A1 Grand Prix (A1GP) is a 'single make' open-wheel auto racing series. It is unique in its field in that competitors represent their nation as opposed to themselves or a team, the usual format in most formula racing series. As such, it is often promoted as the "World Cup of Motorsport". The series is ratified and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) and races (collectively known as the "A1GP World Cup of Motorsport") are held in the traditional Formula One off season, the northern hemisphere winter.^[1]

History

A world map showing the distribution of A1 GP teams past (blue) and present (red).

The nation-based A1GP concept was founded by Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum of Dubai, initially in 2004^[2]. Once the series had received the backing of the FIA in 2005, a management structure including new executive directors Brian Menell and Tony Teixeira was appointed to oversee the sale of franchises for the operation of international teams. Paul Cherry, formerly of the Champ Car Racing Team, Sigma Autosport, was later brought in as the General Franchise Manager in 2005^[3]. AutosportRacing.com later received articles about Mr Cherry's job at A1 GP, and there were many quotes from many clients who work with A1 saying that they were "confused by what his job actually was". Thirty franchises were made available; twenty-three of them were restricted to specified nations, while the other seven were opened to tender for nations that had not been initially targeted.

First season

In total, twenty-five of the franchises were purchased in time for the 2005-06 A1 Grand Prix season, which began on 25 September 2005 with the A1 Grand Prix of Nations Great Britain at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, United Kingdom. The first season was planned for 12 rounds (24 races, with two each weekend); however the cancellation of a race scheduled for Curitiba, Brazil in January 2006 reduced this number to 11. Nelson Angelo Piquet won the inaugural race of the series for A1 Team Brazil. However, their winning form was not to continue. Wins at Estoril and Malaysia saw A1 Team France build up a sizeable gap. By the start of the winter break, France had run away with the lead with A1 Team Switzerland 28 points behind. At the final race of the season in Shanghai, A1 Team France were crowned the first-ever A1 Grand Prix world champions with 172 points. Switzerland were second coming in 121 points and A1 Team Great Britain third with 97 points.^[4]

Katherine Legge was the first woman to drive A1 Grand Prix cars during test session in December 2005 on Dubai Autodrome^[5].

Second season

A number of changes were made for the 2006-07 season to race durations and distances to improve the spectacle for attendees and TV viewers.^[6] The 2006-07 schedule was released on 7 July 2006, with the first race at Circuit Park Zandvoort on 1 October 2006, and the last race at Brands Hatch on 29 April 2007. New teams A1 Team Singapore and A1 Team Greece have joined the competition but A1 Team Turkey failed to secure funding for this season. A1 Team Austria, A1 Team Japan, A1 Team Portugal and A1 Team Russia did not return for the second season. However after securing funding A1 Team Portugal competed in the final four rounds of the second season in South Africa, Mexico, China and Britain.The season ended at Brands Hatch on 29 April 2007. A1 Team Germany won it with 128 points, 35 points lead ahead Team New Zealand.

On 29 September, Sheikh Maktoum announced he was resigning his position as chairman and chief executive of the series, seeking to have his place taken by increased shareholder interests. Maktoum announced his planned resignation in September and his exit from the organisation was confirmed in December.^[7][8]

Third season

Fourth season

The 2008/09 season is the first season in which the new "Powered by Ferrari" A1GP car is used. Rule changes include shorter qualifying sessions, a pit-stop during the now longer Sprint Race, removal of limits on Friday test drivers, and reduced Sprint Race points scoring.^[9]

Fifth season

Teams

Each of the A1 Grand Prix teams represent a nation. Drivers must have the same nationality as the team they drive for. The team car should also represent the country. The team owner, principal and crew, however, do not need to have the same nationality as the team.

Twenty-seven nations have, at least, started one race in A1GP - which are represented in the table below.

Chassis and Engines

The "Powered by Ferrari" A1 Grand Prix car in global livery

The A1GP formula provides a single "spec" car for each team. Each car is mechanically identical, built with many technical restrictions designed to limit performance, reduce running costs, and prevent any one or number of teams gaining an advantage through better equipment. This regulation provides a level playing field in which driver skill and team effort becomes the primary factor for success. Ferrari will be designing and manufacturing the cars through to 2014.

Specifically, the cars have a carbon fibre monocoque with an aluminium honeycomb core chassis based on the Formula 1 Ferrari F2004 chassis, riding on control slick tires from Michelin. The 4.5-litre Ferrari V8 engine is capable of delivering up to 600 bhp in PowerBoost mode - a mechanism to provide short bursts of increased power to create additional overtaking opportunities and action throughout the race.

Race weekend

Mexico, New Zealand and Malaysia competing during the first-ever race weekend at Brands hatch in Great Britain.

A1 Grands Prix of Nations take place over a three-day period, from Friday to Sunday. The teams are given five sets of dry weather slick tires, and two sets of wet weather treaded tires per weekend. However, if the weather is extreme, the team can be given more wet weather tires at the expense of the slick tires. The race weekend starts with two one-hour practice sessions held on the Friday, and then another on the Saturday morning. A two-hour qualifying session takes place on Saturday afternoon, and two races take place on Sunday. Primarily, the three practice sessions are for car setup and track familiarisation before the official competition begins with Saturday qualifying. Three different drivers may participate in the three practice sessions; the driver elected for qualifying or for one of the races must have taken part in at least one such practice session.

