Smaller Isn't Always Better: Catalyst Simulations Could Lower Fuel ...

Smaller Isn't Always Better: Catalyst Simulations Could Lower Fuel Cell Cost

September 22, 2009

Imagine a car that runs on hydrogen from solar power and produces water instead of carbon emissions. While vehicles like this won't be on the market anytime soon, University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers are making incremental but important strides in the fuel cell technology that could make clean cars a reality.

Materials science and engineering assistant professor Dane Morgan and Ph.D. student Edward (Ted) Holby have developed a computational model that could optimize an important component of fuel cells, making it possible for the technology to have a more widespread use. Essentially, they investigate how particle size relates to the overall stability of a material, and their model has shown that increasing the particle size of a fuel cell catalyst decreases degradation and therefore increases the useful lifetime of a fuel cell.

Fuel cells are electrochemical devices that facilitate a reaction between hydrogen and oxygen, producing electrical power and forming water. In the type of fuel cells Morgan is researching, called proton exchange membrane fuel cells, or PEMFCs, hydrogen is split into a proton and electron at one side of the fuel cell (the anode). The proton moves through the device while the electron is forced to travel in an external circuit, where it can perform useful work. At the other side of the fuel cell (the cathode), the protons, electrons and oxygen combine to form water, which is the only waste product.

Though the premise sounds straightforward, there are multiple hurdles to producing efficient fuel cells for widespread use. One of these hurdles is the catalyst added to aid the reaction between protons, electrons and oxygen at the cathode. Current fuel cells use platinum and platinum alloys as a catalyst. While platinum can withstand the corrosive fuel cell environment, it is expensive and not very abundant.

To maximize platinum use, researchers use catalysts made with platinum particles as small as two nanometers, which are approximately 10 atoms across. These tiny structures have a large surface area on which the fuel cell reaction occurs. However, platinum catalysts this small degrade very quickly.

"The stability of bulk versus nanoparticle materials can be understood intuitively by thinking of cheese," says Morgan. "When you leave a large chunk of cheese out and the edges get crusty, the surface is destroyed, but you can cut that off and there is still a lot of cheese inside that is good. "But if you crumble the cheese into tiny pieces and leave it out, you destroy all of your cheese because a larger fraction of the cheese is at the surface."

Rapid catalyst degradation means the fuel cell doesn't last long, and the U.S. Department of Energy estimates fuel cells must function for 5,000 hours, or approximately seven months of continuous use, to be practical for automotive energy solutions.

Morgan and Holby, who are working in collaboration with Professor Yang Shao-Horn from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have found a possible solution to the rapid degradation problem: When it comes to catalyst particle size, sometimes smaller isn't better.

Their modeling work, which is funded by 3M and the U.S. Department of Energy, shows that if the particle size of a platinum catalyst is increased to four or five nanometers, which is approximately 20 atoms across, the level of degradation significantly decreases. This means the catalyst and the fuel cell as a whole can continue to function for much longer than if the particle size was only two or three nanometers.

The research into the fundamental physics of particle size will be useful as scientists extend their platinum studies to exploring platinum alloys, which can reduce platinum consumption when used as fuel cell catalysts. Morgan is beginning to research models to study size effects on the stability of platinum alloys, such as copper-platinum and cobalt-platinum catalysts.

"Fuel cells are just one of many energy technologies — solar, battery, etc. — with enormous potential to reduce our dependence on oil and our carbon emissions," says Morgan. "Computer simulation offers a powerful tool to understand and develop new materials at the heart of these energy technologies."

SOURCE: University of Wisconsin-Madison

2010 Mitsubishi Outlander EX spotted testing in China

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The original Mitsubishi Outlander was produced in China via the Beijing-Mitsubishi tie up, but this has since gone out of production and has been replaced by the newer imported Outlander. The 2010 Outlander, complete with gigantic grill, is expected to launch in China in the new year. The 2010 version is expected to be a 2.4l 4 cylinder to 3.0l V6 model. Mitsubishi has raised power of these particular engines by around 10%, giving the 3.0L V6 a total power of 169kw/230bhp.

