JANUARY 31, 2003

The old tricks are still the best

Promoting a Grand Prix has proved to be a difficult business in Malaysia in recent years but it seems that the decision to use the old-fashioned method of employing a beauty queen is proving to be very effective. The Malaysians decided recently to appoint India's beauty queen and rising film star, Celina Jaitley, as the ambassador for the Malaysia Grand Prix and this has created enormous interest in Asia.

The Bollywood actress has helped sell tickets in India and is reported to have been such a success that now Indonesia is clamoring to have its own Grand Prix ambassador. There have even been suggestions in the Indonesian papers as to who would be best suited to the job.

Malaysia's aim is to attract 100,000 spectators to their event.