Yoong Expects to Step Down

Malaysian Alex Yoong is expecting to be asked to step down from his Minardi race seat for the Hungarian Grand Prix in two weeks time, according to a report posted on his personal website on Saturday.

Yoong failed to qualify for the third time this season at last weekend's German Grand Prix and team chief Paul Stoddart admitted after the Hockenheim race that he would be talking over Yoong's future.

The 25-year-old is currently undertaking sponsorship duties in his native Kuala Lumpur and the website claims Yoong is set to be replaced by Spanish Renault test driver Fernando Alonso for the rest of the season.

"Yoong expects that there is a possibility that he might be replaced in Hungary," said the report. "He has an agreement with Stoddart that he is not to miss qualification in two Grands Prix and he is expecting to hear from him soon how many and which races he may have to sit out, if any."

Yoong failed to get within the required 107 percent of pole position at the San Marino and British Grands Prix before missing the cut again last weekend.

Stoddart attributed the driver's problems at Silverstone to the lack of power steering but Yoong's failure to qualify in Germany left the Australian team boss in despair.

The team is heavily funded by the Malaysian government but that deal is understood not to be linked to whether Yoong races or not and he is now expected to move to the role of test driver.