Alex Yoong bought his way into the Minardi team thanks to pot-fulls of cash from the Malaysian government.
That may ensure bigger crowds at the country's Grand Prix next season, for which Yoong is expected to keep his place. But it is unlikely to cause any lasting impact on F1.
Yoong is a solid performer who has looked no better than average in his brief career in the junior categories. And although personable, he has no obvious qualifications for F1 other than the size of his sponsors' bank accounts.
He did a reasonable job in his three races at the end of the season, but it is too soon to judge whether the perception of him before he came to F1 was harsh or accurate.
