podium in Brno (CZ) with A1 Team Malaysia

Best achievements to date: Being Malaysia’s most successful race driver

aleX YooNG

A double podium in Brno (CZ) with A1 Team Malaysia


Meritus driversForMula v6 asia series

EARL BAMBERCompetition No. 88Date of Birth: July 9 1990Place of Birth: New ZealandNationality: New Zealand

JAMES GRUNWELLCompetition No. 38Date of Birth: February 4 1989Place of Birth: HollandNationality: British

ForMula BMW asia

PePPer tasMiNCompetition No. 33Date of Birth: June 19 1990Place of Birth: South AfricaNationality: South African

ross JaMisoNCompetition No. 88Date of Birth: March 19 1990Place of Birth: Hong KongNationality: Irish

CHristoPHer WoottoNCompetition No. 68Date of Birth: December 11 1988Place of Birth: AustraliaNationality: Australian

roslaN arviNCompetition No. 78Date of Birth: December 11 1988Place of Birth: MalaysiaNationality: Malaysian

siMoN MossCompetition No. 38Date of Birth: July 20 1991Place of Birt: South AfricaNationality: South African

HuZair HuraN rasiPCompetition No. 58Date of Birth: Sept 20 1988Place of Birth: MalaysianNationality: Malaysian

KaZeeM MaNZurCompetition No. 28Date of Birth: July 8 1991Place of Birth: BritainNationality: Britain

Meritus drIVer


MERITUS DRIVER

SUCCESS and Meritus go hand-in-hand. In a year when there were many new champions in most motor racing categories, be it on two wheels or four, around the world, the Meritus brand has continued to prosper in Asia

Five Asian titles this season and accolades like being the only 81st company to be awarded ‘Super brand’ status in Asia, make Meritus the team all drivers dream of joining.

James Grunwell delivered the latest titles to the Malaysian-based team when he was crowned champion in the Formula V6 Asia in Shanghai, China.

The British driver, who was born in Holland but races out of Thailand, won three of the last four races of the Formula V6 Asian season to pip The Pizza Company Team Qi-Meritus team mate Bamber to the title.

Grunwell fi nished with 133 points, while Bamber ended with 105 despite not competing in the last four races. The Pizza Company Team Qi-Meritus also took the team championship with 235 points, 79 more than their rivals. These two championships were the 31st and 32nd that the Meritus team have won in 12 years.

“It feels good to win the Championship but I am disappointed at the way the last race went. We went one way with

the setup, but for the conditions it was a bit diffi cult to choose what to do. Then it started pouring right before the start. That was not what we needed because it was drying up two to three hours before the race so we thought it would keep drying up, so when it rained it made the car diffi cult to drive. It was a gamble that didn’t pay off.

“I’m happy with the way the weekend went. Three out of four is not too bad and being the Formula V6 Asia Champion is good to have on your resume because a lot of good drivers have come out of this Series” said Grunwell.

Meritus, who have dominated the Formula BMW Pacifi c for the last six years, made it another clean sweep this season when Ross Jamison clinched the drivers’ title with 222 points. Simon Moss took the rookie driver of the year award with 132 points to fi nish third overall. In the team category, Meritus collected 378 points, a massive 99 points ahead of their closest rivals.

The focus is now on the GP2 Asia series with sensational young driver, Earl Bamber of New Zealand and Malaysia’s only Formula 1 pilot Alex Yoong leading the way for My Qi-Meritus.Mahara.

In the team’s fi rst outing of the new season in China in October, Bamber earned points in both the sprint and main races, including a

podium fi nish in the sprint event. In doing so, Bamber, 18, became the youngest ever driver to fi nish inside the top three of a GP2 race.

Bamber has continued to impress in other series as well. He was on the podium in his fi rst three A1 GP races for his home country while he has also competed in International Formula Master, Formula Master Italy, the Australian Formula 3 Championship, Formula V6 Asia and Toyota Racing Series New Zealand.

Yoong had a mixed start to his season but it was understandable as he had been out of racing for most of the year. With more time racing and several test drives in other series like Speedcar, the Malaysian is expected to be among those challenging for the race lead from now on.

“We have the right combination of youth and experience for the GP2 team,” said team founder, Peter Thompson.

