The 2009 Malaysian GP turned out to be a wet and wild affair, and a great kick-off to the AirAsia GP Challenge!

On the Saturday of the race weekend, our contest winners hailing from the UK, Australia, and Singapore, were treated to an exclusive tour of the AT&T Williams garage. The tour provided a great behind-the-scenes look at what actually happens in the pit on a race weekend.

The mood around the team garage was especially exciting as Nico had just set the fastest time in the previous round of practice!

After the end of the pit tour, Nico & Kazuki were kind enough to drop by and chat with our winners, as well as pose for a photo call in front of the team pit while the paparazzi snapped away.



As for the race itself, Nico gave us all something to cheer about when he got off to a sensational start and lead the other drivers for a good 15 laps. It was all not meant to be however, and after the torrential rain came pouring down Nico could only manage an 8th placed finish.

Still, it was a very good weekend for the team and the FW31 has definitely proven it's pace over the course of the first two races this season. With a bit of lady luck on our side, this could shape up to be a very exciting season for the team!

Next stop, Shanghai! This round of the AirAsia GP Challenge proved to be even more successful than the first, judging from the amount of entries we've received. Stay tuned to this blog for updates on how the race weekend goes as well as the chance to fly to the British, Italian, and Singapore Grands Prix!

Not sold on the contest yet? Here's what our Sepang round winner Phillippa from the UK had to say:

A new year, a new exciting season of Formula 1!

This season will see a number of new changes being introduced to Formula 1, with the two most talked about being the introduction of KERS, as well as stringent cost cutting efforts across the Formula 1 board.

These new changes are expected to further level the Formula 1 playing field, and our partner the AT&T Williams team is confident of a strong season with it's new FW31.

The car has performed especially well during pre-season testing, with both Nico & Kazuki setting impressive lap times.

Perhaps the biggest news for AirAsia is that we've added the AirAsia logo to the rear facing, rear wing of the AT&T Williams FW31. This new, much larger branding on the car provides us much more exposure and I must say, looks really great as well!

Here's a sneak peek of what you'll see this season every time the FW31 whizzes past:

If that hasn't got you excited yet, then this definitely will. This season, AirAsia will be flying a lucky few winners to watch this year's Formula 1 races in Sepang, Silverstone, Shanghai, Monza, and Singapore.

Still not convinced? Winners will also be given a once in a lifetime chance to experience life in the fast lane with a tour of the AT&T Williams pit! If you're a racing fan, this truly is a once in a lifetime experience and I had an amazing time along with the rest of the Brand Team at the pit tour during last year's Singapore Night Race.

L-R Anand, Joyce, William, Rudy

Sound like something you might be interested in? Click HERE for a chance to win tickets for the first leg of the AirAsia GP Circuit, the 2009 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix!

Being part of the brand team, we handle everything from deciding the look and feel of all AirAsia touch points and communication materials, to managing our various sponsorships and campaigns. In simple terms, if you'd think of the AirAsia brand as an 'artiste', we're like the artiste's manager. We do all it takes to make sure that the AirAsia 'personality' is projected in the right and truthful light.

I wish to share a recent project that the brand team took on to give you a better idea of what we do. Together with the wonderful Yasmin Ahmad, we made this short video that all AirAsians (and Malaysians) can share with families and friends in Malaysia and abroad. A video that any Malaysian would be proud of.

Ever wondered what gave Dato' Tony and Dato' Kamarudin the idea to start a low cost carrier?
Or who designed our award-winning uniforms?
Or what the 'Gimme 20 million!!' heading above this post is about?
Watch the video and you will know what I'm talking about.