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baronrojo

Joder que aburrimiento hasta el 21 de enero no vueve la a1gp y a saber si esta Nico

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baronrojo

A1GP’s mid-season review
In its second season of competition, the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport has become into one of the most unpredictable and exciting racing series on the sporting calendar. Five Sprint races and five Feature races have produced seven different winners, with South Africa, Germany, Malaysia, Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland and New Zealand each notching up wins.

http://a1gpracing.net/photo/zen/i.ph...0587.jpg&s=595

A1 Team Germany has been the revelation of this season so far, with lead driver Nico Hülkenberg firmly establishing himself as a competent, quick driver. Despite his young age, at 19 years old he’s one of the youngest pilots on the grid, and relative racing inexperience, the youngster from Emmerich on the German-Dutch border has been consistently fast all season.

http://a1gpracing.net/photo/zen/i.ph...0827.jpg&s=595

Hülkenberg recorded the fastest time at the pre-season Silverstone test, even though the 550-bhp A1GP car was a huge step up from the Formula BMW machine he’d been driving until that point. His early pace set him out as one to watch and he certainly matched up to the public, and manager Willi Weber’s, expectations when he recorded the fastest time in the opening Zandvoort practice session. He delivered on the promise with a controlled, measured driver in the same weekend’s incident-filled, unpredictable Feature race to secure his nation’s first A1GP victory.

Hülkenberg has consistently been among the fastest drivers in the field, and has recorded points in 80% of the races so far to put Germany at the top of the nations’ standings. His victory in Malaysia was the proof of his potential when he scythed past more experienced drivers in torrential rain to win by more than 42secs.

Hülkenberg’s progress has not been without controversy, however. Twice this season, at Brno and Sepang, he has clashed with New Zealand’s Jonny Reid off the start, which ended both drivers’ races.

New Zealand has been at the top of the field throughout the first half of the season. Jonny Reid has scored three pole positions, the most of all teams, and notched up New Zealand’s first A1GP victory at the last race in Sentul, Indonesia. The ‘Black Beauty’ has been one of the most consistent teams so far, scoring points in the last five consecutive races to place the team in fifth position, just one point behind defending champions France.


France has been disappointed with the season progress so far. It’s been 14 races since the team’s last victory in Mexico; at the same point in the 2005/06 season, the team had already scored eight wins. It’s a small consolation will be that France notched up its 200th A1GP point in Sentul and Nicolas Lapierre has scored four podiums so far, and Loic Duval has shown promising form in the young driver and developing nations practice session. The second half of the year must be the time to open the 2006/07 victory account.


Great Britain, currently second in the nations’ title, has the highest average Qualifying position of the field, starting each race from an average fifth position. Oliver Jarvis and Robbie Kerr gave the team podiums in Beijing and Sepang, but that first victory is still proving elusive. However with just 12 points between Germany and Great Britain, Kerr and Jarvis’ consistency may well edge them ahead should Hülkenberg’s current form take a dive.

It’s not just the top two who are close at the top; the championship, at its festive season break, is wide open, with just 22 points separating the top seven. With a maximum possible 17 points up for grabs at each race weekend, the second half of the season looks to be just as close as the first. With 83% of the field scoring points this year, including newcomer nation Singapore, the lower positions are also hotly contested.

With this kind of open competition, we’re in for a close fight to the end of the championship

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baronrojo

Team GBR protest Germany win

Thursday, November 30th 2006, 10:54 GMT

Team Great Britain are contesting the result of last weekend's Sepang feature race after Germany's Nico Hulkenberg was push-started in the pits, this week's Autosport reports.
Hulkenberg stalled as he exited his pit after taking his mandatory stop. He only lost around eight seconds thanks to the reactions of his team, and won the race comfortably from Robbie Kerr.
An initial protest of the result was thrown out because Great Britain lodged it more than 30 minutes after the first results were posted, but the team intend to pursue the matter.
Team co-coordinator Pual Anthony said: "The only reason why we put in our protest so late is that we were told by three members of A1 staff that the stewards were dealing with the matter.
"We are going to pursue this because the regulations have not been treated with respect. This is a big championship and there is a lot at stake."
Team GBR's case is based around a rule which reads: "A supplementary device temporarily connected to the car may only be used to start the engine in the pits or on the starting grid."
Team GBR believe that this means a car cannot be started with any other method.
However, the stewards took the view that this means an electric starter may only be used on the grid or in the pits.
A1GP general manager John Wickham said: "We allow cars to be push started off the grid and on the track (the pit lane is considered part of the track). The stewards considered the matter and decided that there was no case."