“Alex and Earl know each other so well and in fact, Alex was Earl’s fi rst ever driver coach. They work well together and are determined to help us to the team championship.

“I’m actually quite excited to be back in Dubai. We have a special relationship with the people here and the support we get from the fans is phenomenal.”

SUCCESS and Meritus go the setup, but for the conditions it podium fi nish in the sprint event.

Another successful season for Meritus

Formula V6 AsiaDriver standings (Top five)

1. JAMES GRUNWELL (The Pizza

Company Qi-Meritus, Thailand) 133

2. EARL BAMBER (The Pizza Company Qi-Meritus, New Zealand) 105

3. ISAIAH-RO CHARLEZ (Black Tara, Australia) 85

4. MARK WILLIAMSON (Team TARADTM, Australia) 79

5. HAFIZ KOH (Team TARADTN, Singapore) 77

Team standings (Top five)1. The Pizza Company

Team Qi-Meritus 2352. Team TARADTM 1563. Black Tara 1424. Champ Motorsport 915. E-Rain Racing 67

Formula BMW Pacifi cDriver standings (Top five)

1. ROSS JAMISON (Meritus, Hong Kong) 222

2. SEAN MCDONAGH (E-Rain, South Korea) 173

3. SIMON MOSS (Meritus, Hong Kong) 132

4. GABRIEL CHAVES (Atlantic Racing Team, Colombia) 130

5. RYUICHI NARA (E-Rain, Japan) 112

Team standings (Top five)1. Meritus 3782. E-Rain 2793. Team Holzer PFX 2184. Eurasia Motorsport 1435. Mahara 137

Rookie-of-the-YearSIMON MOSS (Meritus, Hong Kong)


MERITUS DRIVER MERITUS DRIVERJAMES GRUNWELL

“The single-seater Indy Car Series in the United States excites me. I have spoken to a few people and a test drive is being arranged. But there is Europe too the traditional home of racing where there is the Formula 3 and Formula Masters.’



He is in a sport which demands so much but promises very little. Yet James Grunwell is ready

to take a step into the unknown. At 19 he has done his fair bit of racing all over Asia but now the Dutch-born Grunwell has set his sights across the Atlantic.

After four successful seasons with the Malaysian based My Qi-Meritus.Mahara Racing team where he raced in the Formula BMW and the Formula V6, he is ready to move on.

“The single-seater Indy Car Series in the United States excites me. I have spoken to a few people and a test drive is being arranged. But there is Europe too the traditional home of racing where there is the Formula 3 and Formula Masters.

“I need to move on to another level. Try new things and test new environment in my quest to become a better driver,” said Grunwell.

Should he leave Meritus, who he fi rst joined in early 2005, it will be done in the comfort that he has been trained well and taught properly.

People like Peter Thompson, the team founder and Firhat Mokhzani, the team manager who have done so much for Grunwell’s racing career sincethey plucked him from the go kart racing circuit of Thailand in December 2004.

Born to a English father and a Dutch mother, Grunwell has lived most of his life in Thailand where his dad has a construction business. He speaks Thai, loves Thai food and naturally began his racing career in Thailand.

But it was only in the 2006 season when the My Qi-Meritus.Mahara Team threw him into the fray in the Formula BMW Asia series that Grunwell fi nally emerged from the shadows.

A third placed fi nish in the Rookie Championship and fourth overall has put his budding racing career under scrutiny. And he did even better in the 2007 season with a third overall fi nish including three wins and a dozen podium fi nishes.

“I have learnt so much at Meritus and I will always be grateful to the team. Especially Peter. I have been with him since 14 and he has taught me everything I need to know about racing; about life and about character building.

“But I need to move on and get as much experience as I can elsewhere. Motorsports in Asia is still growing and maybe after fi ve years elsewhere I can still come back here.

“But now I need to get a feel of racing in other parts of the world. The United States is a good option and the Indy car series sounds exciting. But wherever I go in the next step of my racing career I

know I will be equipped with some sound knowledge of what it takes to succeed in the very competitive world of racing,” said Grunwell.

Whatever lies ahead in his racing career in the years to come, Grunwell knows he will forever owe a note of thanks to the folks at the My Qi-Meritus.Mahara Racing team.

