03/05/2009
NEWS STORY
Australia
A1GP entertained a capacity crowd here at Brands Hatch today with the Feature Race that started with an extra formation lap after the A1 Team South African car failed to position itself for the start.
It was a good clean start to the 49 lap Feature Race even though Martin was squeezed in between A1 Team France and A1 Team New Zealand allowing A1 Team Portugal to sneak by into sixth place. A1 Team Australia was very quick off the start and finally passed the A1 Team NZ car to move into seventh position.
Running on used tyres the first pit stop was timed in at eight seconds, an awesome effort by the Australian crew. John Martin returned to the track in eighth position maintaining a good competitive race pace chasing down the cars in front. With A1 Team NZ out of the race, the job ahead was to move up the order to gain enough points to move up the championship table.
A slight error into Paddock Hill bend gave the A1 Team Great Britain car driven by Dan Clarke a gap to pass and move ahead of Martin dropping him to eighth position. Martin's tyres were wearing fast and in need of a change so the chief engineer Rob Arnott called him in for the second pit stop. The crew were superb once again with Martin's pace so good he took the race fastest lap with a time of 1:12.698 on lap 36 on an average speed of 183.4 kmh.
There was a moment when A1 Team Great Britain slowed and Martin was closing in on the back of his car to pass and take back seventh position. Clarke sorted his problem and maintained a good pace to the chequered flag to hold Martin who finished in eighth place.
Those four valuable points closed the gap to NZ although their podium this season on count back held A1 Team Australia to eighth in the championship finishing the season on the same points as A1 Team New Zealand who were awarded seventh in the championship.
The post season work now begins with a design competition for the 2009-2010 team livery running on www.a1teamaus.com website through May to July. From there the team will review their showcar options to showcase the Nitro SuperGP between 22 and 25 October 2009. Then in August an official test for the driver line up after the season 5 calendar is announced.
Alan Jones A1 Team Australia Seatholder: "We did well in the stops; John was very fast and on lap 36 to grab the fastest lap was very encouraging. I had hoped to pass Great Britain to move us ahead of the NZ team. We have a lot to do before the new season starts and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the crew for their dedication all season, John Martin of course who improved every race and the fans who keep us motivated with their enthusiasm for A1GP. We're looking forward to the Gold Coast race"
John Martin: "I had some data come up on my steering wheel early in the race, and I though we may have an oil pressure problem. Ferrari is always monitoring the engine and they were ok so I pushed on. Both stops were good, my tyres best in the last stint and to grab the fastest lap was great for the season end. My crew are the best ever, thanks to them I have improved in A1GP and look forward to the new season racing, especially the Gold Coast"
Rob Arnott: "John was fast in the later part of the race on new tyres and the fastest lap was a bonus for the boys after the best season of pit stops in A1GP. We won the pit stop competition and I would like to say thank you to AJ, John, Adam, Docko, Ash, Danny, Roy, Lofty, Jules, Grumps, Cheyne, Mouldy, Barney, Dom, Josh and Patrick for their help all season. Top bunch, we have the goods to improve and win races and we'll do the research over the off season to get on the podium in 2009-2010. Bring on the Gold Coast"
France
Today, A1 Team France finished its 2008-09 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport Championship on the very tricky Brands Hatch circuit in England.
In the Sprint race in which the team started from twelfth place, Nicolas Prost's consistency allied to an aggressive strategy, enabled it to move up 3 places and see the flag in ninth spot just outside the points on a circuit where every overtaking move is a risk.
In the Feature race in which A1 Team France was hoping for great things an electronic glitch dashed Nicolas's chances. He was eighth on the first lap. His engine then cut out on him, and he continued in sixteenth place after resetting the system. He fought right up till the very end gaining 6 places thanks to a hard-charging drive and perfectly executed pit stops. He finally saw the flag in tenth place scoring a point.
A1 Team France has ended the 2008-09 championship in fifth place in the overall classification. This was not the result the team was aiming for and it masks the progress made over the past few weeks. So everybody was not too downhearted at the chequered flag, as they all know that they will be fighting at the front when the next season starts this coming autumn.
