| 14
Oct 2002
Malaysia's national oil and
gas corporation, Petronas, announced that it is currently
developing its own Formula One™ fuel for the Sauber
cars in the 2003 FIA Formula One World Championship™.
The programme was initiated
in January 2002 with five of its own fuel engineers working
intensively in collaboration with their colleagues at Sauber
Petronas Engineering.
Prior to the fuel programme,
Petronas successfully developed the lubricant for the
demanding V10 engine in 2000.
"We are optimistic that
we will be able to achieve similar success to the Syntium
lubricant project," says Dr Hamzah Abdul Hamid, General
Manager for Special Projects, Corporate Planning and
Development Department of Petronas.
"Within Formula One,
fuel components are strictly controlled by the FIA and we have
to work within a very limited set of parameters," added
Dr Hamzah.
"Nevertheless, we are
confident that we will be able to produce a fuel that not only
complies with the rules but will also contribute towards
improving the performance of the Sauber cars."
The progress of the fuel
development programme has been encouraging, with positive
results from laboratory and track tests.
By acquiring technical
competency in advanced fuel technology, Petronas hopes to
enrich its technology-based capabilities and to contribute
further towards the growth of Malaysia's automotive industry.
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