“The single-seater Indy Car Series in the United States excites me. I have spoken to a few people and a test drive is being arranged. But there is Europe too the traditional home of racing where there is the Formula 3 and Formula Masters.’

Grunwell determined to conquer America



There are big things on Ross Jamison’s young mind. The 18-year old is the overall winner of the

Formula BMW Pacifi c- a 17-race series designed to groom budding racing drivers to international stardom - but he wants more of the good stuff.

Europe beckons and Jamison is ready to take the plunge into the unknown. A British based Formula 3 racing team has shown interest in signing him up and after four years with the Malaysian based My Qi-Meritius.Mahara Racing team under the tutelage of Peter Thompson, he is ready to move on.

“It’s important for me to take the opportunities that come my way. I have to move on for the sake of my racing career. It has been four wonderful seasons under Peter with the Meritius racing team and I have learnt so much in that period.

“Peter has been like a father to me. I met him when I was fourteen and in the four years he has taught me so much on how to become a better driver.

“And the people at the Meritus team has been very helpful too. The little things you need to know about your car and the tyres which are all so important to a budding driver like me,” said the Hong Kong born Jamison.

There will be a tinge of sadness when he leaves but he reckons it’s time for him to test himself elsewhere under different circumstances.

“Motorsports in Asia is growing and have the potential to grow even further. Europe is the traditional racing hotbed and that’s where you built your career. Hard it may be for me to say good bye to Peter and the rest of the team but for my career sake, I have to move on.

“I am only 18 and I will give myself another fi ve years to make the cut into F1. That’s the ultimate for me,” said Jamison.

His dad, a pilot based in Hong Kong, is proud of Jamison’s driving career so far. From the very fi rst time he took junior onto a Go-kart in Hong Kong, he has seen his boy

ROSS JAMISON

There are big things on “And the people at the

Jamison ready for European challenge

“And the people at the Meritus team has been very helpful too. The little things you need to know about your car and the tyres which are all so important to a budding driver like me.”



Jamison ready for European challenge

taking giant steps forward in his bid to become a F1 driver.

Jamison has done the Formula V6 and Formula Masters, the kind of races which almost all F1 drivers go through in the early days of their career, and now the Formula BMW.

There are more obstacles to conquer but there is the promise of bigger things in the fast lane to come for Jamison.

Meritus have a history of unearthing new F1 stars. Don’t be surprise if Jamison joins that elite list.



WHATEVER happens to Doru Sechelariu’s racing career in the years ahead he will always remember Singapore 2008 Grand Prix with great fondness.

It was in the island republic that the 17-year old Romanian teenager whizzed away with a rare double, taking the chequered fl ag on both occasion in the Formula BMW Pacifi c, a support race which is part of the historic Singapore GP in the making.

Long before darkness fell over the Singapore skyline in preparation for the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso to come on under the fl oodlights of the 5.067km circuit, Sechelariu showed what he is made off.

Racing under the Malaysian based My Qi-Meritus.Mahara banner, Sechelariu steered his fl aming red machine with absolute perfection

and blew away the rest of the opposition in the two races.

Not a bad investment on a rookie driver who was brought to Singapore by the My Qi-Meritus.Mahara Team leader Peter Thompson after the completion

of the Formula BMW European season.

“It has been an exciting trip so far. Racing in Singapore has been an eye opener, especially on a street circuit. I really like it. The atmosphere, the buzz of the crowd and of course the circuit where the corners are so tight, makes it so interesting. I would love to come back to Singapore,” added Sechelariu.

Still for Sechelariu, Europe is very much on his mind. He hasn’t had much success there by his own admission, fi nishing 15th out of 27 in the driver’s championship standing. But then again he is only into his rookie season.

“I am still learning. The

Europeans season is tough but driving in Asia is also tough too. But I am learning and the short stint with the My Qi-Meritus.Mahara team would be invaluable to my career,” he added.

Like most GP drivers, Sechelariu, born in Bacau, a city of 200,000 which lies 300km from the capital Bucharest started go karting at the age of eight. He was clumsy, fat and shy when his dad who owns a small paper factory and a transportation service in Bacau, bought his fi rst go kart.

