11/03/2008
NEWS STORY
A1 Team Lebanon will debut a new driver for the team at the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport Mexico event this weekend. Jimmy Auby joins current driver Khalil Beschir and will race for the team in the eighth round of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in Mexico this weekend.
Auby, 21, joined the team in Durban as reserve driver with the plan to run him for two races, assessing his potential for the future and expanding the driver line up. Making his first A1GP appearance representing Lebanon and the Arab world in the Rookie session on Friday morning, Auby will be taking on the challenge of the demanding Mexico City track, one of the most challenging circuits on the A1GP calendar.
A1 Team Lebanon is chasing its first elusive championship point and Auby hopes that he can help to bring this to the nation. He says, "I'm not daunted by the challenge of Mexico or driving the A1GP car, but I know how big a challenge it is for the team here. Adapting to the circuit with this particular car, within a highly competitive category, is my main focus and I'll be aiming for the all- important ‘point' this weekend. I've already driven the car, having been one of the drivers testing at Silverstone before the season started, and I've been driving similar cars recently, but I don't know the track, so that's going to be the first challenge for me."
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. This will be the second year the A1GP series has visited the 4.42 km, 17 corner circuit. 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 suffering a reduction in power.
A1 Team Lebanon's race result in the last round of A1GP equalled the season's best with a 13th place finish for Beschir. However, there was bitter disappointment for the team after a potential points finish was cruelly taken away when the Feature race was red-flagged before the end. However, Team Principal, Luke Craft, is now looking ahead to the next round.
He says, "A1 Team Lebanon, as one of the least experienced, smaller teams on the grid, takes on each round of A1GP with total commitment and determination to do the best for the nation. We've opted to run Jimmy (Auby) for the next two rounds, evaluating his performance and looking to score the points we're craving. The Mexico circuit is one of the tougher tracks on the calendar, with a number of factors which a driver has to consider, not only the track itself, but also the heat and altitude. As always, of most importance, is to see the A1 Team Lebanon car racing on this global motorsport stage and representing the nation."
Auby has driven both single seater and saloon cars in his career so far. He began racing go karts at the age of 10, until moving to stock cars at 15, as well as racing in single seaters in the South African A3 championship. More recently he has been testing and racing in Europe.