PETALING JAYA: For the first time since 2002, Malaysia can look forward to having someone of their own to cheer for next year when 1MalaysiaF1 line up on the grid for the first race of the season in Melbourne.
The team are expected to name their two drivers for the world championships by Oct 31.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in announcing the entry of the Malaysian team yesterday said that six drivers had been shortlisted for evaluation.
“It will be up to the team whom they want to name,” said Najib, who did not deny that a Malaysian driver would take one of the slots.
And Fairuz Fauzy could be the one who will get the drive.
Fairuz’s campaign in the World Series by Renault championships in Europe is partly sponsored by Air Asia, whose chairman Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes is one of the prime backers of the Malaysian-owned F1 team.
The only Malaysian driver who has raced in a F1 car before was Alex Yoong, who competed for the now defunct Minardi in 2001 and 2002.
The 27-year-old Fairuz certainly has the ability to compete in the highest level of automobile racing and his participation comes with strong family backing.
His father, Mohd Fauzy Abdul Hamid, has been supporting his career from the early days when he started to go to Europe to compete in single-seater races.
Fairuz, who is now based in London and driving for Mofaz-Fortec, scored his first win in the World Series by Renault this year and he is now in eighth place in the overall standings.
Fairuz, who has also been on top podium in the A1GP series before, was named as a test driver for Spyker F1 in 2007.
The Sepang International Circuit (SIC) chief executive officer, Razlan Razali, said that it would be no surprise if Fairuz was awarded the race seat as he had already undergone an orientation test with F1 Renault at their base in Enstone in England.
“He has been targeting to move up to F1 for sometime and the opportunity is there. We don’t have many Malaysians who can drive a F1 car as they also have to get a super licence from the FIA,” he said.
If Malaysia opt to go for two drivers, Jazeman Jaafar is tipped to take up the slot.
Jazeman also comes with a good track record, showing his talent by becoming the first Malaysian and youngest driver to win the Formula BMW Asia series in 2007 when he was just 15.
Jazeman has just completed his second year of racing in Europe in the Formula BMW series but if anything, his age will be a deterrent.
He will only turn 17 in November and it is not sure whether FIA will agree to award him a super licence.
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