Alex Yoong did nothing in 2002 to convince that he is in Formula One for any other reason than the backing of his sponors.

He bought his way into the Minardi team thanks to pot-fulls of cash from the Malaysian government.

Yoong struggled all year, rarely getting close to team-mate Mark Webber.

He failed to qualify three times before team boss Paul Stoddart decided to rest him, ostensibly so he could rebuild his confidence.

His replacement, British rookie Anthony Davidson, did a solid if unspectacular job in the two races he was granted – and he certainly acquitted himself better than Yoong did on his return.

Yoong, a personable man, looked no better than average in his brief career in the junior categories. And in F1 he did not even look that good.

For teams like Minardi, though, money talks, and it is a sad fact of reality that drivers like Yoong will continue to get the nod over more talented rivals when times are hard.