A1GP to Morph into A10 World Series

Well it seems I've finally gotten around to writing a new blog post after a (very) long hiatus due to work and family commitments....

I was spurred on by the news of a potential return of one of my favourite racing series, possibly as early as this Autumn.

It seems that after much financial turmoil and acrimony, the A1GP series may be making a welcome come back, of sorts at least, in the new guise of A10WS.

I attended all the A1GP meetings at Brands Hatch including the first ever race on 25th September 2005. Meetings were always well attended, the crowd atmosphere was good (see above!) and the racing entertaining.

Those behind A10WS are slowly (and painfully) drip feeding information about the new series on their web site in an effort to build up media interest.

All we know right now is that it will be a (one make ?) series with V10 600 BHP single seater cars. Twenty races in ten different countries around the world.

Apparently, more information is set to be released next Wednesday regarding the race format...

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that after many false hopes that A1GP would be resurrected this series will get off the ground and be back at Brands Hatch soon.

Superleague Formula Replaces A1 GP at Brands Hatch

I have just received my regular mailing from Motor Sport Vision, operators of Brands Hatch race circuit, stating that the A1 GP meeting that was pencilled in on the 2010 calendar has been replaced by the so called Superleague Formula.... (more about that later in this post)

The financial trials and tribulations of the A1 GP series are well documented and it does not surprise me one bit that they have been dropped from this year's race calendar.

Die hard fans of A1 GP cling to the hope that after a one year sabbatical, it will be resurrected phoenix like from the financial ashes.

I am not so sure myself given the size of their debts, their complex financial arrangements and the poor economic state of the world in general right now.

Personally I am sad to see it go having attended the very first ever A1 GP weekend at Brands Hatch back in 2005. It was one of the best supported meetings I have seen at Brands Hatch - the estimated attendence was I believe, 70000 plus and it brought back a sense of the glory days when the F1 British GP's were held at the track.



I have also attended all the subsequent A1 GP meetings at Brands Hatch including last year when Team Ireland won both the sprint and feature races tp lift the 2009 A1 GP Team Championship trophy for the first, and sadly almost certainly, last time.

Please read my post about the 2009 AI GP season finale here.

Now back to A1 GP's replacement on the Brands Hatch 2010 calendar. Superleague Formula will run three races over the weekend of 31st July/1st August using 750 BHP V12 engined cars.

It is not clear at this stage whether the cars will race on the Indy or GP circuit at Brands and no details have been published of the support programme so far.

Wheras A1 GP cars were in national colours, Superleague Formula cars are "affiliated" to world famous football teams such as Tottenham Hotspurs, Liverpool FC, AC Milan, Galatasaray, Corinthians, Atletico de Madrid etc.

I'm not sure how well this series will be supported. The organisers are gambling on the fact there will be enough football fans interested in motor sports and vice versa but in my experience footie fans and petrolheads are two completely different animals!

I had a trawl through the Superleague Formula web site this evening to see which drivers are involved. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be a separate list of drivers on the site so it means you have to check each team page individually.

There are two former F1 drivers listed - Antonio "Pizza Man" Pizzonia (anyone remember him?) and Sebastian Bourdais, who in my opinion, should be given another shot at F1 instead of pottering about in this series...

There are a few A1 GP refugees too including Giorgio Pantano, Ho Pin Tung and John Martin.

As for the others, to be honest I'd never heard of any of them before!

The weekend adult on-line ticket price has been set at £ 29 (about £ 10 lower than for A1 GP) and I think curiousity will get the better of me.

If I can't have my annual fix of A1 GP, I suppose I'll have to make do with this new series instead.

If you have already been to a Superleague Formula meeting in previous years, please share your views by leaving a comment below....

You may also enjoy the following -

Brands Hatch Circuit Guide

F1 2010 Teams & Drivers Latest

Superleague Formula picture courtesy of jo3hug

2010 F1 Teams and Drivers - Update

First of all, a Happy New Year for 2010 (albeit somewhat belated), to one and all!

Better late than never I suppose...

A few weeks ago I wrote a post about my views on the 2010 Formula 1 driver line ups that had been announced up to that point. Since I wrote that post there have been many developments, the most remarkable of them being the return of Michael Schumacher.

This post is an update to my earlier one....

McLaren

An all English line up of Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton.

It looks like I'm not the only one who thinks Button will get a hard time in the new season. Former Ferrari man (and general loudmouth) Eddie Irvine has said "Button will be murdered by Hamilton".

I may have put it more delicately but it seems we are singing from the same hymn sheet!

Ferrari

Drivers are confirmed as Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.

Some other F1 bloggers, have tipped Alonso to become 2010 F1 World Champion but I don't buy it.

I think Ferrari have made a huge mistake employing two drivers with a Latin temperament and previous history at the Singapore GP. There could be the mother of all rows if one or the other driver feels the team are treating the other more favourably. Another replay of the Alonso versus Hamilton debacle at McLaren.

Still it will be fun to watch the fights!

Mercedes

They have pulled off the major coup of enticing Michael Schumacher out of retirement to form and all German line up with Nico Rosberg.

