Early Life
Yoong was born on 20 July 1976 at the Sambhi Clinic in Kuala Lumpur. His mother, Johanna Bean, is a British expatriate and his father Hanifah Yoong Yin Fah is a Malaysian of Chinese descent through Alex's grandfather Yoong Wan Hoi who emigrated in 1933. His grandfather worked as a contractor and steel trader but was forced to retire during the 1997 Asian financial crisis. In an interview in 1999, Yoong states that he sees himself first as a Malaysian, then part Chinese and part English. His father started racing sedans in 1978 and his mother followed suit in 1983 in rallying. Yoong became an avid follower of Formula One by the age of four. Given an Kawasaki 50cc motocross on his eighth birthday, he demonstrated the ability to be able to race successfully.
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