CAROTHERSASIAN FESTIVAL OF SPEED

AFOS: Meritus announce ambitious F1 plans

Meritus Racing has unveiled an ambitious plan to be ready to graduate to Formula One in 2016.

The Malaysian-based squad, which currently competes in GP2 Asia, Formula V6 Asia and Formula BMW Pacific, plans to be the first team to represent South East Asia, possibly in a Malaysian-built car.

Meritus has won 32 international titles over the past 12 years and is the only Asian team to compete in GP2 Asia. They are planning to step up to the main European series in 2011 as part of their continued climb up the motorsport ladder.

Plans also include the creation of a National Malaysian Motorsport Technical (NMT) centre to establish engineering excellence and train technical staff ready to design and produce formula cars with a view to designing an F1 car in 2016.

"Meritus are the only Asian team to be given an entry license to race in the GP2 Asia Series,” said Team boss Firhat Mokhzani. “We have invested RM25million to date and this is partly because of our engineering success and our 32 Asian motorsport titles, where we have dominated Formula BMW and Formula V6 series for the last six years. These are the Asian stepping stones to racing in the pinnacle of motorsports, Formula 1.

"Malaysia and Asian motorsport offer a very cost effective ladder for drivers to step up from karting and provide all the career steps for ambitious drivers focusing on F1. The big difference for Asian families following a lucrative sporting career for their child is that these Asian steps are at least 50% cheaper than similar European ladders.

"Meritus are planning to expand our current GP2 Asian operations to include GP2 Europe by 2011. Our GP2 teams will basically be the Malaysian National F1 Development team as well as training our Malaysian race engineers.

"The first goal is to develop our Malaysian Motorsport engineering technology and to develop a sustainable Malaysian motorsport industry for the export of formula cars to the multibillion dollar motorsport markets in Europe and North America. This will provide a sustainable profit generating industry which will absorb the development costs to structure and develop an engineering design team.

"We would be honoured one day to race as the National team in F1 and we hope to be ready to build our own F1 car with Malaysian engineers to achieve that goal by 2016.

"However our feet are firmly on the ground and our short-term goal is simple, to win races in GP2 Asia and to have a go at winning the 2010 GP2 Asia Championship. To do that, Meritus have already begun their search for top class drivers."

Watch Formula BMW Asia and Formula V6 Asia highlights as part of Motors TV coverage of the Asian Festival of Speed this winter.

Andy Wilkinson

Published 20/08/2009 12:15

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