The 2010 version has already been spotted out testing in China:

The 2010 is expected to formally launch in mid to late October this year.

You might find these other posts of interest:

Investor claim Lotus F1 venture commercially viable

Datuk Kamarudin Meranun (left) says his and Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes� involvement in the F1 venture is on a personal capacity.

Proton, meanwhile, will have the opportunity to re-position Lotus on the F1 platform after the British subsidiary�s exit from the race in 1994.

�This is a smart partnership between the GLCs (government-linked companies) and entrepreneurs in the true form of one Malaysia,� Kamarudin added.

Kamarudin, who is also deputy chief executive officer of AirAsia Bhd, said his and (AirAsia CEO) Fernandes� involvement was on a personal capacity and �has nothing to do with AirAsia�.

Their investments would not impact AirAsia�s current sponsorship of AT&T Williams, another F1 team, as that collaboration was purely on branding, he said.

An initial amount of �10mil (about RM57mil) had been invested for the development of the Lotus F1 vehicle, as the car had to be approved by the International Automobile Federation for next year�s race, he added.

He acknowledged more investment would be required but declined to disclose the amount, saying that the project was still in its infancy stage.

Meanwhile, most automotive analysts expect the initiative to benefit Proton the most in terms of publicity and marketing leverage as F1 is the most watched sports in the world.

MIMB Investment Bank analyst Rosnani Rasul said the investment size could be insignificant in comparison to the leverage that the country and Proton could gain from the sport.

�The Sepang F1 Circuit, for example, has already recouped its investment after three years. We�re sometimes too cynical to see the intangible benefits,� she said.

Given that Proton was aggressively moving into Indonesia, Iran and Australia, this could be one way to publicise the brand and put it on the global landscape, Rosnani said, adding that it was the right step in the right direction.

OSK Investment Bank analyst Ahmad Maghfur Usman, meanwhile, said Proton�s investment portion might be limited to advertising and promotion activities.

�So far, there is no indication that Proton would be funding it, as it�s supported by the Government and several entrepreneurs,� he said.

Rosnani said even if Proton need to provide funding, it was unlikely to be an issue as it had a huge budget for research and development, or it could source from Lotus.

A head of research, noting that Lotus was known for making performance-driven cars, said: �If Lotus could regain its old fame, it could derive value for Proton, which it could cash on later.�

Proton officials, when contacted, declined comment.

Related Stories:
Malaysia is entering a team for F1 next year; what is the purpose?

Lotus F1: World's most expensive paddock club pass?

SEPT 20 — Alex Yoong. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you see the name? If you’re anything like the average Malaysian, Yoong’s name will have become practically synonymous with an internationally broadcast debacle.

Which is a bit of a shame, really. Although Yoong did not make a very strong case for himself in that, the pinnacle of motor racing, he’s actually quite a handy racer. His numerous wins in touring cars are testament enough to his skill and talent behind the wheel. Make no mistake, Yoong was good. Just not good enough for F1.

I admit I was one of those baying for blood after I watched a struggling Yoong — running sixth in a Melbourne GP that looked more demolition derby than Formula One — meekly make way for seventh place Mika Salo, surrendering without a fight what would have been the sole championship point of his career. That was simply too much.

From then on, Yoong’s Formula One career was one embarrassment after another. It came to the point that television commentators, usually quite reverent of F1 drivers, began ridiculing him. The ignominy of it all...

After Yoong lost his F1 drive, I thought he would be consigned to oblivion. Who would want to be associated with a virtual emblem of failure? To his credit, Yoong persevered. For a time, he languished on the sidelines, with part-time drives in minor series, before he finally redeemed himself with a stellar showing in A1GP.

I’ve grown to respect the man. Not for what he did in Formula One, but for what he’s done since. A lesser person who have been crushed by the negativity of an entire nation weighing on him. Enough to maybe make peace with god before going down on a 12-gauge. Not Yoong; he got on with life, got on with the job.

Many, probably most, still associate Yoong with his craptacular performance in Formula One. That’s how life is: when you do good no one remembers, when you do bad no one forgets. And that’s also probably why the upcoming Lotus/1 Malaysia/<insert name here> Formula One team has been so poorly received.

