21/03/2007
NEWS STORY
A1 Team Pakistan return to the racing action this week, for the ninth round of the 2007 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport. After an eventful race in Durban, South Africa, which saw Pakistan secure its first point of the season, the team is keen to build on this success in the final three rounds. Nur Ali will once again represent his nation, racing with countries from around the globe at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit in Mexico.
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit, on the outskirts of Mexico City will host its first A1GP event this weekend, having replaced last season's venue, over 500 miles north in Monterrey.
In a season full of challenges, the Mexican round brings with it a new test. At nearly one and a half miles above sea level, the A1GP drivers and cars will be under increased stress in Mexico City, with poor air quality and low oxygen levels. Not only will this prove tiring for the drivers, but it will also affect the performance of the engines, with the A1GP cars likely to suffer a reduction in power.
The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez circuit hosted a round of the F1 World Championship from 1962 to 1970 and again from 1986 to 1992. After widespread renovation, the track has recently held Champ Car and NASCAR events, and was the venue for Juan Pablo Montoya's first NASCAR win earlier this month.
After Pakistan's disappointing outing in the 2007 Cricket World Cup this month, Nur Ali is hoping to restore his nation's sporting pride. The A1 Team Pakistan driver commented, "The result in South Africa gave the team a real boost and we are feeling confident ahead of the weekend. Conditions on track will be difficult here, but we are determined to give Pakistan something to cheer about again.
"As a new venue on the calendar, the track will be new to all the A1GP teams, which is a help to us, and means we won't be disadvantaged by a lack of data as we have been at previous rounds."
A1 Team Pakistan Seatholder Arif Husain added, "After the fantastic result in South Africa, the team go to Mexico with a renewed sense of confidence and purpose. Although the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez will present a difficult test, the team demonstrated in Durban that they are more than capable of coping with such challenges."