A1GP heads back to Zhuhai China, for 2009-10 Season
A1GP will return to the Chinese track of Zhuhai for its one and only visit to the nation during the 2009-10 Season.
After much speculation and anticipation with just 34 days to the opening round of the season at Surfers Paradise in Australia, the Chinese track has finally been confirmed by the FIA as round 2 of the season on the weekend of the 15th November 2009, replacing the proposed round on the streets of Lippo Village in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Zhuhai last hosted an A1GP event as a round of the 2007-08 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport season, in which A1Teams Germany and India won the two races respectively. A1 Team Switzerland went onto win the championship.
The 2008-09 Season saw the series visit the unknown circuit of Chengdu at the request of the Chinese government to give support and enjoyment back to the people of the Sichuan region, which was devastated by an earthquake in May 2008. Race winners at Chengdu were A1 Team Portugal and A1 Team Ireland, the latter going on to take World Cup glory at the finale at Brands Hatch in May.
The Formula One circuit in Shanghai, and the streets of Beijing have both also held rounds of the championship in previous years.
According to multiple sources, the Indonesian round at Lippo Village has been moved back to a January date, where it is due to open the 2010 half of the 2009-10 Championship, before the series moves away from Asia and across to Africa, then the Americas and ending the season in Europe, in May at Assen, The Netherlands. The final round of the 2009 part of the season will take place at Sepang, Malaysia on December 6th.