And I don’t even begin to blame them. Politics and innuendos of public monies being railroaded to fatten some crony’s pockets aside, Formula One is no free ride in the park. So far, we’ve heard figures ranging from RM160 million to RM1.6 billion being talked about as the annual cost of running the team.

The higher end is, of course, what it costs for the teams that want to win. The lower range is, unfortunately, what it’ll take just to come along for the ride. Remember also that this number is only what it will take to run the team. To set it all up, well, that’s going to be quite a bit more.

So where do we want the team to be? Actually challenging for victory or are we happy if we don’t end up holding the wooden spoon? Which then begs the question: If we’re not in it to win it, why are we even doing it at all? Just to be there? To simply make up the numbers? If that’s the case, I can’t see how it would be positive to have Malaysia associated with also-rans, unless that’s what the government is planning to market the country as: mediocre at best.

Because Proton is involved, there’s also talk of “technology transfer”. But seeing as A) they already own Lotus and B) the only thing an F1 car has in common with a road car is they both have four tyres and a steering wheel, you’ve got to wonder just what kind of technology is going to be transferred. Probably the kind that makes better badges — “Handling by Lotus F1”, that’s got to be worth another couple of thousand cars a year at least.

You know how all the companies that sponsor F1 (even if it’s just some sticker on a driver’s helmet) will tell you how their products have “F1 technology” or are developed from “experience earned on the race track”? Not to put it too bluntly, it’s all bullcrap. Nothing in F1 gets into your car, and nothing from your car is used in F1. It’s all chalk and cheese.

I have no idea how much money this entire exercise will cost Proton, but when comparative giants such as Honda and BMW cannot justify the expenditure, can Proton really do so? Also consider that these companies sell on a global scale, so they’ve got even more reason to be there. Proton, well, I guess we’re about due for another Special Edition...

Right now, the details are still sketchy so it’s too soon to point the finger of death at Lotus/1 Malaysia/<insert name here> F1. Maybe it’ll all get going without the risk of us having to read about a RM12 billion Lotus/1 Malaysia/<insert name here> F1 scandal a decade from now.

Maybe they’ll actually figure out some way to get up to speed without putting Alex Yoong at risk of losing his status as the butt of every joke involving a Malaysian F1 entry. If they do, they could probably sell the blueprint to Toyota, god knows they could do with one.

Right now, however, I can’t help but think the happiest man in the world goes by the name Alex Yoong.

Proton pleased with Spain improvement

From Jouni Tikanen [ 6/13/2001 ]. Click to read all other Rally News.
 

This introduction is meant for both those who don't yet know World Rally Championship but can also give something to more experienced fans. It is a complement to the Rally Glossary in which certain things are explained in depth.

The WRC

If you're new to the FIA World Rally Championship (acronym: WRC), this

article is a perfect place to start with. Since I don't believe that too many genuinely new people find their way first into my site, I try to include a bit of more advanced material into this too. So unless you're real expert you might find something interesting here. Also note that while this article covers some basics, more info can be found at glossary of rally terms and if you still have questions after reading these, don't hesitate to ask on via the general message board. There will surely be someone there that will be glad to answer your question.

What is it all about?

Rallying is a form of motorsports that is run over ordinary roads rather than in specialized circuits used in Formula One or off-road environment used in endurance events like Paris-Dakar.

In distinction to rallycross in rallying drivers compete against the clock, not directly against the other drivers.

And in distinction to rally-sprints, stages used in rallying are much longer (up to 40 to 50 km, average being 10 to 30 km) and special co-drivers are used to call pace notes.

Under current rules, each competitor starts into the stages with two minute intervals (applies to works drivers only, private drivers start with one minute intervals) so under normal circumstancies competitors see each others only at the start and finish of the stage.

Who runs the show?

There are four important parties involved. First one is FIA, the ruling body. It's the same body that makes also rules for Formula One, for example. Their role is only to make rules and govern, they do nothing else. Commercial rights to the WRC has been sold to International Sportsworld Communicators (ISC) which is owned by David Richards. They do all promotion, filming and distribution in relation to whole championship.

