It just begs for comparison

A1 GP specs
Chassis: Lola carbon fibre monocoque
Engine: Normal aspirated, 3.4-litre Zytek V8
Horsepower: 520hp
Gearbox: six speed sequential gearbox, paddle shift gear selection
Brake: Steel brake discs and Carbon pads
Weight: 600kg without driver nor fuel
Tyre: Cooper (Avon) Slick

FIA GP2 specs
Chassis: Dallara carbon fibre monocoque
Engine: Normal aspirated, 4.0-litre Renault V8
Horsepower: 580hp
Gearbox: six speed semi-automatic gearbox, paddle shift gear selection
Brake: Carbon brake discs and pads
Weight: 585kg without driver nor fuel
Tyre: Bridgestone Grooved Slick

So the A1 car has 60 hp less, steel discs and carbon pads instead of a carbon carbon combo, is 15kg heavier but with proper slicks not the grooved type the GP2 cars use, will be interesting to compare the laptimes (if they compete on the same circuits) and see how close the A1 cars are to the GP2 series cars.

Of course the real attraction for me is that its a true World Championship with the proposed 23 nations fielding cars, instead of just having rounds in different parts of the world ala F1

What are the sizes of the tyres? They could be running any compounds - I guess both will go quite conservative.

I don't see there being a direct comparison - both series have quite different purposes.


For what its worth, GP2 cars will be using wheels and tyres of F1 dimensions, the A1Gp wheels seem slightly bigger.

A1 are using 18 x 11 on the front and 18 x 13.5 on the rear, GP2 are as KB said.

I think GP2 will be quicker, but then as a feeder series for F1 its about time the main feeder category was at least remotely like F1.

A1GP aren't going to be as quick IMO, but then its really in a class of its own, it doesn't have to be especially quick, and probably shouldn't be given that a lot of the drivers stepping into them might not be so great or experienced in high powered single seaters.

Now i have Sky Digital i am finally able to extend my motorsport viewing pleasure outside of my blinkered F1 view of the world. Happy with what i've seen so far (Sebring last week and the W.T.C.C. at the weekend). With some of the drivers in GP2 and the unique nature of the A1GP series means i'm looking forward to both of them just as much.

http://www.crash.net/uk/en/news_view.asp?cid=26&nid=110592
................Reaching a top lap-time of 1.37.15 Lamy finished just two tenths of a second off the F3000 Silverstone lap record set by Vitantonio Luizzi last summer..................

So we can assume the potential is there to go quite a bit faster, given the conditions yesterday.

First time out for this spec , so you would think so.

Yes Indeed, id be suprised if the car didnt get somewhere within the region of 1 - 1.5 seconds of the GP2 pole time for this year at Silverstone, yes the A1 GP car seems to be a little more basic than the GP2 machinery, but it does have big wide slicks. Will make for a interesting comparisson anyway. :)

The A1GP car's been designed to lend itself to overtaking too, which is better than outright pace.