But he has grown up and slimmed down as he chases his dream across Europe and part of Asia in his quest to reach the pinnacle of motor racing.

WHATEVER happens to Doru WHATEVER happens to Doru WHATEVER Racing of the Formula BMW European Europeans season is tough but

Sechelariu vows Singapore crowd

DARU SECHELARIUS


MERITUS

SINCE the successful conclusion of the 10th Petronas Formula One (F1) Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit (SIC), it has been said that Malaysia will see a boom in the development of the local motorsport industry. Malaysian-owned Meritus Team Founder and President Peter Thompson explains why he is upbeat about the industry in this part of the world.

Motorsport is big business in Europe and the United States, but in Asia, the multi-billion-dollar industry only started to take shape 10 years ago. With the rapid development of the automotive industry, experts say it could be the next big thing in Asia, with a money-churning potential currently only in the region of US$ 20-US$ 30 million for the provision of race engineering and championship management.

In Malaysia, analysts put the fi gure of national benefi ts generated at RM727.6 million over the past 10 years since the inaugural Grand Prix was held in Sepang in 1998, while the tourism spin-off from this major sporting event was estimated at RM1 billion annually.

According to Thompson, the founder of Meritus - the leading multi- dimensional sports marketing and race engineering services company based in Kuala Lumpur - when he fi rst set up his company 12 years ago, Asian motorsport was not on the radar screens of Europe. Ten years later, after Malaysia’s very own F1 SIC was completed, Singapore’s former Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, regretted that he had overlooked the potential of the industry.

SIC, covering a 5.542-km racing track, is said to be one of the best in the world. The fi rst country in Asia to host Southeast Asia’s fi rst F1 event, Malaysia won F1’s `Best

Grand Prix Circuit’ in 1999.Since then, we now have the

Chinese Grand Prix, the Bahrain Grand Prix and within two years, will have two more regional Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi and India. Asian motorsport is well on its way to equalling the values of its European counterparts.

Thompson says within the past decade, China has built six circuits, with each of these facilities hosting national and international events annually. Since the inaugural Bahrain Grand Prix, we have seen the growth of motorsport in the Middle East, which now has fi ve motorsport facilities.

“The momentum of the motorsport industry has already started with many young Asian motorsport careers already on track to F1,’ he enthuses, pointing out that Singapore is also forging ahead with its own Grand Prix in 2008 and is set to beat the world-famous Monaco GP as the location for corporate entertainment and product promotions.

In England, Thompson says, the industry is estimated to be worth something like US$2 billion a year.

“These fi gures include the manufacturing of the majority of the world’s racing cars supplying thousands of motorsport championships taking place weekly on many hundreds of circuits across Europe, whereas in Asia at the moment, there are only a handful of championships annually,” he adds.

With the industry linked to tourism and advertising budgets, Thompson says he has every reason to be upbeat about the industry’s potential growth in Asia, and Malaysian corporations should take advantage of motorsport sponsorship as an effi cient promotional medium for their products to reach a global audience.

With vast media coverage of motorsport events, brand visibility is foremost on Thompson’s mind when he talks passionately about the benefi ts that Meritus offers to corporate Malaysia, in terms of advertising dollars.

In Malaysia, within a span of fi ve months from July to November last year, Meritus had accumulated a total of 146 articles, with a regional total of 485 generating over US$9 million of print media advertising value. ‘With each article, there is brand visibility coming across from the pages of the print and electronic media,’ he says.

“The next big icon is Malaysia’s very own 15-year-old Jazeman Jaafar - possibly the youngest - who came fi rst in the 2007 Formula BMW Asia with Meritus,” he says. “By comparison, the cost of training someone like Jazeman in Asia would cost a family US$200,000 in Asia, whereas in Europe, it could be twice the fi gure. Yet, with the emergence of world- class racers like the teenaged Jazeman, it clearly proves that the quality of training in Asia or Europe is no different, and Jazeman has proved this is true with his fi fth place fi nish from 29 starters in his fi rst European event last week.

“It is a lot cheaper to train the racers in Asia, because of the lower cost structure, and Jazeman’s success in Europe will promote the benefi ts of Asian motorsport to young Europeans looking for a more cost-effective route to hone their racecraft for F1.”

