Asian Motor Sports

A1 Team Malaysia was the victim of a mascot kidnapping at the Mexican round of the A1GP Series, with their Orang-utan, Allen, taken from the team’s garage to be replaced with a ransom note. After an absence for the remainder of the season, the team was finally reunited with Allen at the end of season awards ceremony, with the captors releasing him in time for the celebrations which marked the successful conclusion of the third season of the Series.

Allen joined A1 Team Malaysia at this year’s championship at the nation’s home event in Kuala Lumpur. Drivers Alex Yoong and Aaron Lim were part of an A1GP visit to the Orang-utan sanctuary in Borneo and brought Allen back from the island as a memento of their visit. Since this time he has travelled with the team, guarding the team’s car each night by sleeping in the cockpit. He has become a favourite with the team and fans, so when he was found to be missing at the last event, everyone was concerned for his welfare. It was not only the Malaysian team mascot that disappeared, with the USA, British and Canadian teams also having their soft toy mascots taken hostage.

The Malaysian team immediately rallied round to offer a reward for Allen’s safe return, but although there were a number of leads as to his whereabouts, there were no sightings of the lovable mascot. The team suspects that the pranksters were members of the A1GP community with a sense of fun.

Alex Yoong said at the time of the kidnapping, “Allen is a highly valued member of A1 Team Malaysia and we’re all very concerned for him. He’s always with us and is a firm favourite with everyone, so were really missing him. I hope that his kidnappers realise just how important he is to us and that they will have big hearts and let him re-join us in Shanghai.”

The team resumed their search for Allen in Shanghai, expecting to have him back in the team’s car for that event but it seems that the captors had other ideas. It is still not known where he spent his six weeks, but he was returned without any scars, much to the relief of everyone in the Malaysian team.

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