Lewis Hamilton is under self-isolation due to a positive result in COVID-19 tests and will be unable to race at the Sakhir Grand Prix this weekend. Taking his place is a fellow British driver, George Russell who has been released by Williams Racing, his current team.
“First and foremost, I wish to thank our loyal partners at Williams for their collaboration and open-mindedness in making it possible for George to race for Mercedes-AMG this weekend. The conversations with the team at Williams were positive and pragmatic, and those were the key factors in reaching an agreement,” said Team Principal and CEO Toto Wolff.
“It will not be a straightforward task for George to make the transition from the Williams to the W11, but he is race-ready and has detailed understanding of the 2020 tyres and how they perform on this generation of cars. George has shown impressive form this year with Williams, playing an instrumental role in their climb up the grid, and I am optimistic that he will deliver a strong performance alongside Valtteri, who will be a demanding reference for him,” said Wolff.
‘63′ is George Russell’s racing number which will replace ’44’ on Lewis Hamilton’s car.
Mercedes-Benz Junior Programme driver
He will be the fifth driver to race for the Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 Team since 2010, and the third British driver to represent Mercedes-Benz in F1 after Sir Stirling Moss and Lewis Hamilton. He is not a stranger to Mercedes-Benz though, having been a member of the Mercedes-Benz Junior Programme since 2017, when he won the GP3 Series championship as a rookie, before repeating the feat in Formula 2 in 2018.
He has been a fully-fledged Formula 1 driver with Williams Racing since 2019, demonstrating impressive qualifying and race performances during the past two seasons. “This race will mark a small milestone for us, as we see a member of our Junior programme compete for the works Mercedes team for the first time,” Wolff noted.
In spite of the severe downturn that the car industry suffered earlier in the year due to suspension of business activities nationwide, it seems that sales are presently pretty good. In fact, up till November, Perodua has already delivered over195,000 vehicles and expects to meet its 210,000-unit registration target by the last day of 2020.
The strong momentum continued to be evident in November as the Malaysian carmaker reported sales of 23,119 units. On Monday, the last day of the month, its outlets registered a combined total of 5,027 units – the most ever in a single day.
“Our November sales represents a slight normalising from the previous two record months we had – 25,035 units in September and 26,852 units in October,” explained Dato’ Zainal Abidin Ahmad, Perodua’s President & CEO.
“Yet the accomplishment is impressive, given the challenging economic climate and ‘new normal’ operating procedures brought about by COVID-19. And our 5,027-unit one-day record shows what resilience, persistence and adaptability can bring,” he added.
Top three models – Axia, Myvi and Bezza
Axia deliveries, totalling 6,318 units were the highest among the five Perodua models, followed by the Myvi with 6,295 units and the Bezza with 6,224 units. Deliveries of the Aruz and Alza totalled 2,617 units and 1,665 units, respectively.
In November, the model with the highest number of deliveries was the Axia.
“Perodua’s two main priorities at present are to ensure as many of our valued customers as possible can get their cars before year-end to enjoy the sales tax-exempt prices; and to further bolster the Malaysian automotive ecosystem with our economies of scale in these hard times,” Dato’ Zainal said.
Supporting the ecosystem
“Over 90% of our components are locally-sourced, and coupled with our sales volume, this generates significant business for Malaysian component suppliers and helps them sustain jobs,” he added. “The completed cars are then distributed through Malaysia’s largest car sales network, the majority of which constitute independent dealers that benefit greatly from the business, and even more if they do servicing and repairs as well.”
Dato’ Zainal said Perodua is proud of its national duty and will continue to serve all Malaysians’ mobility needs with quality vehicles that are safe, practical, efficient and offer the best value, while pushing the boundaries of technology for the masses in the future.
As widely rumoured, the Peugeot franchise is to change hands and this has finally taken place, with Berjaya Auto Alliance Sdn Bhd (BAASB) being appointed to the new role of distributor. BAASB is a joint venture between Berjaya Corporation and Bermaz Auto, with the former having a majority share of 51%.