The estimated cost to bring the racer through from Karting to F1 is around US$7 million to US$8 million. These costs are for the provision of race engineering services from teams like Meritus.

Malaysian Business

SINCE the successful conclusion Grand Prix Circuit’ in 1999. With vast media coverage of

ZOOMING IN

In Malaysia, within a span of fi ve months from July to November last year, Meritus had accumulated a total of 146 articles, with a regional total of 485 generating over US$9 million of print media advertising value. ‘With each article, there is brand visibility coming across from the pages of the print and electronic media.’


MERITUS MERITUS

HONG Kong-based group Qi Ltd, which boasts a market base of over three million

independent representatives and retail customers in both Asia and the Middle East, has injected a total of RM10 million into sponsorship of Meritus racers over the past two years.

The synergy which began between Qi and Meritus since the last leg of Formula V6 in Zhuhai, China in 2006 has brought so many mutual benefi ts for both sponsor and racer team that, within the next fi ve years, Qi expects to pump in an average of between RM5 million to RM7 million a year, depending on the economic condition, in its quest to promote motorsports in Malaysia.

Call this patriotism, but if its involvement in motorsports is capable of generating goodwill, boosting sales and reinforcing Qi’s brand image, the sponsorship defi nitely makes good business sense when adopted as a

Qi invests big in Meritus

mainstream marketing activity.Speaking to Malaysian Business

after a media conference to introduce this year’s Qi-Meritus racer in the Formula BMW Pacifi c series, 19-year- old Arvin Roslan to the media, Qi Ltd’s Director of Investment Management Kuna Senathirajah says most part of the RM10 million spent in the past two years has gone into sponsorships and other forms of hospitality and public relations programmes in Asia and the Middle East.

Has Qi discovered a creative way of marketing that has long been discovered by avid sponsors of Formula One and other Grand Prix in Europe and the United States?

A convinced Kuna believes that Qi has achieved its ultimate objective as Meritus’ Golden Title Sponsor.

“As a matter of fact, we notice a correlation between our annual sales turnover and Qi’s involvement in the motorsports since two years ago,’ he enthuses.

Just seeing 2,000 of its customers in Dubai wearing the Qi- Meritus shirts up on the stand during the GP2 Asia race recently was already a great feeling.

“It was like a family day environment, where our customers were able to interact with the Meritus team we had sponsored,” he elaborates.

“Qi has its own brand image and its core values. As part of our brand development, we have chosen to sponsor the motorsports on a long-term approach to project Qi’s image as a dynamic multinational conglomerate that is always spearheading into new territories. Five years ago, we would never have thought of motorsports, but since it is capable of reaching our market segment, we decided to give it a shot.”

It is well noted that 10 years after Malaysia’s very own Formula One Sepang Circuit was completed and the fi rst Petronas Formula One was held in 1999, a year construction began,

“Qi has its own brand image and its core values. As part of our brand development, we have chosen to sponsor the motorsports on a long-term approach to project QI’s image as a dynamic multinational conglomerate that is always spearheading into new territories. Five years ago, we would never have thought of motorsports, but since it is capable of reaching our market segment, we decided to give it a shot.”


MERITUS MERITUS

even Singapore has asked to be included in the Formula One race circuit recently. Its former Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew regretted that he had overlooked the potential of the industry.

Qi, which also began in 1998, with its headquarters in Hong Kong and an operations offi ce in Malaysia, today enjoys an annual turnover of US$500 million (RM1.55 billion) in e-commerce business. Its offerings are mainly high-end products targeted at the middle- class market segment in some 160 countries around the world.

“The nature of our business and our long-term strategy is to focus on the creation of world-class champions,’ quips Kuna. “We share the Meritus vision to develop young talents like Arvin who will hopefully someday emerge as world champions.”

For that, Qi has achieved its ultimate business objective as a major title sponsor.

Malaysian Business


Meritus Meritus

TR: What are your thoughts on the team’s debut season in the GP2 Asia last year?Steffen: I think it was a bold step given the fact that it was our first foray in the GP2 Asia series. I am extremely proud that we were and still are the only truly Asian team who had a relatively good performance in their rookie season.

