2008-09 A1 Grand Prix season
Encyclopedia
The 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix season was the fourth and final season in its short history. It was announced that Ferrari
will be supplying the engines. All cars and official merchandise are contractually obligated to portray the slogan "Powered by Ferrari".
Ferrari will have an advisory role when it comes to chassis production, meaning that Ferrari themselves will not supply the chassis. The chassis will be based on Ferrari's championship-winning F2004
.
A1 Team Ireland
became the fourth A1GP champions, after a title battle which went down to the final round in Great Britain. Ireland won with 112 points, with team driver Adam Carroll
taking five victories at Chengdu, Sepang
, Taupo
and the series finale at Brands Hatch
during the shortened 14 race season. Three rounds were cancelled for a variety of reasons, beginning a disturbing trend with A1 Grand Prix which plagued the following season - the next season was cancelled altogether.
A1 Team Switzerland
(95 points) whose driver Neel Jani
took four wins, finish runner up at seasons completion, just three points ahead of A1 Team Portugal
with their driver Filipe Albuquerque
scoring 92 points to take a close third position after taking just the one win though the season.
Dutch pairing Jeroen Bleekemolen
and Robert Doornbos
each took a win to take A1 Team Netherlands to fourth position in the team standings with Fairuz Fauzy and Loïc Duval
taking the remaining wins for A1 Team Malaysia
and A1 Team France
respectively.
, it was announced at an official ceremony that Korea
would be participating in the 2008–09 season.. Jung-Yong Kim of Omnibus Investment is the seat holder, with Good EMG supporting the project. Carlin Motorsport
ran the racing team.
On 29 August 2008, it was announced that A1 Team Monaco
will be competing in season four. The joint seat holders were Hubertus Bahlsen, and former F3 and GP2 driver Clivio Piccione
, who took on the driving duties.
Two teams appeared in A1GP documentation throughout the season but did not race. Wade Cherwayko's A1 Team Canada
appeared on paper but the team failed to show for any races and Adam Khan tested the A1 Team Pakistan
car on a number of occasions but likewise did not travel to any races.
The 21 teams that started a race in the 2008–09 championship were:
announced a six year collaboration on the new generation of A1GP cars. The new "Powered by Ferrari" car is a modification of the Formula One
Ferrari F2004
chassis with a V8 Ferrari
engine producing 600 bhp. The car was officially revealed in Southern England
, and driven for the first time by John Watson
in an inaugural event in May 2007. Michelin
supplied the tyres for the new car.
The car was developed and tested over more than 5600 kilometres at Mugello Circuit
, Fiorano Circuit
, Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
, Circuito Guadix
, Silverstone Circuit
, Donington Park
, Circuit Paul Ricard
and Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
. Andrea Bertolini
was the main test driver, but testing was carried out by Marc Gene
, Patrick Friesacher
, Jonny Kane
and Danny Watts
during the sessions at Silverstone Circuit
.
and public presentation of the A1GP Powered by Ferrari car
was held on the TT Circuit Assen
with former A1 Team Netherlands driver, Renger van der Zande
. Two weeks after, the car was presented in Rotterdam
during the Bavaria City Racing Festival. The A1 Team Netherlands car
was driven by Carlo van Dam
.
Pre-season tests of the new 'powered by Ferrari' car took place on consecutive weekends in September at Donington Park
, Mugello
and Snetterton
.
An update to the sporting regulations means that technical details of the fastest lap in any session (practice or qualifying) will be made available to all teams after the session ends. This is to allow slower or weaker teams to learn how they can improve their own lap times, making the "field spread" that much smaller.
Several detailed changes to the Friday "rookie sessions" were released on 1 September 2008:
, Netherlands on 5 October 2008.
Further timetable details were announced on 9 June 2008.
On 21 August 2008, the Italy race at Mugello was moved back following a delay in the build schedule of the new chassis, and Zandvoort was named as the first race of the season. A replacement date was not announced.
Further timetable changes were announced on 26 August 2008. The Chinese round was confirmed to be held at Chengdu Goldenport Circuit
, and swapped places in the calendar with the Indonesian round at Jakarta. Subsequent to that, the Indonesian race was moved back further, to 8 February due to track construction.
On 9 September 2008, Brands Hatch
was confirmed as hosting the race in Great Britain at the end of the season. It was also announced that as a replacement date for the Mugello
race could not be found, the race was removed from the season's schedule.
According to a revised international FIA calendar issued on 19 December, the A1GP season finale is to be held at Interlagos
on the weekend of 15–17 May 2009.
Round 5 at Lippo Village, Indonesia was cancelled on January 16 due to the circuit missing a construction deadline, mainly caused by a heavy rain season. The Mexican round was also moved back by one week, so as to avoid clashing with a Radiohead music concert, which was to take place in the baseball stadium inside the circuit at the original date.
On February 17, 2009 A1GP Gauteng official preview reported that the Mexico City round was no longer to take place on the weekend of March 20–22 and a replacement date was being sought. eTicket.com.mx advertised the event as it should take place on the weekend of the 22–24 May, and was confirmed on March 31, 2009, subject to the FIA-stipulated changes to the Peraltada corner.
On the 5th of March, the proposed Interlagos race was removed from the circuit's official calendar, presumably signalling an end to A1GP's plans to run a race meeting there.
On April 29, 2009, it was confirmed that the Mexican round was cancelled due to an outbreak of swine flu.
Scuderia Ferrari
Scuderia Ferrari is the racing team division of the Ferrari automobile marque. The team currently only races in Formula One but has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929, including sportscar racing....
will be supplying the engines. All cars and official merchandise are contractually obligated to portray the slogan "Powered by Ferrari".
Ferrari will have an advisory role when it comes to chassis production, meaning that Ferrari themselves will not supply the chassis. The chassis will be based on Ferrari's championship-winning F2004
Ferrari F2004
The Ferrari F2004 is a championship-winning Formula One racecar, designed by Rory Byrne, Ross Brawn and Aldo Costa for the 2004 Formula One season...
.
A1 Team Ireland
A1 Team Ireland
A1 Team Ireland is the Irish team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the fourth season, 2008-09.- The Team :...
became the fourth A1GP champions, after a title battle which went down to the final round in Great Britain. Ireland won with 112 points, with team driver Adam Carroll
Adam Carroll
Adam Carroll is a Northern Irish racing driver. He currently races in the GP2 Series for Super Nova and in Auto GP for Campos Racing, making his debut with pole position at Donington Park...
taking five victories at Chengdu, Sepang
Sepang International Circuit
The Sepang International Circuit is a racing circuit in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia. It is located near Kuala Lumpur International Airport, approximately 60 km south of the capital city Kuala Lumpur. It is the venue used for the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix, A1 Grand Prix as well as the...
, Taupo
Taupo Motorsport Park
Taupo Motorsport Park is a motorsports circuit located in Broadlands Road, Taupo, New Zealand. It is owned and operated by MIT Development Ltd....
and the series finale at Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
during the shortened 14 race season. Three rounds were cancelled for a variety of reasons, beginning a disturbing trend with A1 Grand Prix which plagued the following season - the next season was cancelled altogether.
A1 Team Switzerland
A1 Team Switzerland
A1 Team Switzerland is the Swiss team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the third season, 2007-08.-History:...