Although I am not a fan of Schumacher, it will certainly help to spice things up in 2010. Schumacher and controversy usually go hand in hand.

It is a shame for Rosberg that he will be overshadowed, although not necessarily outperformed by his illustrious team mate.

In some respects it could do Rosberg a favour that all the hopes and expectations of the whole German nation will be pinned on Schumacher.

Sauber

The Sauber team have announced that their 2010 car will be launched at Valencia on 31st January and will confirm their driver line up beforehand.

Sauber have signed Toyota refugee Kobayashi. He had a couple of good races for Toyota at the end of last season and will be interesting to watch.

Will he be another Sato? Occasional flashes of brilliance spoiled by all too often, kamikaze style overtaking moves leading to numerous DNF's....

It would not surprise me if the second seat is filled by Nick Heidfeld who is still without a confirmed drive. The bloke has been around for years but has never set the world alight. Having said that, he does seem to have a knack of finding himself in the points somehow, although usually only in the lower paying positions.

Williams

A good blend of youth and experience in the form of Nico Hulkenberg and veteran Rubens Barrichello.

I just hope and pray that the Williams car will be competitive. The team definitely made progress last year. Bring back the glory days!

Red Bull

Business as usual at Red Bull with Mark Webber and Sebastian Vettel.

I'm looking forward to seeing Vettel again. If the car is on the money he will definitely be challenging with Hamilton and Co for the Championship.

US F1

Still no drivers announced so far but it is highly likely they will be two pay drive rookies.

The team have been given special dispensation from the FIA to test their car next month at the Barber Motorsport Park in Alabama.

With two rookies on board, expect a lot of DNF's.

Campos

The only confirmed driver so far is Bruno Senna. The second seat is still open but it could be academic as the fate of Campos hangs in the balance.

According to reliable reports the team is currently seeking investors to ensure they have sufficient funding to make it to the grid. One investor linked to the team is said to be A1 GP boss Tony Teixeira.

Not a particularly good omen considering the financial state of A1 GP right now!

Manor/Virgin

Timo Glock will team up with F1 rookie Lucas di Grassi.

I am just wondering how long Richard Branson will remain interested in F1. I have a horrible feeling it will be another short term fad. Apparently the team will be run on one of the lowest, if not the lowest, budgets of all. It looks to me like Virgin are making the minimum investment possible which does not smack of long term commitment.

Renault

Renault managed to off-load a large proportion of the team to investors Genii at the tail end of 2009. Robert Kubica is confirmed for 2010. The second seat remains vacant but is unlikely to go to Grosjean.

Lotus

I am optimistic that Lotus will be the best of the new boys on the 2010 grid.

They have a good technical team and have recently signed two experienced drivers, both previous F1 race winners - Jarno Trulli and Heikki Kovalainen.

Force India

Force India have retained Adrian Sutil and Tonio Liuzzi for 2010. I really hope they have a good season but I worry that they will struggle to keep up with some of the new boys.

Toro Rosso

Toro Rosso have confirmed Sebastian Buemi but a question mark hangs over Jaime Alguersuari.

Buemi had some good performances in 2009 but Alguersuari made a lot of rookie mistakes.

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If you have enjoyed reading this post, please feel free to leave a comment. Your feedback is always very welcome.

Williams Taking an Interest in Adam Carroll

Following his triumph at the A1 GP at Brands Hatch last weekend and excellent performances for Team Ireland throughout the season, we hear rumours that Patrick Head of Williams F1 is taking a keen interest in Adam Carroll's career.

Maybe he will get a chance to test for Williams at some point next year - watch this space!

A1 GP Brands Hatch - Double Victory For Carroll Seals Title For Team Ireland

Adam Carroll converted his two Saturday pole positions and Brands Hatch lap record into two victories today at the same time clinching the A1 GP 08/09 Championship for Team Ireland.

In the morning sprint race, Carroll had initially lost the lead to Team Mexico's Salvador Duran off the start but was later able to regain the lead following his mandatory pit stop.

Narain Karthikeyan for Team India who had started from seventh on the grid made up ground to evenutally take second place. Duran took a well deserved third step of the podium.

Team New Zealand's Earl Bamber had a coming together with the Team Lebanon car at Paddock Hill Bend putting them both out of the race.

The final results of the sprint race were as follows -

1. Ireland (Adam Carroll), 16 laps

2. India (Narain Karthikeyan), +7.230s

3. Mexico (Salvador Duran), +12.340s

4. USA (JR Hildebrand), +12.689s

5. Portugal (Filipe Albuquerque), +13.018s

6. Netherlands (Jeroen Bleekemolen), +13.783s

7. Australia (John Martin), +15.208s

8. Switzerland (Neel Jani), +22.220s

9. France (Nicolas Prost), +22.945s

10. Italy (Vitantonio Liuzzi), +27.062s

There was a lot of support for Team Ireland today at Brands Hatch and even the Red Devils showed their goodwill!

In the feature race, Carroll had it sown up from start to finish - a classic lights to flag victory.