I am proud of My Qi-Meritus.Mahara who put together an experienced and accomplished team that will surely produce quality results a second time around. They have a winning history with Formula BMW and Formula V6, especially in the rookie championships, so now its time to take what they’ve learned and apply it to winning the GP2

Asia series championship.

TR: What are the improvements that you expect to see in the team in the new season?Steffen: Seeing as this is the second time the My Qi-Meritus.Mahara team will work together, I think you will see the chemistry and synergy that developed during the first season. I believe this will be the defining moment where My Qi-Meritus.Mahara makes a name for itself, ultimately bringing Malaysia, their home country, to the world.

Earl Bamber made us proud when he became the youngest ever driver to have a podium finish in GP2 history when he clinched runners-up in the sprint race in China in October.

Qi and Meritus, a recipe for success

Joachim Steffen, Qi GP2 Project Director, has been following the progress of Malaysian-Saudi racing outfit, My Qi-Meritus.Mahara for the last several seasons.

He knows the ups and downs of motorsports means no team and no driver can ever be sure certain of winning until the chequered flag is waved.

But My Qi-Meritus.Mahara’s success story, 30 Asian titles in just 12 years, has convinced Steffen Qi has made a wise move investing in the only truly Asian team on grid for the GP2 Asian series.

He shares his thoughts with Track Record.


Meritus Meritus

about Qi LtdQi Ltd, a multinational conglomerate with regional offices in Malaysia, Hong kong, and Singapore, was established in 1998 to spearhead the development of a dynamic group of companies. The rapidly expanding QI Group of companies’ business portfolio covers retailing, travel and leisure to interactive marketing, technology, financial services, corporate investments, training and education, business consulting and logistics.

The Qi Group, through its subsidiaries and associate companies, has a presence in nearly 30 countries, including an operational headquarters in Malaysia, a marketing and product development team in Thailand and a telecommunications arm in the United kingdom. The Qi Group has over 1,000 employees, and a global customer base of more than three million spread across 160 countries. For more information, please visit <http://www.qi-ltd.com/>www.qi-ltd.com.

about QuestNetQuestNet is the flagship business of Qi Ltd and is a leading network marketing company serving almost four million entrepreneurs across the globe. Through its industry-leading marketing services, QuestNet is a distributor of wellness products, limited edition coins and medallions, watches and jewellery, holiday memberships, and technology products.

QuestNet is supported by an extensive network of representative offices and associate companies in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, South korea, Thailand, Taiwan, United arab emirates, India and Brazil. Find out more at <http://www.quest.net/>www.quest.net.

about The VV Global Management Sdn Bhd (The V) is an international marketing, training events, network management and development company focused on providing quality training to a growing number of global entrepreneurs. The V is headquartered in kuala Lumpur, Malaysia with offices and V Training centres (VTcs) in Philippines, India and canada. Its subsidiaries include V-Studios (Production company), GITa (Training academy) and Pr WorldWide Live (events company). The V is a member of the QI Group of companies. For more information, please visit <http://www.the-v.net/>www.the-v.net.

Bearing in mind, it was his only his second ever GP2 race,it was certainly a great achievement.

TR: Why did the company decide to get involved in motorsportsand how has it gained?Steffen: QuestNet, Qi’s flagship company, serves over 4 million network marketing Independent Representatives (IR) worldwide and we believe a parallel exists between motorsports and network marketing. Both career paths require discipline, passion, goal-setting, and an overall commitment to success. It’s that winning attitude that has brought QuestNet as well as My Qi-Meritus.Mahara to where we are today.

We have also found that our IRs really feed off the excitement connected to motorsports, especially in Malaysia and the Middle East. This ultimately translates into another way to motivate our IRs to perform at their highest level.

TR: What has been the single biggest impact of being involved in motorsports?Steffen: Performance. You

really see the passion and enthusiasm on the faces of our IRs while attending the race events. We have seen positive results following race weekends where our IRs have switched into a higher gear, ultimately enhancing their performance in the business. Motorsports is by far the ideal platform to inspire our representatives.

TR: What’s the next step for the company and how is it handling the global credit crunch?Steffen: During these difficult times, there is no other better business that can survive and weather the storm than network marketing. QuestNet provides people with an alternative to a traditional business. Think about it, millions could potentially lose their jobs and most will find network marketing to be their silver lining.