(95 points) whose driver Neel Jani
Neel Jani
Neel Jani is a Swiss race car driver of Indian origin. He has achieved his greatest success driving for A1 Team Switzerland in A1 Grand Prix, helping them win the 2007-2008 title and finishing runner-up in 2005-06 and 2008-09. He has been also a GP2 Series race-winner and Formula One tester...
took four wins, finish runner up at seasons completion, just three points ahead of A1 Team Portugal
A1 Team Portugal
A1 Team Portugal is the Portuguese team for A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :The A1 Team Portugal team owners were the well known football player, Luís Figo, and coach Carlos Queiroz...
with their driver Filipe Albuquerque
Filipe Albuquerque
Filipe Miguel Delgadinho Albuquerque is a Portuguese race car driver, currently driving in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.- Career :...
scoring 92 points to take a close third position after taking just the one win though the season.
Dutch pairing Jeroen Bleekemolen
Jeroen Bleekemolen
Jeroen Bleekemolen is a Dutch racing driver.In a Chrysler Viper GTS-R he drove in the FIA GT Championship, with great success. He competed in the very competitive German Formula 3 Championship and drove a number of times at the Masters of Formula 3 at Circuit Zandvoort, the unofficial F3 World...
and Robert Doornbos
Robert Doornbos
Robert Michael Doornbos is a Dutch racing driver. He has been test and third driver for the Jordan and Red Bull Racing Formula One teams, as well as driving for Minardi and Red Bull Racing in 2005 and 2006. Doornbos then drove for Minardi Team USA in the 2007 and final season of the Champ Car...
each took a win to take A1 Team Netherlands to fourth position in the team standings with Fairuz Fauzy and Loïc Duval
Loïc Duval
Loïc Duval is a French race car driver.- Career :He began his career in karting and in 2002 was the French Formula Campus champion. In 2003 he was the French Formula Renault champion. In 2004 he placed eleventh with two podiums in the Formula Three Euroseries and tested for Renault F1...
taking the remaining wins for A1 Team Malaysia
A1 Team Malaysia
A1 Team Malaysia is the Malaysian team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :A1 Team Malaysia is operated by A1 Team Sdn. Bhd...
and A1 Team France
A1 Team France
A1 Team France is the French team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the inaugural season, 2005-06.- Management :A1 Team France's owner is Jean-Paul Driot...
respectively.
Teams
During the 2007–08 Shanghai race weekend2007-08 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Shanghai, China
__FORCETOC__The 2007–08 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Shanghai, China was an A1 Grand Prix race, held on April 13, 2008 at the Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, China...
, it was announced at an official ceremony that Korea
A1 Team Korea
A1 Team Korea is the South Korean racing team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :Jung-Yong Kim of Omnibus Investment is the seat holder, with Good EMG supporting the project...
would be participating in the 2008–09 season.. Jung-Yong Kim of Omnibus Investment is the seat holder, with Good EMG supporting the project. Carlin Motorsport
Carlin Motorsport
Carlin, formerly Carlin Motorsport, is a motor racing team based in the United Kingdom. It competes in four championships — British Formula Three Championship, GP3 Series, World Series by Renault and GP2 Series.-History:...
ran the racing team.
On 29 August 2008, it was announced that A1 Team Monaco
A1 Team Monaco
A1 Team Monaco is the Monegasque team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :On 29 August 2008, it was announced that A1 Team Monaco will be competing in season four...
will be competing in season four. The joint seat holders were Hubertus Bahlsen, and former F3 and GP2 driver Clivio Piccione
Clivio Piccione
Clivio Piccione is a Monegasque race car driver. He raced in the 2005 GP2 Series season for the Durango team and David Price Racing for 2006.-Career:...
, who took on the driving duties.
Two teams appeared in A1GP documentation throughout the season but did not race. Wade Cherwayko's A1 Team Canada
A1 Team Canada
A1 Team Canada is the Canadian team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :A1 Team Canada's previous seat holder was Jay Laski...
appeared on paper but the team failed to show for any races and Adam Khan tested the A1 Team Pakistan
A1 Team Pakistan
A1 Team Pakistan is the Pakistani team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :In 2008/2009 season, the team is being run by Team Craft, bringing a high level of knowledge and expertise to A1 Team Pakistan....
car on a number of occasions but likewise did not travel to any races.
The 21 teams that started a race in the 2008–09 championship were:
| Team | Race drivers | Rookie drivers |
Pre-season Test drivers |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 A1 Team AustraliaA1 Team Australia A1 Team Australia is the Australian team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :The team chairman is former-Formula One world champion Alan Jones, backed by general manager and former NASCAR driver Peter Nolan... |
Alan Docking Racing Alan Docking Racing Alan Docking Racing is motor racing team based in Silverstone, United Kingdom. The team was formed in 1975 by Australian Alan Docking.... |
Alan Jones | John Martin John Martin (racing driver) John Martin is an Australian championship winning open-wheel motor racing driver. Martin has been racing in European based open-wheel series since 2006. In that time Martin has had a wide experience of open-wheel racing having driven in various national and international series driving Formula... |
Ashley Walsh Ashley Walsh Ashley Daniel Walsh born January 11, 1988 is a racing driver from Ipswich, Queensland, Australia.-Karting:Walsh was a dual Australian Karting Champion in 2003 at his local Ipswich Kart Track driving a Tony Kart. He won the Junior Clubman and Junior Piston Port categories. He also won the 2004... |
John Martin John Martin (racing driver) John Martin is an Australian championship winning open-wheel motor racing driver. Martin has been racing in European based open-wheel series since 2006. In that time Martin has had a wide experience of open-wheel racing having driven in various national and international series driving Formula... |
 A1 Team BrazilA1 Team Brazil A1 Team Brazil is the Brazilian team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :The seat holder for A1 Team Brazil is the former Formula One World Champion Emerson Fittipaldi. Since 2005, Brazilian footballer Ronaldo has been the co-owner of A1 Team Brazil. The team principal is... |
DSM Super Nova Racing Super Nova Racing is a British racing team that has competed in Formula 3000/GP2 and the A1 Grand Prix series. Super Nova first entered racing in 1991... |
Emerson Fittipaldi Emerson Fittipaldi Emerson Fittipaldi |São Paulo]], Brazil) is a Brazilian automobile racing driver who throughout a long and successful career won the Indianapolis 500 twice and championships in both Formula One and CART.-Early and personal life:... |
Felipe Guimarães Felipe Guimarães Felipe Guimarães is a Brazilian racing driver.After a childhood in karting, Guimarães transitioned to the extremely competitive Formula Three Sudamericana series at the age of 16 and finished 4th in points with two victories. 2008 took him to Europe where he competed in Euroseries 3000 where he... |
Felipe Guimarães Felipe Guimarães Felipe Guimarães is a Brazilian racing driver.After a childhood in karting, Guimarães transitioned to the extremely competitive Formula Three Sudamericana series at the age of 16 and finished 4th in points with two victories. 2008 took him to Europe where he competed in Euroseries 3000 where he... Ana Beatriz |
|