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baronrojo

Parece ser que el equipo de GB se quejo de la victoria de alemania en malasia al parecer x arrancar el coche en boxes,pero los comisarios deportivos no lo vieron del mismo modo que el equipo de GB y desestimaron la apelacion ( que ademas la puso bastantes dias despues de la carrera con locual no llego muy lejos lo que no entiendo es que si tienes esa certeza de que se a infringido una norma te esperes tanto) de hecho la noticia la he visto en un foro ingles pues creo que en la pagina oficial de a1gp no la vi.

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baronrojo

Sporting regulations

Dead heats
Even with timing equipment measuring down to one thousandth of a second, a dead heat for a win or any position can occur. If this happens, the place goes to the team that’s set the fastest lap in the race.

If the series’ points table is equal at the end of the season, the winner will be determined by:

• The country with the greatest number of wins, or if that’s equal:
• The holder of the greatest number of second places, and if that’s equal
• The greatest number of third places, and so on...

Drivers
Up to three drivers per team can enter each A1GP weekend and names must be determined in writing by 10.30 local time on the Friday of each race weekend. The choice of drivers for Practice, Qualifying and either race is at the sole discretion of the team principal but only one driver, per team, per session is allowed.
Each driver must have a Grade B International FIA licence to be able to participate in any A1GP practice session or race.
Fuelled to the finish
There’s no refuelling during an A1GP and there’s no fuel gauge in the car. This means the team’s engineers need to calculate exactly how much fuel to put into the car at the beginning of every timed lap in practice and qualifying and at the start of each race.

How to spot the cars
It’s easy to spot the A1GP team you support. The car’s livery is in the colours of the national flag and rather than trying to work out a small number at 200 mph, the cars will use the same three letter national abbreviation as used in the Olympic Games, for example:

