A1GP shoot-out for UK team

[Mathias]

This from grandprix.com:

Arden to run British A1 team
John Surtees, the chairman of the British A1 Grand Prix team, has announced that the UK's entry in the new racing series will be run by the Arden International team in Banbury. The team will be carrying out a driver evaluation programme at Brands Hatch on May 23-24 which will involve four drivers: Adam Carroll, Ralph Firman, Robbie Kerr and Alex Lloyd. The team will probably end up choosing two drivers as the A1 rules allow for two drivers to qualify although only one is allowed to race

Hard to choose, eh?

Mr Jinxx! Do you know anything? Will the session be open to the public? Will they be using the A1GP car? What? Eh? Hmmm?

[Gaz]

Well they said they were looking at sharing the drive between two drivers, looking at the last its gotta be Robbie Kerr and Adam Carroll without a doubt.

[captain crunch]

Carroll's in a Supernova car for GP2 so that may rule him out, depending on what the eventual schedule's like. I'd pick Firman and Lloyd as the two selected- Firman's done more miles in the A1GP car than just about anyone, not to mention F1 experience and a Formula Nippon title to boot, and i was quite impressed with Loyd in Euro3000 last year. A little surprised (pleasantly) to see Arden running the program, the British car should be right at the sharp end of it this season. Reckon Ganassi might consider the american franchise if and when Toyota bolts on the IRL?

[Gaz]

Firman's had his chance in the limelight and failed miserably I'm afraid and I just don't rate Lloyd, although I wished he'd find the funding to drive one season in a highly competitive category with a top team to prove me right!

Kerr deserves the chance more than any of them, it is a disgrace his career didn't take off after that fabolous title win of his in 2002, but as they say thats racing.

Don't know if the GP2 drive will affect whether AC can race, hope not as he's one of the brightest prospect the UK has right now and is always worth a watch as he's a real ball-out racer!

[Asa]

I think Richard Lyons will be good. His performance in Formula Nippon justifies it.

[Mr Jinxx]

2 drivers, maybe 3 is what's being talked about.

The idea I believe is to give younger less-well-funded drivers a shot. I don't see Adam's GP2 drive ruling him out of consideration for one of the seats, although it does beg the question that he's hardly a less-well-funded driver.

If there's a shoot-out at Brands, I don't think anyone will touch Robbie, as he's a specialist there. Alex will be at a serious disadvantage, I suspect, as he basically hasn't been in a car since last October. Ralph Firman has been doing the A1GP testing, and Adam is doing GP2 and has been doing some F1 running, so maybe they'll give Robbie a run for his money at Brands? I don't think Robbie's been doing much of late, has he?

My personal choice would be Robbie and Alex, as they are the two who genuinely are disablingly less-well-funded. A drive would be invaluable for them, and they'd be a hell of a strong team.

[flexible-flyer]

Originally Posted by Mr Jinxx

I don't see Adam's GP2 drive ruling him out of consideration for one of the seats, although it does beg the question that he's hardly a less-well-funded driver.

dont need funds for the A1 drive, just talent. actually, i think the fact that the drivers selected have all had funding problems in the past goes to show how hard it is for british driving talent as far as getting backing goes.

my heart would give the car to carroll and lloyd. but kerr and firman have tested the car before so maybe they will have an advantage.

[Mathias]

As Jonathan Palmgreaser's Brands Hatch website is someone less than informative on the topic, does anyone know if the shoot-out will be open to public gawping?

[Stephen Green]

Rather than be negative on the subject why dont you either ring or e-mail MSV to ask?

[Kicking-back]

Adam Carroll has pulled out - James Rossiter will replace him.

So, four drivers in the shootout "at least two" will be chosen to race the car over the season.

[Mathias]

Originally Posted by Stephen Green

Rather than be negative on the subject why dont you either ring or e-mail MSV to ask?

Miaow!

Anyone know why Adam Carroll has pulled out?

[Kicking-back]

He simply told Arden he is "not available anymore".

I wonder if he has contracts in place for his future that he's keeping close to his chest...

[flexible-flyer]

i think carroll has his eye on an f1 test drive with bar for 2006 so i suppose its a case of weighing up his options.

pure speculation on my part though....

and rossiter is worthy of taking his place. good news all round, surely. rossiter will get a much deserved chance to prove himseld against some big names and face it, if carroll has went from 'ill take any drive available', to 'nah cant be arsed doing that' there must be something he is waiting for.

[Mathias]

Can't deny that Rossiter is worthy of a chance, but the Carroll thing doesn't stack up unless he's definitely got something else to do. I mean, this is just a try-out, isn't it? You wouldn't pull out of one job interview because you thought you might get another job...?

Perhaps he's "not available" on the shoot-out days (this Monday/Tuesday). There's no racing on those days - any testing?

[flexible-flyer]

its not unusual for f1 teams to be right back on the test circuit right after grand prix...

adam is never one to turn things down. and the a1 thing has nothing to do with money.

i reckon adam is bars choice for further development. and with button looking likely to leave bar there will be a slot that needs filling. maybe adam has been told there is a bar seat waiting for him and told him not to test. but adam and james are part of the bar ydp so if james is available for the a1 tryouts why not adam?

[bella]

is there anything to gain from doing a1gp though? apart from getting to play with some ubertoys and making some very rich new friends?

[cos]

They might well get paid to drive...!

[Kicking-back]

Yes, and they might win races - which is always worth doing.

[SALEEN S7R]

Indeed, A1 GP is going to be a very high profile series when it starts. Lots of live TV exposure and very competitve cars, and as has been said in another thread there should be lots of overtaking as the cars are designed to make it easier to overtake like some other formula cars with the car's rather unconventional areodynamics.

[cos]

Hornby to sponsor A1 Team GBR shootout

And as I suspected, John Surtees says

Unlike other major motorsport series that these drivers would be qualified to drive in, A1 Team GBR is not asking its drivers to bring funding to the team. We are just asking for them to bring their ability and give wholehearted support both on and off the track. In return they will be given a contract with a retainer, full expenses and a generous share of prize money.

[cos]

Did anyone go down to Brands today/yesterday to see the shoot-out? Apparently there's a press conference with the drivers, Surtees and Horner at 5pm today (although I doubt that's when they'll decide on drivers!)

[captain crunch]

This would make great sense for hornby/scalextric as i'm sure the sheik would have no objection to them producing A1GP slot cars, and since it's a spec series, it'd be cheap to produce them-only one set of moulds would be needed, only the colours changing. I wouldn't be surprised if we saw A1GP Scalextric sets in the shops before Christmas- coincidentaly just when A1GP should be getting into it's stride. It'd be relatively easy to export as well as the nationalist aspect would make them easy (er) to sell.


Now if you'll excuse me, i've got a pair of tiny little porsche 962s to dig out of the attic.

[Stephen Green]

Still no news on who got the drive then?

[strider]

Interesting report about the shoot-out here. Elsewhere I've seen a quote from John Surtees, who said he was in no hurry to make a choice. The problem seems to be that the weather was good on Monday but poor on Tuesday, so it was impossible to compare like with like.