 A1 Team ChinaA1 Team China A1 Team China is the Chinese team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.-Management:The seat holder A1 Team China is Liu Yu... |
Team Astromega Team Astromega Team Astromega is a racing team from Belgium, headquartered in Heist-op-den-Berg and created in 1995 by Mikke Van Hool. The team is currently competing in A1 Grand Prix and Formula Renault 1.6 Belgium.-History:... |
Liu Yu | Ho-Pin Tung Ho-Pin Tung Ho-Pin Tung is a Chinese-Dutch auto-racing driver who races with a Chinese license.-Career:Tung started kart racing in the Netherlands in 1997 before graduating to single-seaters. He won the 2003 Formula BMW Asia series and was rewarded with a test drive with the Williams F1 team.In 2004 he joined... Cong Fu Cheng |
Adderly Fong Adderly Fong Adderly Fong Chun-Yu, , born March 2, 1990, is a Hong Kong Chinese racing driver. His career started in 2004.He is currently competing in the British Formula Three Championship with Sino Vision Racing.... |
|
 A1 Team FranceA1 Team France A1 Team France is the French team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the inaugural season, 2005-06.- Management :A1 Team France's owner is Jean-Paul Driot... |
Connor Racing DAMS Driot-Arnoux Motorsport is a racing team from France, involved in many areas of motorsports. DAMS was founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot and former Formula One driver René Arnoux. It is headquartered near Le Mans, only 2 km from the Bugatti Circuit.- History :The year after its foundation,... |
Jean Paul Driot | Loïc Duval Loïc Duval Loïc Duval is a French race car driver.- Career :He began his career in karting and in 2002 was the French Formula Campus champion. In 2003 he was the French Formula Renault champion. In 2004 he placed eleventh with two podiums in the Formula Three Euroseries and tested for Renault F1... Nicolas Prost Nicolas Prost Nicolas Jean Prost is a French-Armenian racing driver currently racing for A1 Team France in the A1 Grand Prix series, and for ELK Motorsport in the Euroseries 3000, which he won in 2008.-Career:... |
Nicolas Prost Nicolas Prost Nicolas Jean Prost is a French-Armenian racing driver currently racing for A1 Team France in the A1 Grand Prix series, and for ELK Motorsport in the Euroseries 3000, which he won in 2008.-Career:... |
|
 A1 Team GermanyA1 Team Germany A1 Team Germany was the German team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the second season, 2006-07. They were run by the English Super Nova Racing team until the end of 2007-08... |
GU-Racing International GU-Racing International GU-Racing International is a German racing team owned by Günther Unterreitmeier. The team was founded in 2003.-History:The team has competed in several series, including Superleague Formula running the Olympiacos CFP and the FC Basel 1893 teams. They also run A1 Team Germany in A1 Grand Prix... |
Rolf Beisswanger | Michael Ammermüller Michael Ammermüller Michael Ammermüller is a race car driver born in Pocking, Germany on February 14, 1986.-Career:In 2004 he drove the number three car in German Formula Renault, as well as competing in Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup... Andre Lotterer André Lotterer André Lotterer is a German auto racing driver.- Racing career :Lotterer succeeded in both German and British Formula 3 championships en route to being named Jaguar Racing's Formula One test driver in 2002... |
Michael Ammermüller Michael Ammermüller Michael Ammermüller is a race car driver born in Pocking, Germany on February 14, 1986.-Career:In 2004 he drove the number three car in German Formula Renault, as well as competing in Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup... Andre Lotterer André Lotterer André Lotterer is a German auto racing driver.- Racing career :Lotterer succeeded in both German and British Formula 3 championships en route to being named Jaguar Racing's Formula One test driver in 2002... |
|
| A1 Team Great Britain A1 Team Great Britain A1 Team Great Britain is the British team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :A1 Team Great Britain was one of the first six seat holders in the series announced, with chairman John Surtees hosting the event... |
A1 Team Great Britain A1 Team Great Britain A1 Team Great Britain is the British team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :A1 Team Great Britain was one of the first six seat holders in the series announced, with chairman John Surtees hosting the event... |
Tony Clements | Danny Watts Danny Watts Danny Watts is a British racing driver.Danny Watts started racing in 1993, when he began karting. After five seasons of karting, he stepped up to single seater racing in 1998 in the UK Formula First championship, in which he dominated with 12 wins... Dan Clarke Dan Clarke Dan Clarke is a British auto racing driver born 4 October 1983 in Mexborough, most recently competing in the Firestone Indy Lights series with Walker Racing, having previously competed in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport and the Champ Car World Series... |
Dan Clarke Dan Clarke Dan Clarke is a British auto racing driver born 4 October 1983 in Mexborough, most recently competing in the Firestone Indy Lights series with Walker Racing, having previously competed in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport and the Champ Car World Series... Aaron Steele Danny Watts Danny Watts Danny Watts is a British racing driver.Danny Watts started racing in 1993, when he began karting. After five seasons of karting, he stepped up to single seater racing in 1998 in the UK Formula First championship, in which he dominated with 12 wins... James Winslow James Winslow James Winslow is a British racing driver. He is the winner of four motorsport championships and currently competes in the Firestone Indy Lights series and the Australian Drivers' Championship.-2004-2008:... |
|
 A1 Team IndiaA1 Team India A1 Team India is the Indian team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :The seatholder for Team India is former Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan.... |
Argo Racing Cars Ltd | Ravi Chilukuri | Narain Karthikeyan Narain Karthikeyan Kumar Ram Narain Karthikeyan , is the first Formula One motor racing driver from India. He has previously competed in A1GP, and the Le Mans Series. He made his Formula One debut in with the Jordan team, and was a WilliamsF1 test driver in and... |
Armaan Ebrahim Armaan Ebrahim Armaan Ebrahim is a car racer from Chennai, India. He is the son of the ex-Indian F3 champion Akbar Ebrahim.-Career:Touted as the most promising racing driver in India today, Armaan Ebrahim started his career in karting and became Formula LGB Champion in 2004. He later moved to Formula BMW Asia... Narain Karthikeyan Narain Karthikeyan Kumar Ram Narain Karthikeyan , is the first Formula One motor racing driver from India. He has previously competed in A1GP, and the Le Mans Series. He made his Formula One debut in with the Jordan team, and was a WilliamsF1 test driver in and... Parthiva Sureshwaren Parthiva Sureshwaren Parthiva Sureshwaren is an Indian race car driver born in Chennai.-A1 Grand Prix:Sureshwaren drove in the 2006-07 A1 Grand Prix season for A1 Team India at the Australian round, replacing Narain Karthikeyan. He did so again for the 2007-08 season, replacing the injured Karthikeyan at Durban... |
|
 A1 Team IndonesiaA1 Team Indonesia A1 Team Indonesia is the Indonesian team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :A1 Team Indonesia has been operating since January 2008 by Performance Racing, which provide technical and race services. Its team now is managed by Bobby Issazadhe and helped by their new race... |
Performance Racing Performance Racing Performance Racing is a racing team based in Great Britain, involved in many areas of motorsports. The team has been managed since 1999 by Bobby Issazadhe.- History :... |