The Naza Group, which has been handling the French brand, is believed to be giving up its involvement in some of its automotive brands and Peugeot appears to be the first one to go. Kia is also expected to be taken over by another party although the fate of the DS and Citroen brands is not known yet. Both are also part of Groupe PSA which has Peugeot as its main brand.
Commenting on the development, Datuk Sri Robin Tan Yeong Chin, CEO of Berjaya Corporation, said: “Berjaya is pleased to be given this opportunity to be part of the new collaboration (via BAASB) with Groupe PSA. This new collaboration will complement our group’s existing automotive business, namely HR Owen and Berjaya China Motor. We believe this collaboration between BerjayaCorp, Bermaz and Groupe PSA will bring positive synergistic benefits to all parties.”
Strong track record of Bermaz team
At this time, it’s not clear what role Bermaz (which is not a subsidiary of Berjaya Corporation) will play although it is most likely to manage distribution and retail activities, having a strong track record with the Mazda brand for more than 10 years. The team at Bermaz had earlier also successfully established and grown the Hyundai brand in Malaysia before it was acquired by Sime Darby Motors.
On the Groupe PSA side, the track record of Bermaz is likely to be highly beneficial. The Group had already made a decision some years back to designate Malaysia as its production hub in ASEAN although it took a while to actually start production. To speed things up, it acquired the Naza plant in Kedah in 2018 rather than build its own, and today assembles the Peugeot 3008 and 5008 for the Malaysian market as well as for export.
Groupe PSA took over the Naza plant in Kedah and builds vehicles for the Malaysian market as well as for export (file picture)
“Groupe PSA has made Malaysia its export hub for the region. BerjayaCorp is a multi-national conglomerate group of companies whilst Bermaz is a renowned automotive company in Malaysia; both listed on the Malaysian stock exchange. Hence, Groupe PSA is indeed pleased and is confident that the business collaboration with BerjayaCorp and Bermaz (via BAASB) will accelerate growth and create a synergy of key strengths between Groupe PSA and BAASB, which will see us further consolidating and increasing our market presence here,” said Laurence Noel, Senior Vice President – South East Asia, Groupe PSA.
Peugeot in Malaysia
Being one of the older brands in the auto industry, Peugeot has had a long presence in Malaysia, even in the pre-Merdeka days. The first major importer was Asia Motors which was selling the French cars back in the 1960s. In the 1970s, it even set up an assembly plant in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, and invited Peugeot and also Mazda (which it also represented) to make small investments as well. The plant, called Asia Automobile Industries, assembled models such as the 504, 305 and 505.
Peugeot advertisements by Asia Motors in the 1970s
Due to internal issues, Asia Motors ceased much of its automotive operations in Malaysia after the mid-1980s although it continued in SIngapore selling Mazda. For a few years, the brand was handled by a small company and then the MBf Group (through MBf-Peugeot) took it on. MBF’s founder, the late Tan Sri Loy Hean Hong, had taken on the franchise as the country was coming out of the economic recession of the mid-1980s and he saw that people were able to afford more expensive cars.
He himself had high regard for the French cars as he had serviced them in his younger days and knew they were durable. In having cars to sell, he also found that it benefited MBf’s other units that sold insurance and offered financing. The 405 was very popular and kept Peugeot among the top-selling European makes in the first half of the 1990s. However, the financial crisis of the late 1990s severely affected the MBf Group and it had to give up the Peugeot franchise.
C&C Bintang, strongly associated with Mercedes-Benz, was the next company to take on the franchise and handled it for 6 years (2002 – 2008). It also handled Mazda during that time, and passed it to Bermaz at the same time it ceased handling Peugeot.
A Peugeot outlet in Selangor.
The Naza Group, which was on the ascent as a strong player in the local auto industry, took on Peugeot (under its subsidiary, Nasim Sdn Bhd) and very quickly established a retail network as well as assembled models locally. It seemed to have a good future working with the French carmaker, with plans to even do business beyond Malaysian borders. However, that will not be happening as it gives up Peugeot after 12 years.
When Bermaz took over Mazda, it had also to take over stocks, the workforce involved with the Mazda business, and many of the outlets. The same scenario is likely with Peugeot and BAASB to ensure a smooth transition. In such situations, existing owners are usually assured of continued support, particularly with regards to warranty issues which Peugeot would take responsibility for.
