A1 Team Malaysia which rated among the Top 10 in the world and last season was rated as the 6th best out of a field of 22 competitors. The idea of the A1 Team Malaysia was to bring Malaysians together to form a national racing team and it is currently in its fourth year of competitive racing. With the birth of the national Formula One team, the future of the A1 Team Malaysia remains in limbo because not only will the Formula One team be fishing from Team Malaysia’s pool of talent, the Formula One team will also be fishing for the same, limited sponsors. This effectively puts the A1 Team Malaysia in a difficult position.
The A1 Team Malaysia has been competing in the A1GP World Cup of Motor Sport for four years now and has consistently finished among the top 10 teams. It is also regarded as a potential championship title contender having been placed 6th overall out of 22 teams competing in last season’s race.
Jack Cunningham, CEO A1 Team Malaysia pointed out that his team's set up was actually in line with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia concept of a racially harmonious and performance-driven team.
While Cunningham is concerned with the competition for sponsors, he backed the country's move to have its own Formula One team.
“No one can expect instant or good track results. To be in the F1 in itself is something of an achievement. F1 is at the pinnacle of motor sports. If you can join an exclusive club, why would you not want to?” said Cunningham.
“It is definitely a bold move on the part of Tony Fernandes. Its impact is positive for some and negative for others.
"What is happening right now is such a big thing we’re not so sure yet exactly how it is going to impact us. It is not so clear at the moment,” said Cunningham.
He pointed out that A1 Team Malaysia’s funding could be affected in the near future as sponsors in the country are limited compared to the vast array of sponsors in countries like Japan and the US.
“With more attention and endorsement by sponsors to the 1 Malaysia F1 team, there may not be room for us in terms of future sponsorship contracts. A lot of prospective sponsors will be attracted by the F1 team,” said Cunningham.
The move to launch a Malaysian-owned Formula One team was recently made by Air Asia CEO Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes in a joint effort with government-owned Proton’s subsidiary Lotus.
source: themalaysianinsider.com.my ; zerotohundred.com
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