Bagoes Hermanto | Zahir Ali Zahir Ali Zahir Ali is an Indonesian racing driver. He has competed in such series as the All-Japan Formula Three Championship and the German Formula Three Championship. He raced for A1 Team Indonesia at two rounds in the 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix season.-External links:*... Satrio Hermanto Satrio Hermanto Adil Satryaguna "Satrio" Hermanto is an Indonesian racing driver.- Karting :He started racing in the Indonesian karting National Championship in 1994.* 1995 : National Champion Category intercontinental A... |
Zahir Ali Zahir Ali Zahir Ali is an Indonesian racing driver. He has competed in such series as the All-Japan Formula Three Championship and the German Formula Three Championship. He raced for A1 Team Indonesia at two rounds in the 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix season.-External links:*... |
|
 A1 Team IrelandA1 Team Ireland A1 Team Ireland is the Irish team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the fourth season, 2008-09.- The Team :... |
Status Grand Prix Status Grand Prix Status Grand Prix is a motorsport team from Ireland.-Team history:Based in Silverstone the team was formed in 2005 to run the A1 Team Ireland franchise in the new A1 Grand Prix series... |
Mark Gallagher, Teddy Yip, Jr. Teddy Yip, Jr. Teddy Yip, Jr. is a Canadian national who is currently the shareholder and Team Principal of Status Grand Prix. He is the son of former Formula One team owner Teddy Yip.-References:... , John Hynes and David Kennedy Dave Kennedy David Kennedy is a former racing driver from the Republic of Ireland. He was one of his country's first Grand Prix drivers, and is widely seen as having helped pioneer the Irish move into international racing.... |
Adam Carroll Adam Carroll Adam Carroll is a Northern Irish racing driver. He currently races in the GP2 Series for Super Nova and in Auto GP for Campos Racing, making his debut with pole position at Donington Park... |
Niall Quinn Niall Quinn (racing driver) Niall Quinn is an Irish motor racing driver, currently living in County Meath, Ireland.- Early career :1999- 3rd place in Irish Karting Championship in Cadet2000- 1st place in Irish Karting Championship in Cadet... |
Adam Carroll Adam Carroll Adam Carroll is a Northern Irish racing driver. He currently races in the GP2 Series for Super Nova and in Auto GP for Campos Racing, making his debut with pole position at Donington Park... |
 A1 Team ItalyA1 Team Italy A1 Team Italy is the Italian team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- 2008-09 season :Drivers: Edoardo Piscopo, Fabio Onidi... |
Team Ghinzani Team Ghinzani Team Ghinzani is a motor racing team based in Italy, involved in many areas of motorsport. The team was founded in 1992 by Piercarlo Ghinzani, who raced in Formula One between and .- History :... |
Piercarlo Ghinzani Piercarlo Ghinzani Piercarlo Ghinzani is a former racing driver from Italy. He currently manages his own racing team, Team Ghinzani, which was created in 1992 and is currently involved in several Formula Three championships.... |
Vitantonio Liuzzi Vitantonio Liuzzi Vitantonio "Tonio" Liuzzi is an Italian race driver who is currently racing in Formula One for the HRT F1 Team. He has homes in Lugano, Switzerland and Pescara, Italy.-Karting:... Fabio Onidi Fabio Onidi Fabio Onidi is a professional racing driver from Italy.-Karting:Prior to starting his racing career, Onidi raced in karting for a number of years, finishing sixth in the European Championship ICA Junior category and winning the Italian Championship ICA Junior title in 2003.-Formula BMW:Onidi began... Edoardo Piscopo Edoardo Piscopo - Formula BMW :After previously competing in karting, Piscopo began his single seater career in Formula BMW USA in 2005, where he finished fifth with three wins for EuroInternational.- Formula Renault :... |
Stefano Coletti Stefano Coletti Stefano Coletti is a professional racing driver from Monaco.-Karting:Coletti enjoyed a successful karting career prior to moving into single-seater racing... Vitantonio Liuzzi Vitantonio Liuzzi Vitantonio "Tonio" Liuzzi is an Italian race driver who is currently racing in Formula One for the HRT F1 Team. He has homes in Lugano, Switzerland and Pescara, Italy.-Karting:... Christian Montanari Christian Montanari Christian Montanari is a racing car driver from San Marino.He started racing in Formula Renault 2.0 in 2002, finishing 6th in the Italian championship and moving up to Italian F3 for 2003... |
Edoardo Piscopo Edoardo Piscopo - Formula BMW :After previously competing in karting, Piscopo began his single seater career in Formula BMW USA in 2005, where he finished fifth with three wins for EuroInternational.- Formula Renault :... Fabio Onidi Fabio Onidi Fabio Onidi is a professional racing driver from Italy.-Karting:Prior to starting his racing career, Onidi raced in karting for a number of years, finishing sixth in the European Championship ICA Junior category and winning the Italian Championship ICA Junior title in 2003.-Formula BMW:Onidi began... |
 A1 Team KoreaA1 Team Korea A1 Team Korea is the South Korean racing team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :Jung-Yong Kim of Omnibus Investment is the seat holder, with Good EMG supporting the project... |
Carlin Motorsport Carlin Motorsport Carlin, formerly Carlin Motorsport, is a motor racing team based in the United Kingdom. It competes in four championships — British Formula Three Championship, GP3 Series, World Series by Renault and GP2 Series.-History:... |
Jung-Yong Kim | Hwang Jin-Woo Hwang Jin-Woo Hwang Jin-Woo is a South Korean auto racing driver. After winning two Korean GT championships' titles in 2005 and 2006, he started racing in the Japanese Super GT series since 2008.... |
Hwang Jin-Woo Hwang Jin-Woo Hwang Jin-Woo is a South Korean auto racing driver. After winning two Korean GT championships' titles in 2005 and 2006, he started racing in the Japanese Super GT series since 2008.... |
Hwang Jin-Woo Hwang Jin-Woo Hwang Jin-Woo is a South Korean auto racing driver. After winning two Korean GT championships' titles in 2005 and 2006, he started racing in the Japanese Super GT series since 2008.... |
 A1 Team LebanonA1 Team Lebanon A1 Team Lebanon is the Lebanese team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :A1 Team Lebanon's owner is Tameem Auchi.- History :Daniel Morad became the race driver for A1 Team Lebanon for the 2008-09 season... |
Argo Racing Cars Ltd | Tameem Auchi | Daniel Morad Daniel Morad Daniel Morad is a Canadian racecar driver currently competing in the Atlantic Championship with Italian team EuroInternational. He is notable for winning the 2007 American Formula BMW championship.... |
Daniel Morad Daniel Morad Daniel Morad is a Canadian racecar driver currently competing in the Atlantic Championship with Italian team EuroInternational. He is notable for winning the 2007 American Formula BMW championship.... Jimmy Auby |
Daniel Morad Daniel Morad Daniel Morad is a Canadian racecar driver currently competing in the Atlantic Championship with Italian team EuroInternational. He is notable for winning the 2007 American Formula BMW championship.... |
 A1 Team MalaysiaA1 Team Malaysia A1 Team Malaysia is the Malaysian team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :A1 Team Malaysia is operated by A1 Team Sdn. Bhd... |
A1 Team Malaysia A1 Team Malaysia A1 Team Malaysia is the Malaysian team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :A1 Team Malaysia is operated by A1 Team Sdn. Bhd... |
Alex Yoong Alex Yoong Alexander Charles Yoong Loong , is a Malaysian race car driver of European and Asian parentage. His mother, Joanna Bean, is from England. His father, Hanifah Yoong Yin Fah , a Malaysian Chinese, is a former racer and manager of the Shah Alam circuit between 1988 and 1998... |
Fairuz Fauzy Aaron Lim Aaron Lim Aaron Lim is a Malaysian racing driver. He has competed in such series as Formula V6 Asia and A1 Grand Prix for A1 Team Malaysia.-External links:*... |