Olivier Panis, Sporting Director: "Once again the potential was there, and our pace should have seen us fighting for the rostrum. It could be seen as frustrating but our end-of-season performances make me feel optimistic, as we should be able to hit the ground flying at the start of the next season. I'd like to thank the whole team for having done a great job. Congratulations to Ireland, which we'd like to welcome into the club of A1GP Champions! I'd also like to take advantage of the final day to thank all those enthusiasts who've followed our campaign without fail over the past several months, and have sent us hundreds of messages. That's also what make the A1GP Championship such a special one!"
Nicolas Prost: "This weekend I've seen a huge number of positive points. First of all, we set the second-fastest lap in the race on two occasions, which shows that we've recovered our competitiveness. The pit stops were carried out without the slightest hitch helping the team gain places. The process of setting up the car enabled us to overcome the problems that handicapped us for several races due to a lack of running. This evening, all the signs are looking very positive and we're already thinking about the coming season. I'm sure that we'll shine right from the word go. Once again I'd like to thank the whole team for putting its trust in me."
Ireland
A1 Team Ireland are the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport Champions of 2008/2009. Adam Carroll led the Ireland squad to two dominant victories in the final event of the season at Brands Hatch yesterday to win an historic world title for Ireland.
Carroll and Team Ireland were unstoppable all weekend, taking two pole positions, two victories and a fastest lap to take the title by 17 points from reigning Champions Switzerland.
Ireland's perfect day began when Carroll won the Sprint Race with the help of more slick pit work from the Ireland crew who converted an early second place into a secure lead which Carroll held to the flag. In the Feature Race Carroll was in control throughout, leading from the start and keeping command of the race through the two pit stops to run out the winners over the Netherlands by just over ten seconds.
Ireland dominated the statistics of the season, ending the season with five wins, six pole positions, five fastest laps and three further podium finishes in a dream season for the squad. Afterwards Carroll described the emotion of taking the title: "That was fantastic," said Carroll afterwards. "I always knew this was someday going to come and I knew I was ready to do the job so I'm ecstatic really. I'd like to thank the team for giving me the opportunity to prove what I can really do. I think I cried for most of the last laps. Actually, I really did cry on the in-lap. It is such a relief to get it done."
Ireland Team Principal Mark Gallagher reflected on the achievement of winning the title after four long, hard seasons in A1GP. "I'm just so proud of everyone in this team for what we've achieved here. But this weekend is just the culmination of a long, hard climb to the top that has tested us all and to find out today that we have proved to be worthy of the challenge is emotional.
"It's been such a long time coming but it proves that if you want something enough then you can fight through all the difficulties to make it happen. I'd like to pay tribute our rivals particularly the Swiss and Portugal teams who have fought hard all year and thank them for the hard and fair competition we've enjoyed with them. I'd also like to thank all the fans, partners and sponsors for their help and support throughout the last four years and I hope that this title represents some reward for them.
"Adam has won this title with some style," said Gallagher. "His arrival at the team was, I think, a catalyst for us. He's a driver of a different calibre. With Adam we could set about fixing some of the issues we had identified as holding us back. He is part of a great team and he's paid us back in spades.
"This is a terrific experience. It's very satisfying to make a plan and see it come to fruition. We've been sticking at it and grafting hard and today we've seen it through and carried off the World Cup of Motorsport. It's a terrific feeling."
Lebanon
A1 Team Lebanon finished the 2008/09 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport season with a strong Feature race finish at the British round of the series. The event, held at Brands Hatch circuit, Kent, Great Britain, produced two exciting races with Ireland crowned champions in the final race. Lebanon retired from the Sprint race and scored 12th place in the Feature event.
Lebanon started the Sprint race from 11th place on the grid. Morad was able to move up to 10th place in the opening lap and remained there until the mandatory pitstop. The Lebanon crew quickly changed all four wheels and Morad was soon back out on track, staying in 10th. He lapped consistently in the mid section of the race, defending from a charging New Zealand car behind. Morad, pushing hard to stay ahead of the all-black car, but with five laps remaining he made a minor error through the first turn, spinning off into the gravel and retirement from the race.