It’s also good to note that QuestNet started in 1998 when the economy in Asia was also very bleak, and look where we are today. We operate on the basic principle of enabling people to realise their dreams and that’s what keep us going.

“I am proud of My Qi-Meritus.Mahara who put together an experienced and accomplished team that will surely produce quality results a second time around.”


speedcar

THE SPEEDCAR Series had a great fi rst season which saw Englishman Johnny Herbert edging French ace David Terrien to the inaugural title after having more wins after they were level on 45 points at the end of the fi ve-round championship.

It was a great season of racing as no one was certain who would be the champion going into the fi nal race as Herbert, Terrien, Jean Alesi and Uwe Alzen all had realistic hopes of winning the title. In the end, Herbert was not to be denied as he dominated the fi nal leg in Dubai.

“Motorsport is still very young in UAE but I do feel that we have made a great start in bringing motorsport with Speedcar and GP2 to the attention UAE, then when F1 races in Abu Dhabi this will again make the region even more aware of motorsports. I hope that this will get new race fans coming to the Dubai Autodrome and Motorcity,” said Herbert.

The former Formula 1 driver certainly had a point as the Speedcar and GP2 races have made the Dubai Autodrome the place to be for race enthusiasts in

THE SPEEDCAR Series had THE SPEEDCAR Series had THE SPEEDCAR

speedcar series a big hit


speedcar

the middle east.For Season 2, the Speedcar

Series is making the prize money more attractive to teams and drivers alike. The U$3 million dollar prize pot includes US$500,000 to the winning championship driver and an additional US$500,000 to the winning championship team.

Speedcar Series will commence Season 2 on 4-6 December, 2008 at the Dubai Autodrome and run six rounds in the Middle East and Asia, two of which coincide with the Malaysia and Bahrain Grand Prix.

Drivers will also win pre-determined amounts of money for each of the 12 races through the season. As an added incentive drivers on pole position for each of the 6 rounds will be awarded US$10,000.

The new prize money structure is the highlight of the “Team entry information packs” that Speedcar Series is releasing to potential new teams and drivers.

Apart from information about the Series and statistics from its debut season, the team information pack comprises of practical information for Season

2 including the team lease fee for Speedcar Series.

This year teams can lease two Speedcars for all 6 rounds. The cars will also come equipped with tools, spare parts, 3 sets of slicks and 1 set of rain tyres per event per car, technical support from the Series, logistics transportation from circuit to circuit for the cars and equipment as well as season team and VIP passes.

All the race action will be captured by 8 on-board and in-board cameras, produced by Formula One Communications and beamed worldwide.

Speedcar Series will commence Season 2 on 4-6 december, 2008 at the dubai autodrome and run six rounds in the Middle east and asia, two of which coincide with the Malaysia and Bahrain Grand Prix.


Meritus

The economic crunch may be hitting people’s wallets around the world, but the chairman of the Dubai Autodrome is confident his circuit will continue to grow and host many more major racing events.

Saeed Khalfan, who has been working tirelessly to promote motor racing in the Middles East, said everything is in place financially, for Dubai Autodrome to continue to shine as a beacon for motorsports enthusiasts in the Middle East.

“I know many people are worried about the economic crunch but I would like to assure motor racing fans that all our proposed events, such as the Speedcar and GP2 Asia Series will go on as planned,” he said.

“Our academy is also doing a good job. Our aim is to help make motorsports the most popular sporting event in the Middle East. We have also been helped by the decision to hold Formula One races in Bahrain. We have benefited from the publicity and

Dubai Autodrome in safe hands

we hope to continue doing our bit for motor racing.”

For the record, the Dubai Autodrome was the region’s first fully integrated motorsports facility. The complex, a part of the Union Properties Motorcity development, not only includes an FIA sanctioned 5.39km circuit, which offers six different configurations, but also incorporates a Race & Driving school and a CIK approved Karting track.

Officially inaugurated in October 2004 when it hosted the final round of the FIA GT Championship, the Dubai Autodrome is designed to accommodate all types of

motosports events from world class to local. This multi-purpose complex also serves as an ideal setting for concerts and corporate events, whether conferences, seminars, or motoring exhibitions.