Aaron Lim Aaron Lim Aaron Lim is a Malaysian racing driver. He has competed in such series as Formula V6 Asia and A1 Grand Prix for A1 Team Malaysia.-External links:*... |
Fairuz Fauzy |
 A1 Team MexicoA1 Team Mexico A1 Team Mexico is the Mexican team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :A1 Team Memek sico owners are Juan Cortina and Julio Jáuregui.... |
Escuderia del Mediterraneo Campos Grand Prix HRT F1 Team, formerly known as Campos Meta 1 and Hispania Racing, is a Spanish Formula One team founded by former driver Adrián Campos. It was sold to José Ramón Carabante before its debut in 2010, and to then to investment group Thesan Capital in July 2011... |
Julio Jauregui Saad | Davíd Garza Pérez Davíd Garza Pérez David Garza Pérez is a Mexican racing driver. He has raced in the A1 Grand Prix and Champ Car Atlantic series.- Karting :* 2005 : 2nd in Shifter 125cc debut season* 2004 : Mexican Rotax Jr. Champion ; Champion in Rotax Jr... Salvador Durán Salvador Durán Salvador Durán Sánchez is a Mexican race car driver currently racing in the NACAR Corona Series and formerly Formula Renault 3.5 Series championship with the Interwetten.com team.... |
Juan Pablo Garcia Juan Pablo Garcia (racing driver) Juan Pablo Garcia is a Mexican racing driver.Garcia began his professional career in Formula Renault 2000 de America in 2006. He made two A1 Grand Prix starts for A1 Team Mexico that winter and then drove in the British Formula Three Championship National Class, finishing 7th... |
|
 A1 Team MonacoA1 Team Monaco A1 Team Monaco is the Monegasque team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :On 29 August 2008, it was announced that A1 Team Monaco will be competing in season four... |
A1 Team Monaco A1 Team Monaco A1 Team Monaco is the Monegasque team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :On 29 August 2008, it was announced that A1 Team Monaco will be competing in season four... |
Clivio Piccione Clivio Piccione Clivio Piccione is a Monegasque race car driver. He raced in the 2005 GP2 Series season for the Durango team and David Price Racing for 2006.-Career:... Hubertus Bahlsen |
Clivio Piccione Clivio Piccione Clivio Piccione is a Monegasque race car driver. He raced in the 2005 GP2 Series season for the Durango team and David Price Racing for 2006.-Career:... |
Hubertus Bahlsen | Clivio Piccione Clivio Piccione Clivio Piccione is a Monegasque race car driver. He raced in the 2005 GP2 Series season for the Durango team and David Price Racing for 2006.-Career:... |
 A1 Team The NetherlandsA1 Team The Netherlands A1 Team Netherlands is the Dutch team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :A1 Team Netherlands' owner is former Formula One driver and Le Mans winner Jan Lammers... |
Racing Team Holland Racing for Holland Racing for Holland is a Dutch motor racing team started by Jan Lammers in 1999. The team is initially specialised in endurance races such as 24 hours of Le Mans and FIA sportscars series. The team is now also participating in the A1 Grand Prix as the A1 Team The Netherlands.-History:Racing for... |
Jan Lammers Jan Lammers Johannes "Jan" Lammers, , is a racing driver and team principal from the Netherlands. He participated in 41 Formula One Grand Prix races, debuting on January 21, 1979. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988 and later participated in the race with his own team Racing for Holland... |
Jeroen Bleekemolen Jeroen Bleekemolen Jeroen Bleekemolen is a Dutch racing driver.In a Chrysler Viper GTS-R he drove in the FIA GT Championship, with great success. He competed in the very competitive German Formula 3 Championship and drove a number of times at the Masters of Formula 3 at Circuit Zandvoort, the unofficial F3 World... Robert Doornbos Robert Doornbos Robert Michael Doornbos is a Dutch racing driver. He has been test and third driver for the Jordan and Red Bull Racing Formula One teams, as well as driving for Minardi and Red Bull Racing in 2005 and 2006. Doornbos then drove for Minardi Team USA in the 2007 and final season of the Champ Car... |
Dennis Retera | Jeroen Bleekemolen Jeroen Bleekemolen Jeroen Bleekemolen is a Dutch racing driver.In a Chrysler Viper GTS-R he drove in the FIA GT Championship, with great success. He competed in the very competitive German Formula 3 Championship and drove a number of times at the Masters of Formula 3 at Circuit Zandvoort, the unofficial F3 World... Robert Doornbos Robert Doornbos Robert Michael Doornbos is a Dutch racing driver. He has been test and third driver for the Jordan and Red Bull Racing Formula One teams, as well as driving for Minardi and Red Bull Racing in 2005 and 2006. Doornbos then drove for Minardi Team USA in the 2007 and final season of the Champ Car... |
 A1 Team New ZealandA1 Team New Zealand A1 Team New Zealand is the New Zealand team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :The team was formed by and is owned by prominent Auckland businessman Colin Giltrap, well known for this car dealerships. The team is managed by Kiwi Bob McMurray who retired last year after... |
DSM Super Nova Racing Super Nova Racing is a British racing team that has competed in Formula 3000/GP2 and the A1 Grand Prix series. Super Nova first entered racing in 1991... |
Colin Giltrap | Earl Bamber Earl Bamber Earl Anderson Bamber is a motor racing driver and commentator from New Zealand.-Career:Bamber is a young rookie driver with a reputation for suffering from bouts of red mist but has demonstrated race driving talent when progressing through karts and minor single seater series, and in 2008 was... Chris van der Drift Chris van der Drift Christopher Jason van der Drift is a New Zealand racecar driver of Dutch descent.-Career:Chris started karting at the age of 7 and in 1994 he raced his first year in cadets... |
Earl Bamber Earl Bamber Earl Anderson Bamber is a motor racing driver and commentator from New Zealand.-Career:Bamber is a young rookie driver with a reputation for suffering from bouts of red mist but has demonstrated race driving talent when progressing through karts and minor single seater series, and in 2008 was... Chris van der Drift Chris van der Drift Christopher Jason van der Drift is a New Zealand racecar driver of Dutch descent.-Career:Chris started karting at the age of 7 and in 1994 he raced his first year in cadets... |
Earl Bamber Earl Bamber Earl Anderson Bamber is a motor racing driver and commentator from New Zealand.-Career:Bamber is a young rookie driver with a reputation for suffering from bouts of red mist but has demonstrated race driving talent when progressing through karts and minor single seater series, and in 2008 was... Chris van der Drift Chris van der Drift Christopher Jason van der Drift is a New Zealand racecar driver of Dutch descent.-Career:Chris started karting at the age of 7 and in 1994 he raced his first year in cadets... |
 A1 Team PortugalA1 Team Portugal A1 Team Portugal is the Portuguese team for A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :The A1 Team Portugal team owners were the well known football player, Luís Figo, and coach Carlos Queiroz... |
Boer Racing Services | Luís Vicente | Filipe Albuquerque Filipe Albuquerque Filipe Miguel Delgadinho Albuquerque is a Portuguese race car driver, currently driving in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.- Career :... |
Filipe Albuquerque Filipe Albuquerque Filipe Miguel Delgadinho Albuquerque is a Portuguese race car driver, currently driving in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.- Career :... Antonio Felix da Costa António Félix da Costa António Maria de Mello Breyner Félix da Costa is a Portuguese auto racing driver. His elder brother Duarte is also a racing driver. He currently resides in Cascais.-Karting:... Armando Parente Armando Parente Armando Parente is a Portuguese racing driver. He won the 2008 ADAC Formel Masters season.-External links:* *... |
