Malaysia seeks Proton partner

Malaysia seeks Proton partner

By Kevin Brown in Singapore

Published: October 29 2009 03:51 | Last updated: October 29 2009 03:51

Malaysia on Wednesday revived plans to find a foreign partner for Proton, the struggling state-controlled carmaker, as part of a national automotive policy that would also allow foreign manufacturers to set up wholly owned plants in the country to make up-market cars.

Mustapa Mohamed, the trade and industry minister, said the government hoped to resolve the Proton problem “soon”, but gave no indication which of many rumoured foreign partners might be close to a deal.

Officials say that Proton, formed 25 years ago as part of an industrialisation plan, has approached several overseas carmakers in an attempt to find a partner capable of using its significant spare manufacturing capacity.

Volkswagen had serious talks with Proton two years ago, but the discussions collapsed after the Malaysian government baulked at the German carmaker’s demands for a significant equity stake.

Other carmakers understood to have been approached by Proton include Renault of France and General Motors of the US. Proton and Khazanah Nasional, the state investment agency that holds a 42 per cent stake, have refused to comment on the talks.

Syed Mokhtar al-Bukhary, a Malaysian billionaire, is also thought to have expressed an interest in acquiring a stake in Proton, which might allow the government to restructure the company, without prompting the nationalist backlash that selling a controlling stake to a foreign manufacturer could trigger.

Mr Syed Mokhtar is a close associate of Mahathir Mohamad, the former Malaysian prime minister, who remains an adviser to Proton and a vocal defender of its protected position within the Malaysian market.

Mr Mustapa said that any foreign deal with Proton would need to increase Malaysian exports and make the country a production hub, as well as ensuring the transfer of the latest automotive technology and establishing research and development facilities.

“We would like to develop a more viable [auto] sector,” Mr Mustapa said. “We want Malaysia to be a hub. We want to be competitive.”

Mr Mustapa said the government would relax a freeze on new entrants into vehicle production, allowing new manufacturers to establish plants for passenger vehicles with an engine capacity of 1800cc and above, selling for at least M$150,000 ($43,600).

Manufacturing licences will also be available for pick-up trucks and commercial vehicles, hybrid and electric vehicles, and motorcycles with engine capacity of 200cc and above. No equity restrictions will be imposed, allowing foreign companies to own up to 100 per cent of fresh manufacturing ventures in these sectors.

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Abu Dhabi laps it up for Formula One

Dubai: Formula One kingpin Bernie Ecclestone sits behind the desk in his London headquarters staring at the autumn leaves tumbling onto the office garden but seeing in his mind's eye a golden glow building up around his Grand Prix show.

One surefire ruse to break the concentration and bring a smile to the usually stern countenance is to say: "Abu Dhabi." Or, more precisely: "The Grand Prix."

"Yes, Abu Dhabi," he responds, "I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to going there and seeing the job finalised and fit for what should be a tremendous spectacle on a completely different stage."

In pictures: F1 teams at a glance

The well-practised Ecclestone mantra is to water down expectation with doubt so disappointment, if it happens, will not be quite such a burden to bear — but he has departed from that outlook with high hopes, based upon firm belief and trust, that the Grand Prix finale will be a cracker.

"Whatever demands I and other influences have made on the organisers, the designers, the builders and just about everybody else have been met with a fine level of expertise, thought and good manners," he smiles.

"And I have every confidence they will have built a dream. All we need to put the icing on this lovely cake is a race to remember whether or not it is the championship decider. It will be exciting to leave off this season on a high note, based around a scene of magnificent achievement, as a reminder just how much of a thriller next season is shaping up to be."

Ecclestone's anticipation is shared by just about every established team, and the welcomed new ones, for a revival of the old eyecatchers of F1... most importantly, overtaking and side-by-side bravery at 220 mph in new wave cars.

Big money transfers

The all-change activity with drivers moving for big, big money in a transfer system to rival Premiership football will eke out this season's surprises and give 2010's grids a new look.

As the deposed champion Lewis Hamilton — one of the few guys to be staying put at McLaren — says: "With all the changes we should have all the fastest drivers in the fastest cars and that should make for a fantastic season."

