Minardi driver Alex Yoong is to take part in this weekend's Historic Grand Prix of Monaco. The 25-year-old Malaysian, who is the first driver from his country to race in the FIA Formula One World Championship™, will compete in the glittering annual "retro" event at the wheel of one of the highly successful, "wedge-shaped" Lotus 72 models used by, among others, legendary Swede, Ronnie Peterson.

According to a Minardi press release, Yoong will race Lotus 72/R6, a chassis that first appeared in 1971, but was most notable for carrying Peterson to four victories (France, Austria, Italy, and the USA) and a total of seven podium finishes during the 1973 season.

As with all Lotus 72s, it is powered by a 3-litre Ford Cosworth DFV V8. Other well-known names to have raced the car between 1971 and 1974 include Reine Wisell, Dave Walker and Ian Scheckter, brother of 1979 Formula One World Champion, Jody Scheckter.

"I'm really looking forward to competing in this weekend's Historic Monaco Grand Prix," said Yoong. "I have always been fascinated by the Formula One cars from this era, and to drive Ronnie Peterson's Lotus around the streets of Monte Carlo is going to be a fantastic experience.

"I'm sure it's going to feel very different from my normal Minardi PS02, but part of the fun is going to be finding out just how a 1970s Formula One car compares with its 21st century equivalent."

This weekend's activities around the streets of Monte Carlo are a high-profile precursor to the upcoming Grand Prix of Monaco, Formula One racing's most prestigious event of the year, and a race in which Yoong and Minardi team mate, Mark Webber, will be competing for the first time.

Yoong will be joined in the Historic Grand Prix by fellow F1™ racer Takuma Sato. The Jordan driver will also be at the wheel of a Lotus, in his case the 49B used by Graham Hill to win the 1968 and 1969 Monaco Grands Prix.