Lotus F1 team chief launches scheme for aspiring young drivers

Tony Fernandes' dream is to see technical wizard Ross Brawn and Formula 1's rising star Sebastian Vettel in his Lotus team one day, alongside an Asian face.

Many would say that is far-fetched.
But maybe they will not baulk when the AirAsia boss claims a Singapore driver could be among the mix of Malaysian and Asean drivers in his Lotus team within the next 10 years.
Fernandes made the brave prediction yesterday at his airline's academy near the Sepang International Circuit, where he introduced Singapore's Daim Hishammudin and Nabil Jeffri of Malaysia as the first two youngsters in AirAsia's Asean Driver Development Programme.The programme will provide a direct route into Formula 1 and towards the Lotus F1 team, which Fernandes resurrected last September, as well as the British-based Williams outfit, which has AirAsia as a sponsor.

"If there is one sport I believe we can compete in with the rest of the world because of our physical stature, it is motorsport," said Fernandes."We have the mental ability and good brains, and the successful Formula 1 drivers are smart, like Nico Rosberg who has a Masters in Physics."Daim, who has won several junior karting competitions in Malaysia, clinched a lucrative sponsorship deal from Malaysian banking giants CIMB earlier this year. He will make his debut in the Asian Karting Championships in the Philippines in June.
The 11-year-old's inclusion in the AirAsia programme means he could become Singapore's first Formula 1 driver.
"It's either Formula 1 or nothing else for me," said Daim. "It is the only dream I have and if I can't make it, then I will find a job doing something else, maybe an engineer in Formula 1.
The event yesterday was attended by Singapore's High Commissioner to Malaysia, T Jasudasen, and Singapore Motor Sport Association (SMSA) president Tan Teng Lip.
"I am very delighted that in the process of searching for young talent in Asean, Tony has picked a young Singaporean in Daim to join a Malaysian as the first drivers to groom for Formula 1," said Jasudasen."We have to admit that Malaysia is well ahead in the motorsport industry. They started the Formula 1 races at Sepang in 1999 and are ahead of the pack. We are behind the curve but hopefully, we will catch up in time."

Fernandes admitted that motorsports is expensive and the only way for the region to excel is to pool resources.
He said: "It is important for Asean to work together then to do everything ourselves because to put a driver into Formula 1 is beyond the budget of many of our countries. We have to bring down these invisible walls.
Daim will come under the wing of former Formula 1 driver Alex Yoong, who has mapped out a long-term programme to get the youngster into the top race in motorsport. Malaysia's Yoong will send Daim to Europe annually for training, starting with a two-month stint before the end of this year, and has set a target for the Singaporean to start racing in junior open wheel races by the time he is 15.

TODAY, Ian da Cotta

Daim's gunning to be S'pore's first Formula 1 driver

He's 11, and is Singapore's brightest motor racing prospect.

Daim Hishammudin dreams of becoming the first Singaporean to pilot a Formula 1 car.

His father Hishammudin Hassan is now looking to arrange a meeting with the Ministry of Defence to discuss his future National Service schedule."I want Daim to drive under the Singapore flag because we are Singaporeans," said the 40-year-old Nestle senior manager, who has been based in Kuala Lumpur with his family since 2004."I have to sit down with Mindef very soon as Daim must serve NS when he is 18. That age is prime for any sportsmen and a break in his regimen could have dire consequences. My discussion with Mindef will point the way for Daim.

"With hordes of drivers all over the world setting their sights on Formula 1, competition for the handful of seats that open up every year is extremely keen.

Those who do get the nod are usually in their late teens or early 20s. That would obviously affect Daim if he is in NS.

He first made his mark in 2008 when he won Malaysia's Yamaha SL Cup for young rookie karters. Later that year, he resolved to become a Formula 1 driver after meeting McLaren-Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton before the inaugural SingTel Singapore Grand Prix. The youngster received valuable tips from the Englishman, who went on to win the world championship. In 2009, the Singaporean raised his stock when he clinched the Malaysia Challenge and the Rotax Asia Max kart series for 8 to 12-year-olds.Earlier this month, Malaysia's former Formula 1 driver, Alex Yoong, signed Daim to drive for his karting team, Axle Motorsport. He will compete in the Yamaha SL Cup Series across the Causeway and the Asian Karting Open Championship. Yoong also has plans to take him to Europe for competition.

The youngster's talent has caught the eye of a corporate giant in Malaysia, who want to finance his racing career. The announcement of the deal with the young driver will be made here on Wednesday.Said Daim: "I want to race in Formula 1 and I have been training hard for this. I am more than prepared to give all my time up for racing to get there. "But my dream is to race for Singapore and I want to do National Service because I think it will be quite fun.

"Dad Hishammudin wants to work with Mindef to find a way for his son to fulfil his NS obligations without disrupting his racing career."I spent the first seven years of my working life as a professional soldier and an officer in the SAF and I loved every minute of it. I believe very strongly that every male Singaporean should do National Service," he said."For now I have some ideas based on my own experience in the army because I believe at this moment in time Singapore and Mindef are ready to recognise contributions (from athletes), because we do want to excel in sports."

Ian De Cotta