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix live coverage

The mouth-watering prospect of Hamilton, and the notably quick Kimi Raikkonen in a vastly improved McLaren versus a revitalised Fernando Alonso and a returned-to-the-fray Felipe Massa in a freshened-up Ferrari with Robert Kubica let loose in what is sure to be a challenger of a Renault, should, indeed, be a treat to behold.

Ferrari's high hopes

Spaniard Alonso, anxious to recapture the form that carried him to two titles with Renault, was the late £30-million (Dh182 million) signing for the Italian legends and is as treasured a car-jockey for the Prancing Horse team as they have ever... ranking in prospect to legend Michael Schumacher.

The main men at Maranello, the team's HQ in Italy, reckon 28-year-old Alonso, on a three-year deal, could go on to match Schumacher's seven-title haul with both age, experience and out-and-out skill on his side.

"He knows how to win and how to do so with panache," says Ferrari boss Luca Montezemolo," he is a good capture for us. And with him and Massa in our line-up we should be a formidable force, in our old style, for next season."

He booted out gloomy Finn Raikkonen when his form flopped and his popularity among the guys in the garage faded and their motivation became threatened because of the 28-year-old's odd attitude compared vividly with the thoroughly likeable and warm Brazilian Massa.

A £12-million pay-off eased Raikkonen's exit — and he has been asking big money, maybe around £20 million, to link up with Hamilton, everybody's favourite at McLaren, in what could be a spikey partnership.

"There's a lot been going on all year," says Ecclestone," and too much of it, not good, we need to forget and put behind us. And aside from all the activity and changing of drivers and teams we must not overlook the excitement that should be generated with the new boys coming in. I reckon they will stir up a lot of interest and put some overdue action and overtaking back into the races."

Remember Lotus?

Four brand new teams are scheduled to join the F1 fray for next season — and it is a plunge that could spark a revolution of challenge among the also-rans with battles as fierce down the rankings as they are among the front-runners.

Read special coverage of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

So, who are the new kids on the cylinder block?

Most famously the grand old name Lotus... Britain's Ferrari... are to reunite with Cosworth engines 28 years since their last win as a glorious partnership.

Across the intervening years there have been plans to revive the racing marque — all fruitless. Now Lotus is co-owned by Proton and Air Asia tycoon Tony Fernandes, described by F1 team owner Sir Frank Williams as "unstoppable."

They have recruited former Renault, Toyota and Force India technical Guru Mike Gascoyne, as tough and bright a clear and cool thinker and planner as you could wish for, to lead them into the high-speed action.

Then there is Team USF1, the first all-American outfit since Penske pulled out in 1976. It is headed by one-time Renault team manager turned media man Peter Windsor and his partner, ex-Ligier technical boss Ken Anderson and will operate from Charlotte, North Carolina with a race-preparation centre in Spain.

Manor GP was the surprise name on the application sheet when the FIA opened up for new business. But don't expect to see their name on the car on the grid for the opener in Bahrain. The team will be re-branded Virgin Grand Prix with Sir Richard Branson piling in the money.

It is estimated he revelled in his initial investment of a knock-down $170,000 a race with worldwide TV coverage worth more $50 million with the Brawn cars being on screen for more than eight hours.

Little wonder Branson has jumped on the Grand Prix bandwagon with the Yorskhire, UK, based outfit headed by no-nonsense manager John Booth, a sometime Formula Ford battler with a tough outlook.

Manor is a team with a fine pedigree — in the lower formulas they ran Lewis Hamilton, Kimi Raikkonen and Antonio Pizzonia, the ex-Williams-BMW short-stay driver.

Lastly, there is Campos Meta, Spain's first-ever F1 car constructor. The team is bossed by Adrian Campos, maybe not immediately ranked as successful after 17 starts as a driver for minnows Minardi in 1987/8 —with only two finishes.

But as a team owner, think again. His squad has won races and championships in GP2, Formula 3 and Formula Nissan with no less a talent than Alonso.

The team's first car is being designed by Dallara, the Parma constructor's first return to F1 since 1992.

With a season-long TV audience of more than 600 million for each race to satisfy, mega-money sponsors to excite enough to stay involved and a show gauranteed to thrill the prospects are both daunting and enthralling.

But David Coulthard, the ex-driver, 13-times winner and the third-highest points scorer in F1 and now a BBCTV pundit says: "The way this season has gone from a pure racing standpoint — forget the bad stuff — has been a real eye-opener. A real thrill to be around.

