A1GP Growth

[Kiwi3]

There is a long and interesting article about A1GP growth in the LA Times web site (www.latimes.com). The first time I hit link I had received I was able to read it, I went to retrieve the exact web page in order to provide a link here and it now requires registration.

It article seemed pretty balanced, discussing the series growth while also mentioning the lack of current teams sponsorship. What got my attention the most is that it states there are discussions going on with a couple of global players in the banking and consumer goods industries about series sponsorship for next season. If that happens it will get Bernie's attention! One quote suggested that A1GP is discovering that they are getting more leads for $40 million global deals than for isolated $4-5 million local deals.

As it is easy for a journalist without a motorsport background to do, it raises the A1 vs F1 comparison. There are quotes (sorry cannot remember if they are from Tony Teixeira or someone else) saying the Bernie was supportive in the beginning but that he is now blowing hot and cold. It also says that Bernie led them the wrong way with some early advice on which circuits to go to, suggesting that last season's Estoril and L'Ring disasters were a result of taking poor advice from Bernie. It states that currently A1 cannot compare to F1, however over time that might change.

It was an interesting read, the web site does say registration is free if you are interested in having a read.

[dazbaz_99]

This appears to be the article, no registration required.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...ck=1&cset=true

[Suze]

I've just gone to that link and registration was required...

To be honest, whilst interesting, there was nothing there that I didn't know though surprised in some ways the LA Times are reporting on it.

[Last2LiftOff]

It's a fine line between success and failure for any new business huh?

[dazbaz_99]

Originally Posted by Suze

I've just gone to that link and registration was required...

That is bizarre!

[Suze]

It lets me straight in now though...but maybe because I am already registered and had logged in earlier!

LA Times quite often seems to have some interesting racing articles.

[ss_collins]

Suze bear in mind you hae read an article detailing the future of A1 that has not been published as the title it was in went belly up. Having heard first hand the future of A1 I'm pretty convinced that it will be a sucess.

[Suze]

I know thanks Sam....

[Knowlesy]

Domestic dispute not pictured.

[Kiwi3]

The Australian has run a piece about the mixed success of the business side of A1GP: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au...7-7582,00.html

[strider]

That's a much more realistic view than some I've seen. Even so, some of the first-hand stories on here about Taupo suggest that it wasn't as great a success as the A1GP people are suggesting. Mind you, it probably helps if you have a winning car.

[Last2LiftOff]

Good article Kiwi thanks.

Some comments from Mark Gallagher, Principal at Team Ireland here at pitpass.com a couple of weeks ago about just this subject and some of the "downside" as he calls it. Among others, a lack of global sponsorship and media coverage being slow on the uptake; A1GP being "trapped by specialist motorsport media in the 'feeder formulae' somewhere above F3, below GP2 and generally lost in the morass of blurred coverage afforded to the silly number of motor racing categories that thinly spread the finite pot of sponsorship around the world".

And, as a stakeholder, he could very well be understating it. A "silly number of motor racing categories thinly spread over a finite pot" is probably a much tougher situation, presenting more challenges, than he'd care to admit, publically at least.

How patient can any investor be? Is the new CEO warning that progress "cannot be judged for two more years" a realistic expectation of breakeven (perhaps), or is the 2 years more a function of how much longer the principals are prepared to "tread water"?

[Kiwi3]

I disagree with what he says about accessability. Events such as the jetskiing at Taupo are a good opportunity to mingle with the drivers if you know where they are, but at the circuits the paddock is usually a fortified enclosure just like for any other non-club type event.

At some events there are autograph sessions, at Taupo one needed a premium gold stand ticket or purchase $20 for a paddock pass. At the Beijing fiasco the fans were treated like absolute crap, although I blame the clueless local organisers for that.

[Last2LiftOff]

Kiwi, I would have to reread his comments, but did he not mean in comparison to F1? Not justifying what he said, just that Formula 1 is fairly famously "unavailable" at most events.

There's a reply-to address at the bottom of the article on page 5. A1GP could use the input, sounds like, if you had a mind to. Serious feedback would make it to the decision maker(s) responsible I'm sure.

[Kiwi3]

thanks last2liftoff, I had not noticed that.

I didn't have F1 in mind when I made my comment about accessability. I just think at the race venues they are not that accessable. Obviously they have their jobs to get on with but an opportunity to poke your nose into the garage and photograph a few drivers never goes amiss.

[Last2LiftOff]

Thought I would resurrect this thread from earlier in the year with, hopefully, a relevant question. Are we going to see another season of A1GP? I've not heard many positives out there, perhaps I've just missed them, but rather, quite a bit about a lack of sponsorship, media coverage, and profit. How long will the principals keep throwing money at this series? Is there light at the end of the tunnel or an exit strategy?

[TougeEmperor]

I hope there will be future seasons of A1...............I also hope no one country would dominate as much as France last season and Germany this season..........

[Kiwi3]

Things seem a lot more positive than they were a year ago. I was lucky enough to be in the paddock in Shanghai last year and everyone was talking about 2006/2007 in terms of "if" there would be a second season. This time around the general feeling seems to be that 2007/2008 will definitely be on. There are already detailed discussions about who will be holding races next year, and some teams already have ideas about drivers, e.g. Germany who will be running Vietoris.

The lack of sponsor logos on many of the cars is still a worry however I wouldn't lose sleep about whether or not there will be a season three.