Thirdly there are manufacturers or teams, who design, build and run cars in the championship.

They are required to enter two cars in every event (but can enter more if they wish) but may name different drivers in each event. There are rules for new teams who have option to contest 25% of events in their first year, 50% in second year and all in third and subsequent seasons. Fourth party are event organizers who are independent organisations around the world and it is their job to organise event under FIA rules. There are as many ways of accomplishing this as there are events, some are free for the spectators while some use tickets. Some attract up to 150 entries while some are restricted to 60 entries (a trend for smaller entries is FIA's current wish).

Click here to read the next page

 

S'pore PR abducted, robbed, beaten in JB. Robber says: Robber says ...

A ROUTINE courier delivery from Johor Baru to Singapore turned into a harrowing 2 1/2-hour nightmare for a Singapore permanent resident (PR) early Friday morning.

Mr Shankar (not his real name) was abducted, robbed of his car and money, and beaten up by at least four men.

He was bundled into the boot of his car, then told he would be stuffed into a bag and thrown into the sea off Pasir Gudang.

The 50-year-old had clinched a contract earlier this month to deliver mail for a courier service between JB and Singapore.

Mr Shankar (we are not publishing his real name as he fears the incident could affect his courier business) was to send packages from the company's warehouse in Paya Lebar to another warehouse in Tampoi, JB, at night.

He would then collect another batch of mail for the return trip the next morning.

On Friday morning, Mr Shankar stopped his four-year-old Hyundai Sonata at a traffic junction near the Johor warehouse at about 6.15am when a motorcyclist stopped next to his car.

'He waved a pair of handcuffs at me and motioned me to stop by the side of the road,' recalled Mr Shankar, who has been in the courier business for more than 20 years.

'He was wearing a cap with the letters 'Pol' underneath his helmet, so I thought he was a policeman.'

Not suspecting anything, Mr Shankar stepped out of his car.

'Immediately, a Proton Wira drove up to us. Two men got out of the car,' said the Kuala Lumpur native, who has been a Singapore PR for the last 15 years.

Mr Shankar claimed that the two men forcibly handcuffed him before bundling him into their car.

'They said 'I suspect you, follow us back to the police station' in Bahasa Melayu. But when I asked them what they suspected me of, they just said 'You speak to my tuan (sir in Bahasa Melayu)',' he said.

Mr Shankar was sandwiched between the two men in the back seat as a third man drove for about 20 minutes towards Pasir Gudang.

The car then made a right turn. That made him suspicious.

'I saw a road sign that directed drivers to turn left to the police station, but the driver turned right onto a dirt track instead,' he said.

'I asked them why they are turning right and one of them said 'We are going behind the police station to settle this'. I thought they were taking a different route to the station and did not question them further.'

About 10 minutes after the right turn, the men stopped the car at an isolated area.

They took Mr Shankar's ring, his watch, about $300 and RM3,000 ($1,200), which was meant as a Hari Raya advance for his Malaysian staff.

'I asked them why they are taking my wallet, my ring and my watch, and one of them said 'We are just going to keep it first',' he said.

A fourth man then arrived in Mr Shankar's car.

Covered his head

One of the men put a sack over Mr Shankar's head and shoved him into his own car.

The men continued to drive for another 10 minutes or so before they made a second stop. Mr Shankar is not clear how many men were in the car at the time, or if the Proton followed them.

'When they took the sack off my head, I saw that we were near the sea. I could see the wharves in the distance.'

The men emptied four bags of courier mail from MrShankar's boot and shoved him into the compartment.

'It was very dark and I couldn't breathe, so I shouted at them to let me out. After about 10 minutes one of them opened the boot, hit me on on the nose with a pipe and told me to shut up.'

The men continued talking for several minutes before opening the boot and demanded the PIN of his Malaysian credit card, which they found among his belongings.

'One of them opened the boot and said 'Tell me the PIN or we will put you into a sack and throw you into the sea',' Mr Shankar said, cringing at the recollection.