"And the way the sport is shaping up for next season, with all the new cars and driver changes and superb new tracks like Abu Dhabi to attract even bigger audiences I'm only sorry I'm not still sitting behind the wheel of a racing car.

"I've certainly got the next best thing... a pass to get into the races."

Living out a dream

Feather in the cap: Fernandes putting the team cap on Riad after announcing the latter�s appointment as CEO on Friday. � Reuters

Riad may be young and small in stature but he certainly comes with strong credentials.

He worked with Sepang International Circuit (SIC) and Nike before joining Proton where he was attached to the managing director’s office as a general manager prior to his current appointment.

Riad said he was attracted to Fernandes’ proposition to live out the dream of seeing a Malaysian team make it in Formula One.

“Datuk (Tony) wants to see Malaysians living out their dreams and to him, nothing is impossible.

“It is not easy to get a place in the grid for the Formula One world championship and it involves a lot of parties. Now that he has created this platform, he wants to invite people with the right talents to join in the dream.

“I have always wanted to try out new challenges and this was his proposition to me ... that it’s better to have tried than regretting it later if we had not taken the first step,” said Riad, who was more into rugby in school.

“I had to stop playing rugby on the doctor’s advice after I had a concussion. I also tried horse riding and golf but stopped as I was not good at it.

“I was not really into racing cars like kids today who are familiar with Formula One. I’m more into cycling these days to keep myself fit,” said Riad, who has a Masters degree in Organisation and Communication from Western Michigan University in the United States.

It is a plum job to be associated with Formula One but Riad has his work cut out for him, namely, to steer the fledgling Malaysian team and make an impact in the Formula One racing and in the process, generate greater patriotic interest.

All these are also expected to generate economic spill overs for the country via endorsements, pro­motions, advertising and tourism.

And that means less quality time to spend with his wife and three children.

“Right now, I am still working from home as our new office at the SIC will only be ready later this month.

“It’s going to get busier when the Formula One season starts in Bahrain in March but I have accepted the challenge and the work load that comes with it.

“It probably has not sunk in yet but it’s not going to be easy getting things to run smoothly initially.

“But like Tony said, we will be there on the grid in March and everyone is chipping in to make the dream come true.”

NAP: Proton And Autopart Makers Seen The Winners

October 29, 2009 15:08 PM

NAP: Proton And Autopart Makers Seen The Winners

By: Ramjit

-->

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 29 (Bernama) -- National carmaker Proton Holdings Bhd is seen as the immediate beneficiary of the more open National Automotive Policy (NAP) as it already has available capacity for potential auto manufacturers to capitalise on.

Other beneficiaries are the tier-1 autoparts suppliers as the industry consolidates further with the enforcement of mandatory standards on parts and components, OSK Research said on Thursday.

"Overall, we think most players in the industry will potentially benefit as the NAP ensures the long-term viability and competitiveness of the automotive industry, thus transforming Malaysia into a regional and global player," it said.

Under the policy, the government informed that the potential partnership with a global original equipment manufacturer (OEM) will be established.

Market talk is that the tie-up could potentially involve a strategic tie-up with a local assembler, and a likely candidate is DRB-Hicom.

"However, our channel checks reveal that the potential strategic tie-up will merely be with a global OEM without the inclusion of a local assembler," said OSK Research.

Potential candidates, it said, are likely to come in on a bigger scale.

The lifting of the freeze on issuance of new manufacturing licences to selected manufacturers bodes well for the existing local manufacturers and assemblers, notably those with ample excess capacity, which are ready to be capitalised on by foreign automakers, the research firm said.

Furthermore, the additional incentives such as tax exemptions on exported goods and fiscal deductions from the pioneer status and investment tax allowance for the manufacture of critical components will see potential foreign candidates investing in Malaysia in a big way rather than merely as assemblers, it said.

OSK Research said the possibility of a global OEM maker establishing its manufacturing hub as a regional export centre is favourable for Proton given the ample capacity for 200,000 units (per year) at its Shah Alam plant.

Proton currently has a total excess capacity of 57 per cent from both its Tanjung Malim and Shah Alam plants. The carmaker once said it intended to shift its main production to Tanjung Malim given that some of its model line-ups produced from the Shah Alam had been discontinued.