Narain Karthikeyan of Team India and Frankie Cheng of Team China crashed off at Paddock Hill Bend at the start of the race.

Jeroen Bleekemolen of Team Netherlands, who had a very good weekend overall, finished the race in second place with Neel Jani of Team Switzerland in third.

Dan Clark for Team GB finished in seventh place after fending of Team Australia's John Martin for a large part of the race.

The final results for the feature race were as follows -

1. Ireland (Adam Carroll), 49 laps

2. Netherlands (Jeroen Bleekemolen), +10.156s

3. Switzerland (Neel Jani), +13.564s

4. Monaco (Clivio Piccione), +14.293s

5. Portugal (Filipe Albuquerque), +16.484s

6. Mexico (Salvador Duran), +21.810s

7. Great Britain (Dan Clarke), +23.409s

8. Australia (John Martin), +24.493s

9. Italy (Vitantonio Liuzzi), + l lap

10. France (Nicolas Prost), + 1 lap

L2F junior had an enjoyable but very tiring day and looks forward to more A1 GP action at Brands Hatch in the new season!

A1 GP Brands Hatch - Team Ireland in the Box Seats - Double Pole & Lap Record for Carroll

Team Ireland have put themselves firmly in the box seats to win the A1 GP World Cup of Motorsport title for the 08/09 season following today's qualifying session at Brands Hatch.

Adam Carroll smashed the Brands Hatch lap record to take pole for both the sprint and feature races which will be held on Sunday.

The new Ferrari powered A1 cars are 2-3 seconds per lap faster than the Lola-Zytek A1 cars used in previous seasons.

Team Mexico's Salvador Duran qualified second in the sprint race while Team Monaco put in an excellent performance to take that in the feature race

Team Netherlands Jeroen Bleekemolen continued his good form qualifying third for both the sprint and feature races despite having an eventfull morning practice session.

Shortly after having set the fastest practice time, he braked too late and went off at Druids. Being a good sport he assisted the marshalls with the recovery of his car - can you imagine an F1 driver doing that?

The top ten qualifying positions for each race are as follows -

Sprint Race qualifying result:

1. Ireland (Adam Carroll), 1m11.615s

2. Mexico (Salvador Duran), +0.038s

3. Netherlands (Jeroen Bleekemolen), +0.377s

4. USA (JR Hildebrand), +0.379s

5. Portugal (Filipe Albuquerque), +0.425s

6. New Zealand (Earl Bamber), +0.493s

7. India (Narain Karthikeyan), +0.494s

8. Switzerland (Neel Jani), +0.597s

9. Indonesia (Satrio Hermanto), +1.043s

10. Australia (John Martin), +1.130s

Feature Race qualifying result:

1. Ireland (Adam Carroll), 1m10.902

2. Monaco (Clivio Piccione), +0.183s

3. Netherlands (Jeroen Bleekemolen), +0.244s

4. Switzerland (Neel Jani), +0.436s

5. France (Nicolas Prost), +0.641s

6. New Zealand (Earl Bamber), +0.731s

7. Australia (John Martin), +1.028s

8. China (Congfu Cheng), +1.278s

9. Portugal (Filipe Albuquerque), +1.368s

10. India (Narain Karthikeyan), +1.495s

L2F will be at Brands Hatch for both races on Sunday together with Mrs L2F and L2F junior.

Team Netherlands Fastest in Second Practice at A1 GP Brands Hatch

The final Championship deciding round of the A1 GP World Cup of Motorsport is taking place at Brands Hatch this weekend.



Three countries - Ireland, Portgual and Switzerland are vying for the title honours which will only be finally decided after the feature race on Sunday afternoon.


The closing round of the season was due to have taken place in Mexico but had to be cancelled due to the swine flu epidemic.


L2F senior was at Brands Hatch today and can report that the new Ferrari powered cars are very impressive and sound great!



In the final Friday practice session, to the delight of the travelling Dutch fans, Team Netherlands topped the time sheets.


Their car was driven in that session by Jeroen Bleekemolen. The Team Ireland car piloted by Adam Carroll was second fastest followed by former Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan for Team India.


It will be interesting to see if Karthikeyan can replicate this performance again in qualifying for Sunday's race.

Last yearKarthikeyan snatched victory in the feature race at Brands Hatch.


Friday final practice session top ten positions and lap times -


1. Netherlands (Jeroen Bleekemolen), 1m12.1002.

2. Ireland (Adam Carroll), +0.503s

3. India (Narain Karthikeyan), +0.584s

4. Monaco (Clivio Piccione), +0.698s

5. USA (JR Hildebrand), +0.698s

6. Portugal (Filipe Albuquerque), +0.703s

7. France (Nicolas Prost), +0.868s

8. New Zealand (Earl Bamber), +0.892s

9. Australia (John Martin), +1.192s

10. Switzerland (Neel Jani), +1.192s


Meanwhile, Team Great Britain who were off the pace all day could only manage eleventh fastest.

Hopefully they will be able to squeeze some extra performance from the car in time for Saturday's qualifying.