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 A1 Team South AfricaA1 Team South Africa A1 Team South Africa is the South African team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :A1 Team South Africa owner is Tokyo Sexwale. The Chief Executive Officer of the team is Dana Cooper and the technical and sporting manager is Mike Carroll... |
Connor Racing DAMS Driot-Arnoux Motorsport is a racing team from France, involved in many areas of motorsports. DAMS was founded in 1988 by Jean-Paul Driot and former Formula One driver René Arnoux. It is headquartered near Le Mans, only 2 km from the Bugatti Circuit.- History :The year after its foundation,... |
Tokyo Sexwale Tokyo Sexwale Mosima Gabriel Sexwale , commonly known as Tokyo Sexwale , is the current Minister of Human Settlements of South Africa. A South African businessman, politician, anti-apartheid activist, and former political prisoner. His nickname of "Tokyo" is derived from his involvement with the sport of... |
Adrian Zaugg Adrian Zaugg Adrian Zaugg is a South African race car driver.-Complete A1 Grand Prix results: -Complete GP2 Series results:... Alan van der Merwe Alan van der Merwe style="float:right; background:transparent;"|Alan van der Merwe is a South African race car driver.He won the 2001 Formula Ford Festival, he was the 2003 British Formula Three Champion and ran for Super Nova Racing in Formula 3000 in 2004... |
Gavin Cronje Gavin Cronje Gavin Cronje is a South African racing driver. He has competed in such series as Euroseries 3000 and the Formula Renault 3.5 Series. He won the inaugural Formula Volkswagen South Africa Championship in 2008 with Morgado Racing. He was runner-up in the 2009 Formula Le Mans Cup season to DAMS... Cristiano Morgado Cristiano Morgado Cristiano Morgado is a South African race car driver of Portuguese descent residing in Durban, South Africa. His racing achievements to date include winning the Rotax Max World Championship in 2004 and the European Championship the following year in the RM1 class... |
Adrian Zaugg Adrian Zaugg Adrian Zaugg is a South African race car driver.-Complete A1 Grand Prix results: -Complete GP2 Series results:... |
 A1 Team SwitzerlandA1 Team Switzerland A1 Team Switzerland is the Swiss team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the third season, 2007-08.-History:... |
Boer Racing Services | Max Welti Max Welti Max Welti is a former Swiss racing driver. He was involved with F1 Team Sauber before becoming the principal of A1 Team Switzerland in 2005.-References:*... |
Neel Jani Neel Jani Neel Jani is a Swiss race car driver of Indian origin. He has achieved his greatest success driving for A1 Team Switzerland in A1 Grand Prix, helping them win the 2007-2008 title and finishing runner-up in 2005-06 and 2008-09. He has been also a GP2 Series race-winner and Formula One tester... |
Alexandre Imperatori Alexandre Imperatori Alexandre Imperatori is a Swiss racing driver. He has competed in such series as Formula Renault and the All-Japan Formula Three Championship. He has been a reserve driver for A1 Team Switzerland in the A1 Grand Prix series.-External links:* *... |
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 A1 Team USAA1 Team USA A1 Team USA is the American team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :Owner Rick Weidinger became interested in A1 Team USA and the A1 Grand Prix series when national franchises were being bid for the new series. Along with minority partners and friends Rusty Lewis and... |
Andretti Green Racing Andretti Green Racing Andretti Autosport is an auto racing team that competes in the IndyCar Series, Firestone Indy Lights, Star Mazda Championship, and U.S. F2000 National Championship.-Current IndyCar Drivers and Cars:*7 Danica Patrick, GoDaddy.com*26 Marco Andretti... |
Michael Andretti Michael Andretti Michael Mario Andretti is a retired American CART and Formula One driver and owner of the Andretti Autosport team in the IndyCar Series. Andretti is the son of Mario Andretti. His son is Marco Andretti.-Early career:... |
Charlie Kimball Charlie Kimball Charlie Kimball is an Anglo-American racecar driver currently competing in the IZOD IndyCar Series with Chip Ganassi Racing.-2002–2005:... Marco Andretti Marco Andretti Marco Michael Andretti is an Italian American auto racing driver who drives the #26 car for Andretti Autosport in the IndyCar Series. He is the son of 1991 IndyCar World Series champion Michael Andretti and the grandson of racing legend Mario Andretti... J. R. Hildebrand J. R. Hildebrand John R. Hildebrand Jr. is an American race car driver. He currently competes in the IZOD IndyCar Series; driving the #4 National Guard car for Panther Racing. Hildebrand's nickname is Captain America... |
Marco Andretti Marco Andretti Marco Michael Andretti is an Italian American auto racing driver who drives the #26 car for Andretti Autosport in the IndyCar Series. He is the son of 1991 IndyCar World Series champion Michael Andretti and the grandson of racing legend Mario Andretti... J. R. Hildebrand J. R. Hildebrand John R. Hildebrand Jr. is an American race car driver. He currently competes in the IZOD IndyCar Series; driving the #4 National Guard car for Panther Racing. Hildebrand's nickname is Captain America... Robbie Pecorari Robbie Pecorari Roberto "Robbie" Pecorari is an American racing driver from Aston, Pennsylvania.One of America's most successful young karters, he won numerous regional and national World Karting Association and Stars of Karting championships before moving up to cars in late 2003... |
Charlie Kimball Charlie Kimball Charlie Kimball is an Anglo-American racecar driver currently competing in the IZOD IndyCar Series with Chip Ganassi Racing.-2002–2005:... |
New "Powered by Ferrari" car
On 11 October 2007, A1GP and FerrariFerrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
announced a six year collaboration on the new generation of A1GP cars. The new "Powered by Ferrari" car is a modification of the Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
Ferrari F2004
Ferrari F2004
The Ferrari F2004 is a championship-winning Formula One racecar, designed by Rory Byrne, Ross Brawn and Aldo Costa for the 2004 Formula One season...
chassis with a V8 Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...
engine producing 600 bhp. The car was officially revealed in Southern England
Southern England
Southern England, the South and the South of England are imprecise terms used to refer to the southern counties of England bordering the English Midlands. It has a number of different interpretations of its geographic extents. The South is considered by many to be a cultural region with a distinct...
, and driven for the first time by John Watson
John Watson (racing driver)
John Marshall "Wattie" Watson MBE is a British former racing driver from Northern Ireland. He competed in Formula One, winning five Grands Prix and also in the World Sportscar Championship...
in an inaugural event in May 2007. Michelin
Michelin
Michelin is a tyre manufacturer based in Clermont-Ferrand in the Auvergne région of France. It is one of the two largest tyre manufacturers in the world along with Bridgestone. In addition to the Michelin brand, it also owns the BFGoodrich, Kleber, Riken, Kormoran and Uniroyal tyre brands...
supplied the tyres for the new car.
The car was developed and tested over more than 5600 kilometres at Mugello Circuit
Mugello Circuit
Mugello Circuit is a race track in the Mugello region of Italy near Florence. Its length is . It has 15 turns and a long straight.Grand Prix motorcycle racing host an annual event here . Also, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters hold an annual event. The track is property of Scuderia Ferrari which...
, Fiorano Circuit
Fiorano Circuit
The Fiorano Circuit is a private racetrack owned by Ferrari for development and testing purposes. It is located near the Italian town of Maranello....
, Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari
The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari is an auto racing circuit near the Italian town of Imola, east of Bologna and east of the Ferrari factory in Maranello....
, Circuito Guadix
Circuito Guadix
Circuito Guadix is a motorsports facility located in Granada, Spain near the Sierra Nevada. The circuit was redesigned by Clive Greenhalgh and reopened in mid-January 2007...
, Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
, Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
, Circuit Paul Ricard
Circuit Paul Ricard
The Paul Ricard Circuit is a motorsport race track built at Le Castellet, near Marseille, France, in 1969 with finance from the eccentric drinks magnate Paul Ricard, who created what essentially became Pernod Ricard...
and Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours is a motor racing circuit located in central France, near the towns of Magny-Cours and Nevers, some 250 km from Paris...
. Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini
Andrea Bertolini is an Italian race car driver currently driving for Swiss Team in the Superstars Series. He is the official test driver of the Maserati factory....
was the main test driver, but testing was carried out by Marc Gene
Marc Gené
Marc Gené i Guerrero is a motor racing driver, from Catalonia, Spain. He is best known as a tester for Williams and Ferrari in Formula One, Minardi Formula One driver and factory driver for Peugeot's Le Mans team, with which he won the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans...
, Patrick Friesacher
Patrick Friesacher
Patrick Friesacher is an Austrian racing driver who drove for the Minardi Formula One team during the first half of the 2005 season.-Early career:...
, Jonny Kane
Jonny Kane
Jonny Kane is a racing driver who has competed at various levels of motorsport. He currently drives for Strakka Racing in the Le Mans Series.Kane, who was born in Comber, Northern Ireland, began his career in karting and Formula Ford...
and Danny Watts
Danny Watts
Danny Watts is a British racing driver.Danny Watts started racing in 1993, when he began karting. After five seasons of karting, he stepped up to single seater racing in 1998 in the UK Formula First championship, in which he dominated with 12 wins...
during the sessions at Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
.
Off-season tests and car presentations
On August 2–3, 2008, the first pressNews media
The news media are those elements of the mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public.These include print media , broadcast news , and more recently the Internet .-Etymology:A medium is a carrier of something...
and public presentation of the A1GP Powered by Ferrari car
A1 Grand Prix cars
The A1 Grand Prix car was a vehicle designed to compete in the A1 Grand Prix. The car was standardised for every team to provide a level playing field for competing nations. It was designed to reduce the volume of "dirty air", allowing drivers to close in on the car in front, encouraging...
was held on the TT Circuit Assen
TT Circuit Assen
The TT Circuit Assen is a motorsport race track built in 1955 and located in Assen, Netherlands. Host of the Dutch TT race, it is considered "The Cathedral" of motorcycling by the fans...
with former A1 Team Netherlands driver, Renger van der Zande
Renger van der Zande
Renger van der Zande is a Dutch racecar driver. He is the son of the 1978 National Dutch Rallycross Champion with VW Golf 1600 Ronald van der Zande.-Career:...
. Two weeks after, the car was presented in Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
during the Bavaria City Racing Festival. The A1 Team Netherlands car
A1 Grand Prix cars
The A1 Grand Prix car was a vehicle designed to compete in the A1 Grand Prix. The car was standardised for every team to provide a level playing field for competing nations. It was designed to reduce the volume of "dirty air", allowing drivers to close in on the car in front, encouraging...
was driven by Carlo van Dam
Carlo van Dam
-Formula Renault:A veteran of karting, and a former member of the Renault Driver Development programme, van Dam stepped up into single-seaters in 2004, competing mainly in the Dutch Formula Renault series. In his debut season, he achieved three pole positions and three fastest laps, on his way to...
.
Pre-season tests of the new 'powered by Ferrari' car took place on consecutive weekends in September at Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
, Mugello
Mugello Circuit
Mugello Circuit is a race track in the Mugello region of Italy near Florence. Its length is . It has 15 turns and a long straight.Grand Prix motorcycle racing host an annual event here . Also, the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters hold an annual event. The track is property of Scuderia Ferrari which...
and Snetterton
Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit
Snetterton Motor Racing Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Norfolk, England. Owned by MotorSport Vision, it is situated on the A11 road some 20 km north-east of the town of Thetford and 30 km south-west of the city of Norwich...
.
Rule Changes
A number of rules were changed for the 2008–09 season.- The four qualifying sessions were reduced in length from fifteen minutes to ten minutes each.
- Teams may now utilise a "joker" qualifying lap (from Malaysia onwards). In one of the four qualifying sessions the team may elect to utilise their joker – for the flying lap in that session, the driver is granted the availability of the PowerBoost button for the entire lap.
- The Sprint Race has been increased from 19 minutes plus one lap, to 24 minutes plus one lap, as well as a mandatory pit-stop being added between laps four and eight, brought into effect starting in Malaysia.
- The Sprint Race now only scores the top eight positions: 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
- Only the best 8 race weekends will count towards the championship. Both the Sprint and Feature race points from one event will be dropped by teams that race all 9 events. This is to ensure that teams that will miss Zandvoort due to the lack of cars, will still have a fair chance at the title.
An update to the sporting regulations means that technical details of the fastest lap in any session (practice or qualifying) will be made available to all teams after the session ends. This is to allow slower or weaker teams to learn how they can improve their own lap times, making the "field spread" that much smaller.
Several detailed changes to the Friday "rookie sessions" were released on 1 September 2008:
- The age limit for rookie drivers (driver had to be younger than 25), has been abolished.
- Drivers who have competed in Formula OneFormula OneFormula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
, GP2GP2 SeriesThe GP2 Series, GP2 for short, is a form of open wheel motor racing introduced in 2005 following the discontinuation of the long-term Formula One feeder series, Formula 3000. The format was conceived by Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, while Ecclestone also has the rights to the name GP1...
, the IndyCar SeriesIndyCar SeriesThe IZOD IndyCar Series is the premier level of American open wheel racing. The current championship, founded by Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Tony George, began in 1996 as a competitor to CART known as the Indy Racing League . Citing CART's increasing reliance on expensive machinery and...
, Formula NipponFormula NipponFormula Nippon is a type of formula racing and the top level of single-seater racing in Japan.Formula Nippon evolved from the Japanese Formula 2000 series begun in 1973 by way of the Japanese Formula Two and Japanese Formula 3000 championships...
, or the former Champ Car World Series cannot participate in the rookie session. - Total track time is increased from 50 minutes to an hour.
- The gap between the two half sessions is increased from 10 to 20 minutes.
Season calendar
The season started at the Circuit Park ZandvoortCircuit Park Zandvoort
Circuit Park Zandvoort is a motorsport race track located in Burgemeester van Alphenstraat 108, 2041 KP in the dunes north of the town of Zandvoort, in the Netherlands, near the North Sea coast line.- History :...
, Netherlands on 5 October 2008.
Further timetable details were announced on 9 June 2008.
On 21 August 2008, the Italy race at Mugello was moved back following a delay in the build schedule of the new chassis, and Zandvoort was named as the first race of the season. A replacement date was not announced.
Further timetable changes were announced on 26 August 2008. The Chinese round was confirmed to be held at Chengdu Goldenport Circuit
Chengdu Goldenport Circuit
Chengdu Goldenport Circuit also known as Chengdu International Circuit in English. It is a permanent circuit in Shi Sheng Road, Jin Jiang, 610023 Chengdu, People's Republic of China...