Although Thailand is ahead of Malaysia on incentives by offering lower excise duties on vehicle prices, exemption of import duty on plant machinery in addition to the already established supply chain, the downside is that this requires a minimum investment of RM1 billion.

"We generally view the newly-announced NAP positively as Malaysia will be opening up the automotive industry for value-added investments from global OEMs and leading part manufacturers, especially with the host of incentives such as corporate tax holidays and tax exemption on exported goods," said OSK Research.

To date, Thailand has seven global OEMs -- Toyota, Mitsubishi, Isuzu, Honda, Nissan, Ford and General Motors -- and a few smaller ones that have set up plants with capacity totalling 1.625 million units as of 2008.

As none represents the European region, Malaysia may try to attract global OEMs from this region instead.

This was hinted in the announcement, with respect to relaxation of the ruling on foreign manufacturers in the luxury passenger car segment.

"With regard to the model range offered in Malaysia, we note that the notable luxury passenger vehicles (with an engine capacity of 1800cc and above in the price category of at least RM150,000) worth mentioning which have yet to set up manufacturing lines in Malaysia are Renault, Volkswagen and Porsche (owned by Volkswagen)," said OSK Research.

"We exclude common names such as Mercedes and BMW given that these vehicles have already established a local assembly contract with Automotive Manufacturers Malaysia and Inokom respectively," it said.

"As Renault sits under the Nissan umbrella, it would make more commercial sense to establish a tie-up with Tan Chong, which means a high possibility that a potential strategic tie-up between Proton could be Volkswagen."

Hence, if Volkswagen or any other European car maker establish a sizeable manufacturing hub in Malaysia, there could be a potential shift in buying preference from Japanese luxury cars (which are currently affordable) to the European cars when pricing competition heats up, OSK Research noted.

Over the longer term, this will eventually see the knock-down effect trickling to the lower priced cars due to intensifying competition, it said.

-- BERNAMA

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Sora Racing takes Asian series first win in Okayama

Sora Racing takes Asian series first win in Okayama Racing series   LMS Date 2009-10-31

By Nancy Knapp Schilke - Motorsport.com

Sora Racing won the final two-way battle at the end of the inaugural Asian Le Mans Series race on Saturday, taking the checkered flag in the team's LMP1 Pescarolo Judd was Christophe Tinseau after laps covering 126 laps on the 3.703 km (2.3 mile) Okayama International Circuit. Joining him in the celebration on the top step of the podium was co-driver Shinji Nakano.

Team ORECA-Matmut-AIM's Nicolas Lapierre and Loic Duval had to settle for race one's final outcome, missing the victory by nearly seven seconds but there is always Sunday's second race of the weekend.

One lap down in third for the powerhouse P1 cars was the duo of Christian Bakkerud and liver Jarvis in the Kolles Racing Audi R10 TDi.

Oak Racing took the top honors in the LMP2 class, dueling with the Ibanez Racing team as they were the only two entries in the class for the first Asian LMS event.

Matthieu Lahaye had placed the Oak Racing Pescarolo Mazda on the pole -- the same position the team will hold for race two -- and ended up sharing the podium with his teammates Jacques Nicolet and Richard Hein.

Finishing second -- the two P2 teams covered 116 laps -- was a trio of racers for the Ibanez Racing Courage AER team: Jose Ibanez, Damien Toullemonde and Frederic da Rocha.

LMGT1 had their own show tonight especially when the pole winning Aston Martin DBR9 was stripped of all qualifying times after failing tech inspection (rear wing did not meet the regulations).

Larbre Competition's Saleen S7R inherited the lead spot but after 81 laps, they ended up out of the run for the gold in the land of the Rising Sun. That left JLOC to hold off the charging Hitotsuyama Team Nova Aston Martin.

Hiroyuki Iiri and teammate Atsushi Yogo landed the unique team, founded in 1993 by volunteers, the victory at their home race. [JLOC stands for Japan Lamborghini Owner's Club].

Takeshi Tsuchiya and Akihiro Tsuzuki started at the back of the grid and sliced their way through the slower LMGT2 cars to be one of the main contenders. Both GT1 cars completed 113 laps with JLOC taking the win and Hitotsuyama Team Nova ending second.

Also finishing 113 laps to the overall P1 leaders 126 laps covering the 500 km event were the top two LMGT2 finishers. Again, the Japanese fans saw a competitive show -- all classes had good battles in the first race, leading up to what we no doubt be a second tight fight on the unique circuit that has a lot of twists with a long back straight.