The Feature race start saw plenty of drama with India and China tangling at the exit of the first corner and both ending up stranded in the gravel. This brought out a safety car, while also promoting Lebanon to 13th place. Morad then improved to 11th over the next few laps, until the first pitstop window opened. Excellent pitstop work put Lebanon out in 10th place and Morad then lapped in this position as the race settled down and headed to mid distance. The team dropped down the order after the second round of pitstops, finally finishing in 12th position.
Daniel Morad: "It was good to finish a race, after not having much luck up until then. It's a shame it has to end here, it would have been nice if we had a couple more races to go. I keep learning and I keep gelling with the team, and they are giving me 100% and I'm giving 100% too and I'm still learning. I just want to thank the whole of the team and the whole organisation for putting so much effort into A1 Team Lebanon and putting me in the car to represent Lebanon."
Billy Karam, Ambassador, A1 Team Lebanon, "Daniel has had so much pressure on him yet he came through with a good, solid result today. This is a very difficult track, and it is not easy to overtake here. Daniel was clearly quicker than South Africa but got held up behind his rival nation. He is a young driver and is up against highly competitive, much more experienced racers, yet he is showing the pace and potential that led us to put him in the car this season. I know he was disappointed not to finish the Sprint race, but that's how tough this series is and sometimes it doesn't go your way. He bounced back really well this afternoon."
Malaysia
The fourth season of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport drew to a close today, with A1 Team Malaysia debuting Aaron Lim for the final race weekend at Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, Great Britain. The 2008/09 A1GP series finished with Ireland crowned as champions and A1 Team Malaysia is pleased to take sixth place in the overall standings.
Lim lined up 18th on the grid for the Sprint race, following his first ever 'flying lap' qualifying session yesterday. Making his first ever standing start in an international race of this calibre, Lim was a little quick on the clutch, losing him time when the lights went out for the start of the race. He kept his head and despite dropping one position, was closely following the field.
The team pitted Lim at the earliest opportunity and with quick team work the Malaysian car was back out racing and improving their position to 18th place. The Lebanon car spun off track in the closing stages, with the New Zealand car following it into the gravel, promoting Lim to 16th position, which he held until the chequered flag.
The grid for the Feature race lined up this afternoon, but a small error by Lim, unused to warming new tyres on a full fuel load, put him into a spin and into the gravel. The Malaysian car and driver were towed back to the pits and the team checked over the car for damage and worked furiously to fix a damaged front wing in the time remaining before the start of the race. The team was ready to start the race from the pitlane when there was an electronics failure resulting in the car having to be dragged back in to the garage. After further monumental teamwork, Lim set off and the team was fortunate that a safety car had to be brought out after the first lap, which bunched up the cars.
Lim was on the tail of the field holding his own and lapping consistently. Other more experienced drivers made mistakes early in the race and this, combined with a good first pitstop, put the Malaysian team into 14th position as the race reached its second pitstop window. However, Lim was running on well worn tyres and with a couple of laps to go to putting new ones on, he was caught out at Druids Bend sliding off into the gravel which left him stranded and unable to rejoin the race.
Aaron Lim: "It's been a very steep learning curve for me this weekend and I really did have a mountain to climb, having had such little experience compared to all the other drivers. I've enjoyed the chance to race here, but I'm disappointed that I made a few mistakes in the Feature race which ended up with me retiring from it.
"The team have given me so much support, so it was a shame I couldn't complete the Feature race. It has been an amazing experience and I never realised just how much there is involved for the main race driver, despite having been to many races as the rookie driver. I have plenty of areas to work on and it has made me even more determined to gain more race experience so that I can be better able to handle this level of competition. I have really enjoyed my weekend and would like to thank everyone in the team."
Jack Cunningham, Chief Executive, A1 Team Malaysia: "Aaron has had a baptism of fire this weekend. We threw him in the deep end and he rose admirably to the occasion. A solid run in the Sprint race, bringing the car home in one piece was exactly what we asked of him. He was running very well in the Feature race, but we never underestimated the challenge of racing at this level in not one, but two races. Sometimes it is a cruel sport, as Aaron did not deserve to end his weekend without finishing.