'I kept telling them that I forgot my PIN. That was when another person found my bank book and told them 'No point hitting him, he only has RM28 in his account'.

'That probably saved my life, as they closed the boot and continued driving.'

When they stopped, his abductors took off his handcuffs and tied his hands with three cable ties they found in his car. They pushed him into a building with the sack still over his head, and left.

The 50-year-old managed to wriggle out of his bounds, trekked through the jungle to the main road where he hollered for help.

Mr Shankar only reached Singapore at around 7.30pm last night with his wife, brother and brother-in-law, after making a police report and getting temporary travel papers.

He had his injuries treated at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

Recounting the incident, his wife Madam Vani (not her real name) told The New Paper at SGH on Friday night: 'The first thing he said (over the phone) was 'I have been robbed, I have been beaten up'.

'I was really traumatised as I did not know the extent of his injuries. I have read reports of people being robbed and beaten up in Malaysia.'

Mr Shankar suffered a broken nose bridge, bruises on his right arm, right thigh and the back of his head. He was warded for observation and was discharged at about 7am yesterday.

When The New Paper visited their home at Potong Pasir yesterday afternoon, it was clear that Madam Vani was still shaken from the incident.

'When I had time to let everything sink in, I felt really bad about the whole incident. It was such a close shave,' said the 48-year-old civil servant, wringing her hands nervously.

'You always read about such incidents in the papers and you never think it could happen to you.

'I have to thank God for bringing him back alive, especially after what the men said about throwing him into the sea.'

After his ordeal, Mr Shankar is hesitant to continue with the night courier service.

He said: 'I have to honour the contract for this month and I haven't decided if I should ask my workers to take over the duties, as I don't have a car or passport now.

'I may also pass on the contract to other companies from next month. I don't know yet.'

 

 

How he escaped

HE was bound, beaten and bleeding, but he was determined to get home alive.

When Mr Shankar was thrown into a room and locked up by his captors, he waited for about five minutes after they left before trying to escape.

'The cable tie they used to tie me up had smooth edges, so I was able to wriggle out of them,' recalled the courier.

After he removed the sack over his head Mr Shankar realised that he was held in a power substation building, with generators and power cables around him.

'They did not latch the metal gate properly from the outside and I managed to rock the gate open after a few minutes,' he said.

The gutsy man did the same to the main gate of the compound and fled to the woods, fearing his captors would return.

'I hiked about a kilometre in the woods because I was afraid that they would come back for me,' he said.

'When I reached the main road, I managed to hail a passing motorcyclist who gave me a ride to a nearby town.

'But he could not help me further as he said he had to rush to work. I managed to hail a taxi, which brought me back to the courier company's warehouse in Tampoi.'

He reached Tampoi at about 8.30am and explained his ordeal to the staff there, before calling his wife Madam Vani (not her real name) in Singapore.

Madam Vani said: 'I was at work at the time but I immediately took time off work to go home and grab my passport, his birth certificate and PR papers.'

The 48-year-old civil servant also called her brother and brother-in-law. They met up with Mr Shankar at a Johor police station at about noon.

'He was pretty badly injured, walking with a limp, with dried blood on the face. But he did not want to see a doctor,' said Madam Vani.

'He just wanted to get his papers so that he could leave Malaysia. He did not even have any food until about 5pm on Friday.'

After recording his statement and obtaining his temporary passport, the group then made their way back to Singapore in Mr Shankar's brother's car at around 7.30pm.

They headed straight to their two-storey home at Potong Pasir, where the couple's three children - aged 23, 18 and 15 - were waiting.

First words: I'm alive

'Once he reached home, his first words to the children were 'I am alive'. And he broke down in front of them,' said Madam Vani.

'I have never seen him cry before.'

Recalling his trauma, Mr Shankar said: 'When they threatened to throw me into the sea, I thought 'This is it, I am not going to survive', and that was why I was so emotional when I got to see my children again.'

After the reunion, Mr Shankar went to a private clinic, where he was referred to the accident and emergency ward at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

He was discharged yesterday morning, pending a further medical examination next week.

- Lim Say Heng

 

 

'Just drive straight to police station'

INSIST on seeing the authority cards of those claiming to be policemen.