Today's winning GT2 team was the Felbermayr-Proton Porsche 911 GT3 RSR with two of the current Porsche works drivers. Marc Lieb and Wolf Henzler notched the victory, besting the Hankook Farnbacher team.

Dominik Farnbacher and Allan Simonsen had their work cut out for them in their Ferrari 430 GT since they started back in 19th on the grid. Taking second in the sprint endurance race after three hours gives them hope for Sunday's race.

Felbermayr-Proton had a double celebration, taking the final podium step were team drivers Christian Ried and Marco Holzer.

Sunday's race will start in the morning at 9:05am local time.

Proton expects to sell 155000 cars by April

Proton expects to sell 155,000 cars by April

2009/10/31

KUALA LUMPUR: Proton Holdings Bhd expects to sell 155,000 units of cars in its current financial year ending March 31, 2010.

Managing director Datuk Syed Zainal Abidin Mohamed Tahir said with another five months to go, sales had been encouraging and the company would not be surprised if the target was exceeded. "Currently, we are selling 13,000 to 13,500 cars a month. As everyone knows, the last two months of the year will be a difficult one but we are sure that the limit is just below our real achievement," he said. He was speaking to reporters after launching Proton Edar's "Proton Drive for Holidays" campaign here yesterday. Some selected models have experienced a big jump in sales, according to Proton. Syed Zainal Abidin said the new Proton Saga was launched with a initial target of 4,500 units per month but it was now being booked at the rate of 7,000 units a month. "Same goes for the Proton Persona which was launched two years ago but now it is getting 4,000 bookings a month. The newly-launched Proton Exora has just entered the market with bookings amounting to 2,200 units a month," he said. On the industry, Syed Zainal Abidin said the country's total industry volume (TIV) of 500,000 cars this year as projected by the Malaysian Automotive Association was an achievable target. "Even though the total is five per cent lower than last year's 520,000 cars, Proton is still capturing first place in the market as its TIV is growing from 26 per cent to 29 per cent," he said. Asked about the revised National Automotive Policy (NAP), Syed Zainal Abidin said Proton was always thankful to the government and would fulfil all 18 elements of the NAP by collaborating with dealers, vendors and stakeholders. "The policy is not only meant for the main players of the industry but also the minor players who seek opportunities and standards which the government has provided through this policy," he said. -- BERNAMA

 

Cocker speeds to Asian series inaugural pole

Cocker speeds to Asian series inaugural pole Racing series   LMS Date 2009-10-30

By Nancy Knapp Schilke - Motorsport.com

Jonny Cocker places Drayson Racing's Lola Coupe Judd LMP1 on the first pole for the Asian Le Mans Series with a hot lap of 1:19.143 during qualifying on Okayama International Circuit in the land of the Rising Sun. The Brit took four tours on the twisty 3.703 km (2.3 mile) Japanese track that 14 years was the site of the Japan Grand Prix Formula One race.

"Fantastic! Basically unbelievable. With the nature of the circuit and the big steps we made with the car at Laguna we knew that we had a good chance this weekend to be quick," said Cocker. "It's just an unbelievable feeling for me as a driver to get the pole but everybody deserves this so much. Everybody that has been involved in the programme has worked so hard under what has been a very trying year at times. It shows that hard work, dedication and a good team will come through in the end."

Due to the remote location of the circuit, the F1 cars only ran twice. Last year, the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) returned to the circuit with the World Touring Car Championship. This year, the newly formed Asian Le Mans Series has joined the WTCC in this weekend's event that will also showcase Formula BMW Asian series Japan's Formula 4 series.

Cocker and Lord Paul Drayson are pleased with the performance of their new prototype which made its debut in the American Le Mans Series Petit Le Mans event in Road Atlanta this past September. The team had campaigned an Aston Martin Vantage in the LMGT2 class in the European Le Mans Series and at select ALMS events. Moving up to P1 has been a challenge for the team as Cocker explained in his recent blog at www.americanlemans.com website.