Qualifying

A1 Grand Prix uses a unique qualifying format, which begins at 14:00 local time on the Saturday of the race weekend, to determine the grid lineup for Sunday's races, the Sprint Race and the Main Race. The qualifying period is split into four, ten-minute sessions.^[9] Each car is permitted three laps per session; including the laps required for leaving the pits, and for re-entering it, this allows one lap to set a competitive time. There is a five minute break between sessions, which adds up to a total of 55 minutes for qualifying. The grid for the Sprint Race is set based on the car's fastest time from either the first or the second session. The grid for the Feature Race is determined the same way, but using sessions three and four. However, if there is a red flag due to an accident on the circuit, the timing to the end of qualifying will continue to run.

Sprint Race

The Sprint Race uses the grid determined in sessions one and two of the previous day's qualifying session, and is held in the early afternoon. The race begins from a rolling start, and its duration is a maximum of 24 minutes plus one additional lap.^[9] Additionally, each team must make one mandatory pit stop between laps four and eight.^[9] Drivers are permitted four uses of PowerBoost during the Sprint Race.

Feature Race

The Feature Race uses the grid determined in sessions three and four of the previous day's qualifying session, and is held mid-afternoon. The race begins from a standing start, and is a race of approximately 180 kilometres, with a maximum time limit of 69 minutes plus one lap. Teams must make two mandatory pit stops during the Feature Race, one between laps eight and sixteen, and another during a pit window, which is not announced until the first window has closed. Drivers are permitted eight uses of PowerBoost during the Feature Race.

Pit stop

Each team must complete three compulsory pit stops over the course of the race weekend - one during the Sprint Race, and two during the Feature Race.^[9] During the pit stop, all four tires on the car must be changed. A total of 8 mechanics may be used during the stop, however, only 4 are allowed to 'touch the car'. None of which (save the so-called "lollipop man" that directs the car into its pit) may be present in the pit lane before the car comes to a complete halt. Refuelling is also not permitted; infringements of these rules or of the pit-lane speed limit result in the imposition of a drive-through penalty.

At the end of Season 3, A1GP released the results of the season's pit stop times. Although having never won a race, A1 Team Australia, had the fastest pit crew of all teams^[10].

Scoring

Unlike almost all other forms of auto racing, drivers do not score points individually; instead the points they earn are ascribed to their national team. This means that teams can change drivers between rounds, which is often necessary because some drivers have commitments in other formulae, and still accumulate points to their score.

Points are awarded for the first ten places but the amounts have changed: 15 for the winner, 12 for second place, 10 for third place, 8 for fourth place, 6 for fifth place, 5 for sixth place, and so on with 4, 3, 2, and one point for tenth place. Points are awarded in a different way for the Sprint Race: 10 for the winner, counting down 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point for eighth place.^[9] In addition, one point is awarded to the team that sets the fastest single lap time in either the Sprint or Main Race. Cash prizes are also awarded.

Future

Chairman Tony Teixeira has announced that Italian manufacturer Ferrari will design and build the engines for the 2008-09 season. They will also be involved in the design of the new chassis for both, however it will not be built by them. A six-year agreement was confirmed^[12] by A1GP itself although Ferrari has not commented in any official capacity. The supposed partnership with Ferrari extends to an exclusive licensing agreement for all A1GP merchandise to use the Ferrari name and phrase ?Powered by Ferrari? from 1 January 2008 even though that date passed without A1GP's use of any Ferrari marks on their merchandise.

Announcing the Ferrari involvement is intended to ease some of the concerns regarding A1GP's ongoing financial viability and the continued input of existing backers. Teixeira reported a USD 212 million loss for the initial season,^[13] with A1GP officials announcing a debt financing initiative and an initial public offering backed by the Nomura Group and RAB Capital hoping to finance both the initial debt and the 2005-06 season loss.^[14]

Queensland, Australia, has added an extra race to the A1GP calendar next season. It is said to be held at the Gold Coast, since the city lost it's Indy 300 claim after having issues involving money and a change of date saw them fail to renew their agreement. Indy had been a major event on the Gold Coast for 18 years making it unknown whether or not the local public will readily accept the series change.^[15]

Broadcasters

Richard Dorfman is the A1GP's director of broadcasting. All broadcaster information is correct for the 2008-09 season.^[16]

Controversy

2006 A1 Grand Prix Beijing Incident

The first Chinese round of the 2006/07 A1GP took place on the streets of Beijing. However, the tight hairpin at the end of the backstraight was far too tight for the cars to negotiate safely, as there was literally, a 180 degree left turn. Cars were running wide and stopping mid corner, therefore the sessions were red flagged.

A shorter circuit was created, creating another less tighter hairpin halfway up the straight, bypassing most of the old straight. This corner was still not perfect as drivers still ran wide despite the corner being wider, and had to avoid the pitlane entry barrier. It had to suffice, though, because otherwise the race would have to be cancelled.

However, another problem arose in qualiying, when manhole covers on the roads were coming undone due to the racing cars' high downforce and low center of gravity. Grid positions were decided based on practice times. Some advertising banners also came loose around the circuit.

It was announced the races would start behind the safety car, as the first corner was also deemed unsafe.

Both races were uneventful, particularly the Sprint Race which took place almost entirely behind the safety car after course officials failed to remove a single spun car in a timely fashion.

References

External links

• A1 Grand Prix official website a1gp.com

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