A1GP announces first 6 national franchises

They are: The UK, South Africa, China, Portugal, Pakistan and Lebanon. More info here (http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_news_item.php?fes_art_id=22487) and here (http://www.a1gp.com/home.html).

This is the idea for the "UK" livery:

http://www.pitpass.com/images/galleries/2004a1studio0904/2004a1studio0904_s010.jpg

More pics of the car and 3.4 litre engine here (http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpass_gallery_display.php?fes_gal_id=310).

ehhhhh....

Who's paying for them?

Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum al-Maktoum!!


http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/motorsport/3703092.stm

Pakistan? AFAIK they don't have a driver or a circuit.

Whatever happened to British Racing Green? It's not in use in F1 any more...,

Hmm, not sure if someone has suggested this before but, if motorsport does want to get into the Olympics somehow this kind of series would be ideal, 1 car built by Lola, or whoever and leased to the various nations. Most countries nowadays have good motorsport teams and I think the idea could catch on, would be great to have some kind of motorsport at the olympics huh? Each nation would obviously have to have drivers from their nationailty and the teams running them would have to be the country's nationailty too. Just a thought...

Originally posted by Rob29
Pakistan? AFAIK they don't have a driver or a circuit.

They've got to start somewhere....

Apparently the UK franchise has been sold to a consortium which includes John Surtees.

I love the look of that car - the styling rather than the livery.

This would be ideal for the next generation Champ Car.

Saleen - there was a discussion about this on another forum during the Other Olympics. Just to fill you in...,

The current Olympic charter says that for a sport to qualify, it must be played in a certain number of countries (can't remember how many offhand), and that, crucially, it cannot involve mechanical propulsion, which effectively rules out all motorsports.

In order to get a "new" sport recognised by the Olympics, it must be suggested 12 years before the event at which it is introduced. So, even if we could get the charter changed to allow for motorsports, we wouldn't see it until 2020 at the earliest (we've just missed the deadline for 2016).

Ho hum!

Why are the tyres branded Cooper, when they're made by Avon? Perhaps to appeal to the American market.

Didn't realise they were made by Avon.

I think Avon is now Cooper-Avon. The reverse of what Foxy says is true - they only call Cooper-Avon tyres "Avon" to appeal to the UK market...,

Mmm, not convinced. As far as I know, Avon is the racing division of what is now Cooper-Avon Tires (sic). There was a buyout a few years ago. The only Cooper tyres I have seen in this country were for commercial vehicles.

Originally posted by Mathias
I think Avon is now Cooper-Avon. The reverse of what Foxy says is true - they only call Cooper-Avon tyres "Avon" to appeal to the UK market...,

The same Cooper who bought Swift and made them Cooper-Swift to such good effect?

Original rims mercifully abandoned

In view of the other news yesterday maybe this series could start earlier at Magny Cours & Silverstone?

The two have nothing to do with each other.

It's a winter series, so Silverstone and Magny Cours wouldn't be suitable.

And it's not intended as an F1 rival - it's intended to give us racing action in the winter when other series are on their off-season.

Maybe I'm the only one...but doesn't this just remind you of Premier1 or whatever it was called? (The football teams and motor-racing thing, know Leeds signed up).

Ok, so if it starts next year...where are they going to race? (tracks specifically) who's going to drive it etc etc? Maybe I'm missing the point, but I can't see it taking off. (and you can quote that back if necessary!)

The difference between this and P1 is that this has lots of money behind it.

It'll race in Bahrain, Dubai, South Africa, Australia during the European winter.

But (not knowing much about two of these countries!) - how many "good qulaity" circuits have Bahrain and Dubai got for example? How popular is motorsport over there etc?

Didn't P1 also claim they had a lot of money behind it? (albeit not a Dubai Prince or whatever he is!)

They have got a website - http://www.a1gp.com/home.html
Can we put links in posts?!

Its got a fairly flawed business plan, unfortunately.

In some ways, I do think it'd be good if / when it takes off. Where's the business plan please?

Dubai & Bahrain both have a very good quality circut.

Circuit or circuits?

still the car is sharp- spot on, the rear wing endplate treatment is very much to my liking, and it is just a proper modern openwheeler.
but another "top" open wheel series?
and a national spin to it? F1 already runs as drivers represent their respective countries- this is a silly diversion i feel, as no country will really back their car after season one, if they do at all now...
good design and it would be a nice addition to IRL or CHampcar, A1 GP sounds like Steak sauce to me.
Premier 1 which also had a nice premise floundered before it took off, A1 is to do better? oh is this because it is in the off season of every other series and is primarily in the middle east? The Idea of A1 should have been tossed up as a way to run F2- i mean Gp2, so a few privateers and countries can go at it, so youngens can get a chance to show themselves with the best, and recieving national support and Fame. This Oi! another one...

but i do like a winter series idea. but not like this...and it has nice bits just something is off here...

Originally posted by gttouring
but i do like a winter series idea. but not like this...and it has nice bits just something is off here...

TASMAN F 5000 anybody?

Originally posted by Suze
Circuit or circuits? One each,also Doha has one in use today for Moto GP.That makes 3 in the same corner of the desert with not a known driver in several thousand miles.As it is looking like the biggest race meeting in the UK next year will be the historic event at Gooodwood,and I remember marshals scraping the ice of the track for F1 at Brands in March,maybe Britain could have a round of this winter series?