Built to world-class standards, the Dubai Autodrome offers manufacturers and racing teams a perfect location for testing, prototype development, vehicle demonstrations, product launches, driver training, and hot weather car research for international manufacturers.

On his future plans for the circuit, Saeed said: “Obviously, we would love to host a Formula One race but with Bahrain already hosting one and another at Abu Dhabi from 2009, the odds are quite slim.

“That has not deterred us from continuing to put on a grand show for the GP2 and Speedcar series. We are proud and happy our region has got two Formula 1 races and we will continue to help our neighbours to promote their events.”

“That has not deterred us from continuing to put on a grand show for the GP2 and Speedcar series. We are proud and happy our region has got two Formula 1 races and we will continue to help our neighbours to promote their events.”

“I know many people are worried about the economic crunch but I would like to assure motor racing fans that all our proposed events, such as the Speedcar and GP2 asia Series will go on as planned.”

Meritus




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MERITUS MERITUS DRIVER

FORMULA ONE supremo, Bernie Ecclestone, wants to radically change the way a driver is crowned overall winner.

The Englishman wants to change the format to make races more exciting and ensure drivers go all out for victory rather than driving strategically to bank points and secure the title.

Instead of awarding 10 ponts to the winner, eight to the runners-up and six to the third placed fi nisher, Ecclestone has suggested that gold, silver and bronze medals be awarded to the top three drivers.

Under the new proposal, the eventual world champion would be the driver who amassed the most

gold medals. Currently, points are also awarded to drivers from fourth to eighth.

Points, however, will still be awarded to the teams for the constructors’ championship on the basis of the current system.

“The whole point will be, when they get to Melbourne for the fi rst race, the guys will want to leave there with a gold medal,” Ecclestone told The Times of London newspaper. “They don’t want to leave with 10, eight or six points.”

This season, McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton fi nished fi fth in the Brazilian GP to win the title by one point from Ferrari’s Felipe Massa. If the gold medal system was in place,

Massa would have been declared the winner as he won six races to Hamilton’s fi ve.

Speaking to the media, the 78-yar-old added: “Everybody is happy with the idea, they are all very supportive. I’m absolutely 100 per cent sure it’s the right way to go, it’ll get the drivers overtaking.”

Ecclestone said awarding gold medals instead of points will make F1 more exciting as drivers no longer will settle for fi nishing outside the top three to win the drivers’ crown.The idea has yet to be presented to the FIA’s world motor sport council however, with the next meeting scheduled for Monaco on Dec 12.

Racing for medals

“Everybody is happy with the idea, they are all very supportive. I’m absolutely 100 per cent sure it’s the right way to go, it’ll get the drivers overtaking.”


DRIVER

Sato’s high hopesFormer Meritus driver

Takuma Sato has high hopes of competing in Formula One next season.

Without a team since Super Aguri shut down after the Spanish Grand Prix in April, the Japanese ace hopes to get a place in the Toro Rosso set-up for the 2009 season.

With Sebastian Vettel departing for Red Bull Racing next season, and speculation still surrounding Sebastien Bourdais’ future at Faenza, the former Jordans, BAR

and Super Aguri driver remains in the running for race seat next season, although the rumour mill insists that he faces opposition from various quarters.

Among Sato’s possible rivals are Red Bull Sebastien Buemi - who whispers claim is set to graduate from GP2 next year - Bruno Senna and currentHonda veteran Rubens Barrichello, as well as Bourdais, who team boss Gerhard Berger admits raised his game substantially in the second half of the season and remains a valid contender for 2009.

Always the optimist, Sato said he has never given up of returning to the pinnacle of motorsports.

“I never had any intentions to quit or retire from Formula One. My manager has been working hard to secure a deal for me and I’m glad I’ve been given a chance to test for Toro Rosso,” he said.

“It was a diffi cult time at Super Aguri. Financially, it was hard on everyone and it was sad when it ended the way it did.I see many ex-Aguri team members in the paddock now with other teams, which shows that we did a good job, otherwise other teams would not hire them.”

“I never had any intentions to quit or retire from Formula One. My manager has been working hard to secure a deal for me and I’m glad I’ve been given a chance to test for Toro Rosso.”





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