BMW's withdraw from the Formula One series at the end of this year will leave a gap in the FIA's lineup, a gap Malaysia and Lotus F1 Team are all too eager to fill. In a joint venture between the Malaysian government and Proton Motors (Malaysia's home-grown automaker and current parent company to Lotus Cars), as well as numerous other businesses will see the genesis of 1Malaysia F1 in the 2010 season. While there is much excitement about the first new Lotus chassis to hit the tarmac in nearly fifteen years, major concerns about funding have begun to arise. Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak may have been a little short sighted with 1Malaysia F1; only the most budget minded teams squeak by at US$45.6 million a year (RM 158.7 million). The major players in F1... Ferrari, cough, cough... spend upwards of US$445.6 million, which translates into RM 1.55 billion. And that's just for the team's operating costs. 1Malaysia F1 is also looking to move its headquarters to Sepang International Circuit, which also means a wind tunnel, R&D center, offices, and all other miscellaneous bits of infrastructure needed to run the team. The costs incurred by this little venture will be anywhere from the hundreds of million Ringgits, to billions. Prime Minister Razak, from one race fan to another, is it really worth hemorrhaging that kind of change for what? A yellow* Lotus and a name?
*Yellow is Malaysia's official International Auto Racing Color
By Caleb B. Ray
Source: The Sun Daily
Image Credits: Lotus Enthusiast
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