That's the advice Johor police chief Mohd Mokhtar Mohd Shariff has for motorists who are stopped.

But Mr Shankar disagrees. After what happened to him, he feels it is better to drive to the nearest police station instead of stopping.

Said Mr Shankar: 'Even if they say they are policemen and show their identification cards, just don't stop your car, don't open your doors or windows to these people.

'Just drive to the nearest police station and see if they follow you. At the station, if they question you for not stopping, just explain that you are worried after reading about what happened to me.'

A day before Mr Shankar was attacked, Johor police had nabbed seven suspects who masqueraded as policemen to stop motorists and rob them.

Mr Shankar's wife Madam Vani said: 'We want to warn Singaporeans to be more careful as these robbers are getting more creative.

'My husband has always been very careful, but it still happened to him. So it can happen to anyone.'

- Lim Say Heng

This article was first published in The New Paper.

 

F1 entry – good timing or big risk?

BMW Sauber Formula One crew pushing Nick Heidfeld�s race car past stacks of tyres at the Sepang International Circuit during the F1 race in April.

As the United States and countries across Europe and Asia are still trying to revive their economies, why would Malaysia choose this time to join one of the world�s most expensive sports? More importantly, who is forking out the money?

Let�s talk money

F1 is well known for its huge spending. The reported 2008 team budgets ranged from US$45mil to US$445mil (RM158mil to RM1.6bil) for sponsorship, supplier deals, prize money, team owner contributions, tyre provision and supply of customer engines.

In May, the Federation Internationale de L�Automobile (FIA), the ruling body of F1, decided to cap the budget for 2010 to �40mil (about RM228mil) in a bid to prevent more teams from dropping out and to encourage the entry of new contenders.

Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes, the AirAsia Bhd boss and one of the investors in 1Malaysia F1 Team Sdn Bhd, which owns the Lotus F1 team, told CNN in a recent interview that the budget cap, coupled with the huge F1 following, made it �a good time to join F1�.

His co-investor, as well as partner in AirAsia, Datuk Kamarudin Meranun concurs, calling the venture �a commercially viable one�.

While Lotus F1�s budget remains sketchy for now, Kamarudin reveals that an initial investment of �10mil (RM57mil) has been made to start the construction of the vehicle. �We�re starting mid-way. So we need to be quick to get the approvals for the car,� he says.

While FIA�s capped budget covers team expenditure, it does not include marketing and hospitality, remuneration for test or race drivers, fines or penalties imposed by the FIA, and engine costs, which may come up to few hundred million ringgit more.

It also does not include the setting up of the new headquarters at the Sepang International Circuit (SIC), for which 8,000ha to 12,000ha of land have been allocated.

An SIC official says the two- to three-year development cost for the state-of-the-art facilities for the new HQ could reach millions, or perhaps billions, of ringgit.

The funding of F1 teams is usually supported by sponsorship. Companies form tie-ups with the teams in various capacities for brand-building purposes.

Sir Richard Branson�s Virgin Group, for example, took up a substantial sponsorship deal for Brawn GP in March this year (Virgin�s involvement, however, ends in November).

Fernandes is not new to such arrangements since his low-fare carrier has a three-year partnership with the AT&T Williams team as its official airline since 2007.

The Lotus F1 team, one suspects, will follow the same marketing trend of searching for potential corporate sponsors. Since its entry is supported by the Government as an opportunity to profile the 1Malaysia theme, government-linked companies are likely to be roped in.

F1 a nationalism symbol?

Talking about country profile, motor racing started out as a country-based competition and eventually evolved into a commercial sport involving independent teams and car manufacturers.

The existing F1 teams do not have specific country identity, with the exception of Force India, which used to be Spyker F1 team before it was sold to a private consortium comprising Indian millionaire Vijay Mallya and successful European e-businessman Michiel Mol in late 2007 for 88 million euros.

Force India�s main sponsor is Kingfisher, the flagship brand of Vijay�s beer and aviation businesses. His conglomerate, the UB Group, has annual sales of over US$4bil and a market capitalisation of US$12bil. Forbes puts Vijay�s net worth at US$1.2bil, one of the richest in India.

