Asian Motor Sports

State owned oil company Petronas has backed away from apparent plans to support a national Malaysian F1 team.

Despite earlier noises from within the Southeast Asian country’s government, Petronas - the long time Sauber sponsor - says the A1 Grand Prix series has quelled the need for an all-Malaysian team.

With nationals Alex Yoong and Fairuz Fauzy at the single seater’s wheel, Malaysia fields a team in the new series.

“If you are looking to have a Grand Prix team by a nation,” Petronas’ Rosman Roslan told ESPN Star Sports, “I believe A1GP is covering that aspect. I believe Formula One is very much a corporate thing (rather) than a patriotic one.”

Roslan also said that Malaysia is already well represented in the Formula One world by annually hosting a Grand Prix in Kuala Lumpur.