Audi will return to the international rallying arena in 2022 when it competes in the Dakar Rally. The brand shot to prominence in the World Rally Championship in the 1980s with its superior all-wheel drive Quattro, winning a number of championships and revolutionizing the sport. Then it competed in other areas, a dominant force in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) endurance racing three years in a row. More recently, it has participated in Formula E, the all-electric single-seater series, which has served to highlight the brand’s pioneering technology in electrified vehicles.
In the 1980s, Audi was the dominant force in the World Rally Championship with its all-wheel drive Quattro.
“Formula E has accompanied the transformation phase at Audi. Now we are taking the next step in electrified motorsport by facing the most extreme conditions. The many technical freedoms offered by the Dakar Rally provide a perfect test laboratory for us in this respect,” said Markus Duesmann, Chairman of the Board of Management and Board of Management Member for Technical Development and Product Lines at Audi AG.
First carmaker to commit alternative drive for rally
Audi is the first carmaker that has committed to develop a viable alternative drive concept for the Dakar Rally, making it a pioneer in motorsport once again. It has a prototype with the alternative drive concept that combines an electric drivetrain with a high-voltage battery and a highly efficient energy converter for the first time.
With the use of an alternative drive concept in the Dakar Rally, the vehicle will be driven in the most extreme conditions. The aim is to permanently improve the performance of the electric drivetrain and the battery in the years to come. The experience gained in this process should then be incorporated into the further development of future electrified production models.
AudiSport has been involved in Formula E with the ABT Schaeffler team.
Exit from Formula E after 2021
The Dakar Rally will replace Audi’s factory involvement in Formula E, which will no longer be continued in the form of an AudiSport factory team after the 2021 season. The use of the newly developed Audi powertrain by customer teams like ABT Schaeffler will remain possible beyond next year.
“A multifaceted commitment to motorsport is and will remain an integral part of Audi’s strategy,” said Duesmann. “We want to continue demonstrating the brand’s slogan ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ in international top-level motorsport in the future and develop innovative technologies for our road cars.
The Audi R18 won three years in a row at Le Mans,
It is also learnt that Audi will return to endurance racing and take part in the new LMDh category. This is a cost-effective formula as the same car can be used in the WEC as well as the American IMSA series.
“We are intensively preparing to enter the new sports prototype category LMDh with its highlight races, the Daytona 24 Hours and Le Mans 24 Hours,” confirmed Julius Seebach, Managing Director of Audi Sport GmbH. “The most important message for our fans is that motorsport will continue to play an important role at Audi.”
Technology developed in competition, which has extreme conditions, will be used in the advancement of electrified production models like the Audi e-tron.
2022 Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally began in 1997 as a rally-raid event from Paris to Dakar, on the west coast of Africa. Traditionally held at the start of the new year, it came to be the most gruelling off-road event. It ran the same route up till 2007 and then security concerns forced the organisers to find a new and equally challenging route, which was in South America.
So from 2009 (the event had to be cancelled in 2008 when terrorist threats were too serious), it was held on the western side of South America in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile and Peru. The name was retained as it had become legendary.
Mitsubishi Motors, with the Pajero, has had the most number of wins (12) in the Dakar Rally.A MINI in the 2020 Dakar Rally, held for the first time in Saudi Arabia.
However, the teams have been uncomfortable with the logistical complexities and high cost of travelling to South America, while the host countries have been less willing to pay the organisers the extremely high fees for the event. This has led to the event moving to Saudi Arabia for 2020 as the Kingdom has been willing to sign a multi-year contract. The shorter distance from Europe is also more acceptable to the teams. So it is likely that when Audi returns in 2022, it will be competing in the desert sands of Saudi Arabia.
The date ’12.12’ only occurs once a year and to celebrate this last pairing of numbers for 2020, Honda Malaysia will be having a special sales campaign – the ‘12.12 Special Sales’ – with a rebate worth RM2,000 for the latest 5th Generation Honda City (S and E variants).