"The team has achieved sixth in the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport standings, an outstanding achievement for the country with this position eclipsing other much more experienced motor racing nations such as Great Britain, USA, Italy and Germany among others. Congratulations to everyone in A1 Team Malaysia."
Monaco
Team Monaco has finished its inaugural A1GP World Cup of Motorsport in 9th place in the 2008/9 championship with 35 points from 14 race starts. The respectable results achieved by the series' newest team include one podium finish, seven top ten finishes and one pole position.
Clivio Piccione started the morning's 18-laps Sprint race from 14th place on the grid. After the usual first corner battle for racing position, Clivio slipped down a couple of places and his race was to prove short lived from there. As Clivio made his way down the pitlane from the team's mandatory pitstop on lap 8 the car was stopped at the end of pitlane with a bodywork fire which ended Team Monaco's Sprint race.
It was an action packed 50-laps Feature race this afternoon with Clivio starting alongside pole-sitter and championship contenders team Ireland. The safety car was deployed immediately after an incident at turn one on lap one between teams India, USA and China. When it returned to the pits on lap five Clivio was hot on the tail of Ireland up until the Irish team made its first mandatory pitstop. From leading the race Monaco made a longer than anticipated pitstop two laps later, which meant that Clivio rejoined the race in fifth position. With pace in the car but nowhere for Clivio to overtake, the order of the race remained the same until the second mandatory pitstop window opened with 21 laps remaining. Monaco made its last stop immediately, overtook team Portugal and was running in fourth place after all the cars had pitted. With six of his eight PowerBoost's remaining, Clivio pushed team Switzerland hard, but again with fast laps times and pace in the car he was unable to pass the third placed team all the way to the chequered flag due to the tight configuration and narrow Brands Hatch track.
Clivio Piccione, Driver and Seat Holder: "The start of the last race was good, but not perfect. I could not get in front of Ireland at turn one and as we both pulled away I was catching up to them in the first stint. Everything was feeling good and we had good lap times, but the first stop was too long. I believe this is where we lost out on a podium finish. I was playing catch up after that. I had to follow Portugal who was slower than our car and I could not go anywhere. The second stop was okay, we managed to pass Portugal, but after that I was playing catch up with Switzerland and we were quicker than them too. We ended in fourth place, which is a bit disappointing, as there was no opportunity to overtake, but that's the way it is at Brands Hatch.
Our final championship position is a good result. We were hoping to be in the top ten at the end of our first season and we have achieved that, although a couple of missed podium opportunities at the last round and here today meant that a better position was within our grasp. The team improved throughout the season and our car was one of the strongest. To put the team together and to produce these results within eight months is a pretty good job, so now we shall focus on getting everything together for next season. I would like to thank the whole team for their hard work this year."
Graham Taylor, Team Principal: "It has been a long journey in a short period of time. I would like to thank everybody involved with the A1 Team Monaco project - all their hard work, dedication, motivation and abilities - for bringing us to this position at the end of our first season. We are all disappointed not to be standing on the podium at the end of the final race and this emotion shows how far we have come as a team. Clivio and Hubertus have created a great project and I look forward to helping them bring more successes to A1 Team Monaco."
USA
A1 Team USA driver J.R. Hildebrand closed out the 2008-09 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport season Sunday with a fourth-place and an 11th place finish, respectively, in the Sprint and Feature events at Brands Hatch.
Hildebrand, who was making his first official start for Andretti Green A1 in the series after three rookie session appearances, started where he finished in the Sprint event after challenging for a podium spot throughout the race. In the Feature event, Hildebrand started 11th, but was involved in a first-lap incident that required the nose of the car to be changed on pit lane and left him with a 14th place finish.
J.R. Hildebrand: "Overall, I feel pretty good about the whole weekend, but we would have liked better results today. I'm just proud of the guys on Team USA and all the work they've done. I think I could have done a better job, but I also know that we showed we had the speed to compete. We probably missed a couple of opportunities this weekend to move up in the field, both in qualifying and in the race. But, again, I think we proved we have the pace to run up front."
All you need to know about the final round of the 2008/2009 A1GP series, times, reports, points, final standings, quotes and pictures...
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