Yoong not about to quit

Quitting never crossed my mind! - Says a determined Alex Yoong

KL Minardi Asiatech driver Alex Yoong has refuted that he had for any instant thought of quitting Formula One. Yoong's father, Hanifah Yoong was interviewed by F1-Live recently and some other media saw fit to take certain answers out of context and write reports that Alex was 'struggling' and on his way out of the pinnacle of Motorsports.

"The news reports on some internet sites simply took my father's words given in his interview with F1-Live completely out of context. That has nothing to do with what I think or what I have planned," Alex said. "What he (Hanifah) said was just what he felt I may be thinking. And his feeling that Minardi may not renew my contract is just a speculation based on the results so far and it has not come from myself or the team. As far as I am concerned, I am just concentrating with the work I need to do and to do the best I can for the rest of the season. The news report that I will quit is just rubbish."

Alex hasn't had the best of seasons to date, failing to qualify at both Imola and Silverstone leading some media outlets to speculate on his future in the series. However, Yoong has also confirmed that he does not need to worry about what the Minardi outfit will decide until the end of after the present season as they have until November to exercise their option on him for 2003.

"I cannot understand some of the reports that have been written. It's not as if Malaysia has a dozen F1 contenders standing by waiting to get in this year as Brazil has. In fact Brazil has maybe a dozen drivers on both sides of the Atlantic good enough for F1 and waiting to get in but I don't think any Brazilian press discourage anyone of them from going ahead. But some media in Malaysia are just so negative that it seems they would be gratified to see me go. In order to succeed one must not be afraid of failure. I will carry on till there is no possibility to continue," said the determined 25 year old.

-aypo-