12-day promotion
The ‘All-New City 12.12 Special Sales’ will be on from today until December 12, 2020. Registration of the cars can take place anytime during this month of December. Customers will be entitled to the rebate once they fulfil the booking and registration requirements at any Honda authorised dealership nationwide.
“On behalf of Honda Malaysia, I would like to convey my appreciation to all Malaysians for the unwavering support to the Honda brand. The All-New City have recorded significant sales performance since its launch with more than 9,000 bookings. We are pleased to offer customers the opportunity of owning their dream car and experiencing the ‘Joy of Buying’ with the ‘All-New City 12.12 Special Sales’ in conjunction with the year-end festive season by giving special rebate,” said Honda Malaysia’s Managing Director & CEO, Toichi Ishiyama.
Extra savings with sales tax exemption
He also reminded customers that they can benefit from extra savings with the sales tax exemption which will be available until December 31, 2020.
All variants of the new City (except the RS which will be available in January 2021) come with a new 1.5-litre DOHC i-VTEC engine, coupled with a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). The powertrain produces up to 121 ps, which is the highest in its class, with maximum torque of up to 145 Nm.
Features on the City E variant included Paddle Shifters as well as a first-in-segment Remote Engine Start feature that allows running of the air-conditioner before entering the car to cool down the cabin. This variant also comes with an 8-inch display panel for the infotainment system which has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
Comfort levels are higher as rear passenger legroom has been expanded and the rear occupants now have a cooler journey with Rear Air Conditioning Ventilation.
Extensive safety features
Though an entry-level model, the City has many safety systems to help the driver avoid an accident. These include ABS, Vehicle Stability Assist, Electronic Brake Distribution and Brake Assist. Additionally, there is also an Emergency Stop Signal system and Hill Start Assist. ISOFIX childseat points are provided and a Rear Seatbelt Reminder helps to ensure that rear occupants have their seatbelt on so as to comply with traffic laws.
To locate any of the 102 authorised Honda dealerships nationwide to view, test-drive and purchase the new City, visit www.honda.com.my.
Lewis Hamilton will not be driving in the Sakhir Grand Prix, the second of two F1 races being held in Bahrain this year, this weekend as he has been tested positive for COVID-19. In accordance with the strict rules and procedures of the health authorities, he has to be in quarantine which is at least 2 weeks for most countries.
This would likely mean that the British driver would not only miss the round this weekend but also the final round in Abu Dhabi which takes place on December 13 . It would end the 17-round season that had begun with 22 rounds but had to be modified and compressed as a result of activities being suspended in the first half of the year due to the pandemic.
Lewis Hamilton won the Bahrain GP last Sunday.
Negative even on Sunday
It’s not known who Hamilton could have contracted the coronavirus from as three tests he had last week (including one on the day of the race) had negative results. However, yesterday, he had mild symptoms of the coronavirus which are typically fever, cough and shortness of breath. Upon testing, a positive result was reported and reconfirmed by a second test.
“Lewis is now isolating in accordance with COVID-19 protocols and public health authority guidelines in Bahrain. Apart from mild symptoms, he is otherwise fit and well, and the entire team sends him its very best wishes for a swift recovery,” said a statement from the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS team. A replacement driver will be announced soon.
In spite of the strict procedures the F1 community has followed this year, it has still been possible to be infected and Hamilton is the third driver to be tested positive. So don’t take the SOPs for granted.
Already the 2020 champion
In as far as the championship is concerned, Hamilton already has enough points to be the 2020 World Champion – his seventh title – even without racing in the final two rounds. Likewise, his team has also won the Constructors Championship again, its seventh consecutive title.
In 11 of the 15 races already completed, Hamilton grabbed the 25 points that the winner gets (along with a few for the fastest lap). Without him at the front, it presents an unexpected opportunity for other close contenders to improve their position during the final rounds.
This weekend’s race – the 2020 Formula 1 Rolex Sakhir Grand Prix – is at the same circuit as last Sunday’s will be a ‘filler’ for the 2020 calendar which was disrupted by postponements. It is one of three circuits this year to run two rounds back to back, the others being the Red Bull Ring in Austria and Silverstone in the UK.