"I'm feeling good this weekend, now having driven the car a few times at Atlanta then a couple of weeks ago at Laguna; I'm starting to get to grips with the differences between the Aston Martin Vantage GT2 and the Lola coupe," said Cocker. "Each time we run the car we are learning lots. It's certainly been a pretty steep learning curve and I still can't help but feel that it's VERY, VERY fast in every single way. I suppose in making the step up from GT2 to LMP1 that's pretty inevitable. It's all making sense. The Lola coupe is an amazing car to drive and I'm looking forward to seeing how it feels around this tight and twisty circuit."

The best passing area for the faster prototypes will be on the long brack straight but they will have to deal with overtaking the two GT class cars over each three hour race.

Drayson Racing earned their first ever pole in Le Mans style series. They will start the two endurance races being held this weekend on the pole. "I am absolutely delighted with the result and cannot describe the exhilaration of seeing our car at the top of the time charts," smiled Lady Elspeth Drayson, team co-owner. "I'd like to thank the team, Lola and Judd for their hard work in overcoming this enormous disadvantage of the crash at Laguna and repairing the car in the very short time available before this Series. It shows the huge effort that everybody has made to prove the capability of both car and drivers."

Christophe Tinseau and Shinji Nakano will slot second on the grid just 0.106 seconds adrift of pole winning time. Tinseau in the Sora Racing Pescarolo Judd tried on his final lap to better his earlier time of 1:19.249 and that of the pole winning time but fell short with a 1:19.370.

Team ORECA-Matmut-AIM's Nicolas Lapierre had a best lap of 1:19.548 in his and Loic Duval's P1 Oreca AIM to take third on the overall grid. "We had a couple of hours' free practice, which wasn't a lot of running time, all the more so as conditions changed a lot during the day with different track temperatures," said Lapierre.

"It wasn't easy to find the right setup especially as the track had very little grip. It rubbered in slowly and it'll be different for the race. The tyres go off fairly quickly on the circuit, which will be a very important factor like the traffic," added the Frenchman. "We're on the pace and the race is shorter than usual, but it won't be any easier. We'll have to be consistent from start to finish to score a good result."

One of the unique aspects of the Asian series is that instead of one race per weekend, they will have two -- both at 500 km each -- which Hugues de Chaunac, ORECA Group president commented that "It provides us with the opportunity to work on different parameters. In these shorter events strategy will assume even greater importance."

The first pole winner for the Asian series LMP2 class was Matthieu Lahaye for the Oak Racing team. Lahaye turned his fastest lap at a time of 1:23.790 in the Pescarolo Mazda he will share with Jacques Nicolet and Richard Hein.

Stealing the show in LMGT1 was Takeshi Tsuchiya in the Aston Martin DBR9* for the Japanese Hitotsuyama Team Nova and his co-driver Akihiro Tsuzuki. Tsuchiya's flyer was a 1:27.515 on his fourth and final lap with over a two second gap to the second fastest GT1.

Labre Competition's Carlo van Dam laid down his best at 1:29.827 to place second in the team's Saleen S7R. Third in the GT1 class was JLOC Lamborghini with Hiroyuki Iiri at the wheel, his best was a 1:30.679.

Tomas Enge laid down a flying lap at 1:30.721 to land the LMGT2 pole for Team Hong Kong Racing. Enge was only 0.126 seconds faster in the Aston Martin Vantage* over Marc Lieb in a Porsche.

Leib's best for Team Felbermayr-Proton was 1:30.847 in the No. 77 Porsche 911 GT3 RSR. Third in GT2 was the JimGainer Racing's Ferrari F430 GT piloted by Tetsuya Tanaka with a 1:31.283.

Without a doubt the drivers from Japan or those who have raced on the Okayama circuit have a bit of an edge but the more experienced sports car racers will show their knowledge of driver changes and endurance events during the two races. Today was a learning curve of both the track and the cars. The weather was cloudy but dry today, rain could yet change the track conditions.

*Editor's note: When the starting lineup is released after Saturday morning's warmup, the two pole winners in GT1 and GT2 will be at the back of the grid. In post-qualifying technical inspection, both Aston Martin cars were found with rear wings that did not comply with technical regulations.

Per the Le Mans Series press release: "The scrutineers saw that the rear wings of the two cars, which complied during scrutineering, were no longer in compliance with the regulations after the qualifying session, " stated Jacques Olivier, the President of the Stewards of the Meeting, made up of Takashi Mitarashi from Japan and Frenchman, Jean-Pierre Baudriller.