So what do we know about the fourth season of the A1 GP: The World Cup Of Motorsport. Of course the most important news is that there will be a new car with Ferrari engines. The car is based on the Ferrari F1 car but will not be built by the Maranello outfit. All we got of the car is a drawing. My guess would be that they have already ran the shakedown with John Watson and that we could be looking at an announcement somewhere next month.
The previous engine was a Zytek and in its three year history it never had an engine failure. Hopefully the 600HP strong Ferrari engine can do the same. With Ferrari coming to A1, the series will be even more popular than it already was. Earlier this year Neel Jani told the press he would stay in A1GP instead of Champ Car. He said: "You can do this and nothing else. Formula One drivers don't have to look to do anything in the winter and it's no different for us." So in the new season we could see some more serious drivers. Not the putting F3 guys in cars or switching drivers every weekend. We could see guys who want to be there and want to go for the championship. Especially with the announcement that the A2GP will finally come and that Ferrari will also help design that car. With its own feeder series A1 will also become a real championship. Teams will stop using it has their own feeder series to train young drivers. But the formation of the series is still a long time away.
Olivier Panis has also showed an interest in the series. He would like to test the A1 GP France car at the first test in August, plus maybe do some races. When asked if he could do a full season he answered: `You never know.` Panis also said that he heard that the new car is already eight to nine seconds faster than the old car. Some more information about the new season. We have a new team, its Team Korea and the seatholder is Joshua Kim of Omnibus Investment. Also Zandvoort will not host the first round but the second one. The season opener will be at Mugello (a big thank you from all the Dutch fans to Ferrari ) on 21st of September.
Well, I don't mind the Zandvoort thing, since the event is always the last weekend of September or the 1st weekend of October, and I already can't wait for the new season to begin! Maybe it's a blessing is disguise so the teams/organisation can squish a few more bugs with the new car coming from Mugello, giving more quality to the racing. But we'll see how it goes. I can't wait to see the Ferrari in the Dutch livery! Will Italy switch to red now?
By Steven English Wednesday, June 18th 2008, 09:47 GMT
A1GP Team Great Britain are set to change their strategy and use just one driver for the entire 2008/09 season.
They used Oliver Jarvis and Robbie Kerr for five events each last season but team principal Katie Clements believes that put the team at a disadvantage to those that fielded one driver for the whole campaign.
"Our drivers kept coming back after being out of the car for some time, and on occasions driving other cars in between," she told the A1GP website.
"They weren't as in tune with our car as they could have been and that's one of the reasons we should look to use a one driver strategy.
"Our aim is to win the championship and using one driver is an element of that. They wouldn't miss rounds and have to get used to the car again.
"Look at Switzerland and New Zealand, the two teams ahead of us last year had just one driver. And who knows what would have happened if France had kept (Loic Duval) in, we beat them to third because they didn't have consistent drivers."
The introduction of the new Ferrari car to A1GP means it will be more important than ever for a driver to be familiar and comfortable with the equipment.
"It's amplified further by the new car, one driver needs to understand everything there is to know. The teams that have already decided their driver will have an advantage in testing (by not having to evaluate several). Ideally, we want a driver that's committed for the entire season."
Source: Autosport
Just as expected, teams are taking the series more serious now and the whole feeder atmosphere is gone.
* Mugello, Italy
* Zandvoort, Netherlands
* Jakarta, Indonesia
* Sepang, Malaysia
* TBA, China
* Taupo, New Zealand
* TBA, South Africa
* Mexico City, Mexico
* TBA, TBA
* Algarve, Portugal
* TBA, Great Britain
Team Italy may have Valentino Rossi as a driver next season...:
Multiple MotoGP champion Valentino Rossi could make his long-awaited single-seater racing debut in the coming season of A1GP.
A1GP Team Italy have confirmed that negotiations over a drive have taken place with Rossi, but his availability is likely to be limited by his winter testing programme with Yamaha.
Team Italy seat holder Piercarlo Ghinzani made no secret of his desire to encourage Rossi on board.
"It would be a fantastic situation to have him," he said. "I am a friend of Valentino's and we have spoken about it."
A1GP chairman Tony Teixeira believes the seven-time MotoGP champion would do well in the series.
"Rossi, we're looking at him and I think he'd do a good job too," Teixeira told autosport.com.
Rossi, curreantly leading the MotoGP standings, has also proven his speed on four wheel in the past, having driven for Ferrari in a Formula One can and also having competed in the Word Rally Championship.
Whilst I would love to see Rossi racing in A1GP I thought the idea of this series was to give chances to young upcoming National talent, not established stars.
I'd prefer A1GP to be about established stars as well. There are plenty of other series out there for rich youngsters to cut their teeth in - A1GP should be the pinnacle of motorsport from a national perspective.
PTRACER wrote:There are plenty of other series out there for rich youngsters to cut their teeth in - A1GP should be the pinnacle of motorsport from a national perspective.
I agree but sorry I wasn't referring to rich youngsters. When the series was launched I was in the understanding it was supposed to promote the young underfinanced talent. But that was 3 years ago and the series has evolved and grown. I shouldn't be surprised they are going to target high profile stars for the series. I admit my opinion is probably 3 years behind what it should be.
Last edited by kals16 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
kals wrote:Whilst I would love to see Rossi racing in A1GP I thought the idea of this series was to give chances to young upcoming National talent, not established stars.
As far as I know the Sheik never did say anything about who he wanted to see behind the wheel. The teams started using it as a way to get young guns serious open wheel experience, putting three or four drivers behind the wheel during the season. But as seen last year Jani drove all year and even left Champ Car to continue A1, now also Team GBR announced that they are using only one driver. So I think those days are behind us now. However I don't see veterans coming into the series like earlier (Verstappen, Rice, Junky). I still think young drivers will go into A1GP and it could create its own stars. A1GP just needs to make sure that they keep the drivers in the series. Give them something that will make them stay AND you don't do that by quitting the Durban race. As much as I like the new Kyalami, you do need an iconic event and the street race certainly was that.
Matt wrote:The 1981 Monaco and Spanish Grands Prix had a surprising winner, merely due to the fact that they're the only races in history to have been won by a World War 2 tank disguised as a Formula One car.
Why is the British round TBA? I liked the Brands Hatch GP race, it was where it all started three years ago. Maybe Brands wants to run a different race on the GP loop (BTCC? DTM?). Anyway, bring them over to Donington so that they can race there before it goes all evil.
) on 21st of September.
Tommie.