, and swapped places in the calendar with the Indonesian round at Jakarta. Subsequent to that, the Indonesian race was moved back further, to 8 February due to track construction.
On 9 September 2008, Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
was confirmed as hosting the race in Great Britain at the end of the season. It was also announced that as a replacement date for the Mugello
2008-09 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Italy
The 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Italy was set to be an A1 Grand Prix race, to be held at Autodromo Internazionale di Mugello, Mugello, Italy...
race could not be found, the race was removed from the season's schedule.
According to a revised international FIA calendar issued on 19 December, the A1GP season finale is to be held at Interlagos
Interlagos
***Interlagos is an upper class neighborhood located in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. It includes the Autódromo José Carlos Pace race track, home of the Formula One Brazilian Grand Prix...
on the weekend of 15–17 May 2009.
Round 5 at Lippo Village, Indonesia was cancelled on January 16 due to the circuit missing a construction deadline, mainly caused by a heavy rain season. The Mexican round was also moved back by one week, so as to avoid clashing with a Radiohead music concert, which was to take place in the baseball stadium inside the circuit at the original date.
On February 17, 2009 A1GP Gauteng official preview reported that the Mexico City round was no longer to take place on the weekend of March 20–22 and a replacement date was being sought. eTicket.com.mx advertised the event as it should take place on the weekend of the 22–24 May, and was confirmed on March 31, 2009, subject to the FIA-stipulated changes to the Peraltada corner.
On the 5th of March, the proposed Interlagos race was removed from the circuit's official calendar, presumably signalling an end to A1GP's plans to run a race meeting there.
On April 29, 2009, it was confirmed that the Mexican round was cancelled due to an outbreak of swine flu.
| Round | Date | Country | Circuit | Sprint Winner | Feature Winner | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 September 2008 | Italy Italy Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and... |
Autodromo Internazionale di Mugello | CANCELLED | Report | ||
| 1 | 5 October 2008 | Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... |
Circuit Park Zandvoort Circuit Park Zandvoort Circuit Park Zandvoort is a motorsport race track located in Burgemeester van Alphenstraat 108, 2041 KP in the dunes north of the town of Zandvoort, in the Netherlands, near the North Sea coast line.- History :... |
Malaysia A1 Team Malaysia A1 Team Malaysia is the Malaysian team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :A1 Team Malaysia is operated by A1 Team Sdn. Bhd... |
France A1 Team France A1 Team France is the French team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the inaugural season, 2005-06.- Management :A1 Team France's owner is Jean-Paul Driot... |
Report 2008-09 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Netherlands The 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Netherlands was an A1 Grand Prix race, held at Circuit Park Zandvoort, Zandvoort, Netherlands. It was originally set to be the second race of the 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix season, but a delay in the build schedule of the new chassis forced the race at Mugello to be... |
| 2 | 9 November 2008 | China China Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture... |
Chengdu International Circuit Chengdu Goldenport Circuit Chengdu Goldenport Circuit also known as Chengdu International Circuit in English. It is a permanent circuit in Shi Sheng Road, Jin Jiang, 610023 Chengdu, People's Republic of China... |
Ireland A1 Team Ireland A1 Team Ireland is the Irish team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the fourth season, 2008-09.- The Team :... |
Portugal A1 Team Portugal A1 Team Portugal is the Portuguese team for A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series.- Management :The A1 Team Portugal team owners were the well known football player, Luís Figo, and coach Carlos Queiroz... |
Report 2008-09 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, China The 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, China was an A1 Grand Prix race, held at Chengdu Goldenport Circuit, Chengdu, People's Republic of China.... |
| 3 | 23 November 2008 | Malaysia |
Sepang International Circuit Sepang International Circuit The Sepang International Circuit is a racing circuit in Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia. It is located near Kuala Lumpur International Airport, approximately 60 km south of the capital city Kuala Lumpur. It is the venue used for the Formula One Malaysian Grand Prix, A1 Grand Prix as well as the... |
Switzerland A1 Team Switzerland A1 Team Switzerland is the Swiss team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the third season, 2007-08.-History:... |
Ireland A1 Team Ireland A1 Team Ireland is the Irish team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the fourth season, 2008-09.- The Team :... |
Report 2008-09 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Malaysia The 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Malaysia was an A1 Grand Prix race to held at Sepang International Circuit, Sepang, Malaysia.- Pre-race:... |
| 4 | 25 January 2009 | New Zealand New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
Taupo Motorsport Park Taupo Motorsport Park Taupo Motorsport Park is a motorsports circuit located in Broadlands Road, Taupo, New Zealand. It is owned and operated by MIT Development Ltd.... |
Ireland A1 Team Ireland A1 Team Ireland is the Irish team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the fourth season, 2008-09.- The Team :... |
Switzerland A1 Team Switzerland A1 Team Switzerland is the Swiss team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the third season, 2007-08.-History:... |
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| 8 February 2009 | Indonesia Indonesia Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an... |
Jakarta Street Circuit Jakarta Street Circuit The Lippo Village International Formula Circuit is a temporary street circuit in Lippo Village Tangerang, Indonesia. The track was confirmed to host a round of the 2008-09 A1 Grand Prix season, set for the weekend of February 8, 2009.... |
CANCELLED | Report | ||
| 5 | 22 February 2009 | South Africa South Africa The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans... |
Kyalami Kyalami Kyalami is a motor racing circuit located in Midrand, Gauteng province, South Africa. The circuit has been used for Grand Prix and Formula One races and has hosted the South African Grand Prix many times. In recent years, the area surrounding the circuit has developed into a residential and... |
Netherlands |
Switzerland A1 Team Switzerland A1 Team Switzerland is the Swiss team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the third season, 2007-08.-History:... |
Report 2008-09 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, South Africa The 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, South Africa was an A1 Grand Prix race which was held at Kyalami, South Africa.-Pre-race:A1 Team Korea failed to participate the race as the organizer of the series could not supply electrical units and fuel tank due to mistake of the transportation from New... |
| 6 | 12 April 2009 | Portugal Portugal Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... |
Autódromo Internacional do Algarve Autódromo Internacional do Algarve The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve commonly referred to as Portimao Circuit is a race circuit located in Portimão, Portugal. With a total cost of €195 million , the project includes a karting track, technology park, five-star hotel, sports complex and apartments.Construction was finished in... |
Netherlands |
Switzerland A1 Team Switzerland A1 Team Switzerland is the Swiss team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the third season, 2007-08.-History:... |
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| 7 | 3 May 2009 |  Great BritainGreat Britain Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles... |
Brands Hatch Brands Hatch Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events... |
Ireland A1 Team Ireland A1 Team Ireland is the Irish team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the fourth season, 2008-09.- The Team :... |
Ireland A1 Team Ireland A1 Team Ireland is the Irish team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the fourth season, 2008-09.- The Team :... |
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| 24 May 2009 | Mexico Mexico The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of... |
Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez The Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez is a race track in Mexico City, Mexico, named for the famous racing drivers Ricardo and Pedro Rodríguez. The circuit got its name shortly after it opened when Ricardo Rodríguez died in practice for the non-Championship 1962 Mexican Grand Prix... |
CANCELLED | Report 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Mexico The 2008–09 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Mexico was set to be an A1 Grand Prix race to be held at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico on May 24, 2009; however, the event was cancelled on April 29, 2009 due to the 2009 swine flu outbreak.... |
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