Could do...I'd like to see it at Donington. Anyone else?

It won't come to Donington - because the point is that the countries it is being held in will mostly be in summer when the series is on.

The races are China, Malaysia, Japan, Bahrain, Qatar, Bahrain, Dubai, Australia and South Africa.

We'll be able to see it all live on Sky Sports.

But, if those cars are any good, could you not just have seen it coming down the Craner Curves?!

It would be good through the Craners, yes, I wouldn't deny that.

It's just that Europe isn't the geographical home of this series.

We wouldn't call on Formula Nippon to have a round at Brands, for example ;)

At the launch yesterday, Maktoum said part of the appeal in Britain will be that when it's cold, dark and raining, you'll be able to turn on the TV and watch a "summer" race, in the middle of winter.

It'll certainly help the winter "withdrawal symptoms" from racing!

At first I thought this was some kind of joke. I'm becoming less pessimistic, but still would like more convincing of how serious a championship it will be and what place it will have in international motorsport.

Did they get the UK and US paint schemes mixed up?

Originally posted by Kicking-back
It won't come to Donington - because the point is that the countries it is being held in will mostly be in summer when the series is on.

The races are China, Malaysia, Japan, Bahrain, Qatar, Bahrain, Dubai, Australia and South Africa.

We'll be able to see it all live on Sky Sports. According to my atlas,China & Japan are in the northern hemesphere,so summer is same as UK.(Also as far as UK from desert 'headquarters')Do you have a calendar as I have not seen one yet? Does Bahrain get 2 rounds?

The calendar will be pubished soon. Bahrain doesn't have two races - that was a slip from me!

More details should emerge at the next press conference which is in South Africa in a few weeks time.

The only ones that are southern hemisphere are Aus and South Africa. The rest just have better winters.

Originally posted by Kicking-back
We'll be able to see it all live on Sky Sports.

If you are watching in Europe, the races in China and Malaysia will be at 6:00am in the morning...

Shanghai gets pretty cold in winter, just like the UK, but Zhuhai in southern China is fine, winter is about 10 degree C.

Malaysia has no winter, by the way, because it sits very near to the equator. It is summer all year round.

we can all bet on drivers now: Monteiro, Khartikeian... Won't Irungattukottai(indian) host a race?

It would be good to see those drivers who can't get an F1 seat racing in this:

Wurz, Davidson, Montagny, Firman, Paffett, Briscoe, Coulthard

Kerr, van der Merwe, Bernoldi, Hynes, Burti, Davidson, Kaneishi, Courtney, Lotterer...

More info in todays MSN;
13 rounds Sep 2005 to March 2006;
USA
Bahrain
Lebanon
Malaysia or Indonesia
Australia
South Africa
Brazil
Mexico
USA (2)
China
Japan
Europe
Dubai

wow 13, i didnt expect that many

I think that calendar is pure speculation.

A1GP certainly haven't announced anything officially - and as far as I know it'll not race in Europe.


"Races take place during the European winter, in countries enjoying summer weather conditions such as Dubai, Bahrain, South Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia and South America." says the officials.

rob, that would be awesome.

Add Qatar, Argentina and both Indonesia/Malaysia and have a full time 16 dates

Adam Carroll for A1GP!

15 mins coverage of the London launch including shots of the car testing on Skysports World Motorsports programme today,which should see several repeats.

was that the same as the DVD in the mag?

Huh? what DVD? what mag? I have never seen a racing DVD in any magazine,have some VHS tapes which came with Motor Sport.

Someone told me over the weekend the UK franchise cost 90m........ouch!!

Not sure if that was pounds or USD. Either way looks like someone has the cash and will pay their drivers.....

There is a report in a Swedish newspaper about a Swedish squad being put together. Supposedly current STCC driver and 2001 British Formula Ford Champion Robert Dahlgren would be one of the drivers.

The South African franchise has reportedly been awarded to the hilariously-named Tokyo Sexwale.

Originally posted by BSchneiderFan
The South African franchise has reportedly been awarded to the hilariously-named Tokyo Sexwale.

Oh yes!!! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Originally posted by BSchneiderFan
The South African franchise has reportedly been awarded to the hilariously-named Tokyo Sexwale.

Oh lovely....

http://www.deltasearchlabs.com/tsexwale.html

doh

I think its pronounced Sex-var-ley rather than Sexwhale

Shame, though, isn't it? Tokyo Sexwhale sounds like one of those 1960s Godzilla films.

Three more countries have been announced for A1GP today:
Australia (franchise headed up by Alan Jones and Alan Docking)
Canada (J Jay Laski)
and Malaysia (Alex Yoong)

And this (http://www.pitpass.com/images/galleries/2004a1salaunch/2004a1salaunch_s001.jpg) is what the SA car might be liveried like.

Nice one! Wish Holland could brig in a car for a guy like Doornbos or Van de Garde!

Originally posted by cos

...and Malaysia (Alex Yoong)

Oh dear. That's Malaysia last in the standings then.

hehe, lets wait and see what pakistan and lebanon have

Im waiting to see if they actually sign up people to pay for it

Alex Yoong is the manager of the Malaysia car at this point, rather than its driver.

That may change though.