The team uses an Indian flag in its logo but the drivers are non-Indians � Adrian Sutil is from Germany and newly promoted driver, Vitantonio Liuzzi, is Italian. The team is solely driven by its private-entity owners and does not involve any Indian government initiative.

Similarly, India�s hosting of the F1 Grand Prix in 2011 is also an initiative driven by individuals. The project owner, JPSK Sports Private Ltd, owned by the Jaypee construction conglomerate, is funding the circuit construction costs.

The Malaysian entry, in contrast, has the Government�s backing, although the idea of Lotus F1 was mooted by both Fernandes and Kamarudin.

�There�s an opportunity to participate (due to the spot vacated by BMW Sauber) and so we went ahead to conceptualise the idea of our own team, roped in SM Nasaruddin SM Nasimuddin (executive chairman and chief executive officer of Naza Group) and Proton, and approached the Prime Minister for his blessing,� explains Kamarudin.

�The concept of 1Malaysia is not limited to people. My view is that it should be extended, to encompass the partnership of the private sector and the Government.�

Separately, Fernandes says the entry is �great for Malaysia� as it will further utilise its �hardware� at SIC while developing �the soft side � drivers, engineers, management�.

But what about risks?

As with any investment, there will be financial risks. In this case, the millions of ringgit that will be spent to set up the F1 team is at stake. Some argue that the huge investments are well worth the money because of the brand recognition gained internationally.

National oil company Petronas claims its annual cost of sponsoring F1 is less than 5% of what it would cost to gain similar exposure. Last year, its exposure via F1 was valued at about RM1bil.

But Petronas� involvement is different as it does not run an F1 team. It supports BMW Sauber as its lubricant sponsor, and rightly so, since it�s in the oil business.

(It is uncertain if the national oil company�s sponsorship of BMW Sauber will continue since BMW has withdrawn from the team and Sauber does not have a firm entry for next year�s race.)

Aside from financials, there could also be the intangible risks. A poor performance may bring more detrimental publicity than the desired high profile.

Note that Malaysia�s first F1 driver, Alex Yoong, drove for the Australian-owned Minardi F1 team back in 2001 and 2002. Yoong only managed to finish five races out of the 11 in 2002, because of setbacks like engine, hydraulics and gear box problems.

Lotus technical director Mike Gascoyne is, nevertheless, confident of Lotus� future performance. He told the British press recently that Lotus F1 was �a very substantial team.�

Gascoyne has over 20 years� experience in the sport, having worked with Force India, Toyota, Renault and Jordan Formula One teams.

Still, it remains to be seen how Malaysians would feel, watching with millions of viewers worldwide, when Malaysia�s team finishes weakly, or perhaps not even completing races.

Lotus no newcomer to F1

The association of Lotus and F1 is not foreign. In fact, Lotus was a well-known participant in the glamorous sport in the 1960s. Between 1958 and 1994, the original Lotus team achieved 73 grand prix wins, 102 pole positions, six drivers� world titles and seven constructors� crowns from 489 starts, with illustrious names of the calibre of Jim Clark, Graham Hill, Sir Stirling Moss, Emerson Fittipaldi, Jochen Rindt, Mario Andretti, Ronnie Peterson, Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna, Nelson Piquet and Mika Hakkinen in its roll call of drivers.

Its success track record is mainly linked to founder Colin Chapman, who remained passionate about the sport until his death in 1982. Lotus� last F1 race was in 1994.

The Lotus company, meanwhile, had been struggling with financial difficulties and had different shareholders trying to revive its finances. Proton has been the major shareholder since 1996, but it has long been rumoured that it wants to divest its stake.

OSK Investment Bank, however, said Proton had no urgency to sell Lotus Cars as the subsidiary had returned to profitability since 2008 with net earnings of �1.5mil.

While the Government�s involvement in the Lotus F1 team is via Proton, analysts do not expect the national car company to offer financial support. Proton�s role in the F1 venture will mainly be as the coordinator for Lotus, says an analyst in a recent report.