AUS Australia
USA United States of America


All cars are equal
A1GP is subject to strict rules and regulations to ensure a level playing field for all competitors.
All A1GP teams have identical cars and engines that are supplied by single suppliers to make sure each team has equal machinery.
A team is allocated one car for the whole season but there’s a select number of spare cars in case of emergency; seven in total, one of which is kept for the host country in which the race is held.
Points and prize money
All points are awarded to national A1 Teams – there is no drivers’ championship – it is the country that takes the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport title.
Sprint race:
Points are awarded to the top six finishers according to the scale below:
First place 6 points
Second place 5 points
Third place 4 points
Fourth place 3 points
Fifth place 2 points
Sixth place 1 points
Feature race:
Points are awarded to the top six finishers according to the scale below:
POINTS
First place 10 points
Second place 9 points
Third place 8 points
Fourth place 7 points
Fifth place 6 points
Sixth place 5 points
Seventh place 4 points
Eighth place 3 points
Ninth place 2 points
Tenth place 1 point
POINTS
Prize money is given to the top ten finishers. A US$1 million prize fund is split between the top ten finishers for the Feature race at every A1GP event.
A bonus point is awarded to the team that sets the fastest lap time over the two races.
If a race has to be stopped for any reason, points will still be allocated. If less than half the race is over, half points are awarded; if half or more of the race is run, full points are awarded.
Practice
Two rookie sessions held between 11.00 – 11.25 and 11.35 – 12.00 each Friday during race weekends allow drivers under 28 or from developing nations to get to grips with the powerful 550-bhp A1GP cars and challenging tracks the series visits.
Two one-hour general practice sessions are held for all other A1GP drivers from 14.00 to 15.00 on Friday and 11.00 to 12.00 on Saturday.
Qualifying – Sprint race
Qualifying for the Sprint race takes place on Saturday afternoon across four 15-minute sessions: 14.15 – 14.30, 14.35 – 14.50, 14.55 – 15.10 and 15.15 – 15.30.
Each A1 Team is limited to one ‘flying lap’ per session and at the end of Qualifying the team’s two fastest lap times are added together to set an aggregate Qualifying time.
Any of the A1 Team’s drivers that set a Practice time within 102 per cent of the team’s fastest Qualifying lap are in with a chance to race, although the driver who takes part in Qualifying does not necessarily race in the Sprint race.
A team principal can choose any suitable driver to race as long as they’re quick enough. This simple rule adds a new dimension to the sport whereby drivers can excel under certain race conditions, some being Qualifying experts while others display incredible race pace.
If a team doesn’t complete two timed laps to determine a Qualifying aggregate, they start the Sprint race from the back of the grid.
Qualifying - Feature Race
The grid for the Feature race is determined by a driver’s position in the earlier Sprint race. If a driver wins the Sprint race he will start the Feature race on pole position. Likewise, the second placed finisher will be second on the Feature race grid, the third placed, third, right down to the last classified finisher who will occupy the final position on the grid.
Testing
Aside from the A1GP weekend, the only testing allowed is at an official A1GP test session. No private running is permitted, to keep things fair.
Race weekend
The A1GP race weekend consists of two separate races, a Sprint and Feature race.
The Sprint race is a maximum of 20 minutes with a rolling start and runs from 11.00 to 11.20 local time on the Sunday morning.
The Feature race is a maximum of 70 minutes in duration with a standing start and mandatory pit stop and runs from 15.00 to 16.10 local time on the Sunday afternoon.
The race pit stop must take place between laps eight and 20 and a maximum of seven mechanics are permitted to change all four wheels and tyres. There’s no limit to the number of times a car can stop - but of course it’s slower driving through the pit lane than racing on the track

Technical regulations
The A1GP Cooper Tyres allocated to all teams are identical and each team gets five sets of dry weather slick tyres, and two sets of wet weather treaded tyres per weekend. If there’s really extreme weather, all the teams can be issued with more sets of wets as necessary - although this decreases the amount of dry tyres a team will receive.

Wet tyres can only be used in a race once it’s been declared wet, although after this a brave driver may elect to stay on slicks...
Clothing
It is essential that a driver is properly protected from the stresses and potential dangers of driving a racing car. The key parts of the driver's clothing are;

• Fireproof driving suit
• Fireproof under garments
• Fireproof balaclava
• Gloves
• Driving shoes
• Helmet

All drivers competing in circuit events entered on the FIA international calendar must wear crash helmets that meet the standards listed by the FIA. In the case of A1GP, these helmets are the same as those required in Formula One. The helmets feature vents and indentations which help to ventilate air around the drivers head and reduce buffeting in the air rushing past.

All drivers must wear a head restraint such as HANS which is compatible with the driver's helmet and overalls as well as gloves, long underwear, a balaclava, socks and shoes to the FIA 8856- 2000(2) standard.

Drivers' clothing cannot be too tight, as this reduces the level of protection. Even names and logos embroidered onto the garments are stitched only to the outermost layer for better heat insulation. Backing material of badges and thread used for affixing them to the overalls must also be flameproof.

Even the drivers' gloves must be flame proof and in a high-visibility colour which contrasts with the predominant colour of the car, so that the driver can clearly draw the attention of the race starter in case of difficulties.
Logistics
Transporting more than 30 cars around the globe and all the equipment needed to run them is a huge operation.

Before any of the teams arrive at the circuit, it is the responsibility of A1GP Operations to organise the safe arrival of the cars and begin unloading the A1GP freight. There are on average 20 people at each circuit solely dedicated to unloading the A1GP freight. This comprises of three A1GP Operations staff, a local customs co-ordinator, two airload masters, four freight masters, four fork lift drivers and various truck drivers. It takes 40 trips from airport to circuit to fully load and unload the A1GP freight. The cars usually arrive at the race track the week before the race and set up in the paddock commences on the Monday before the race weekend. Set up takes approximately three days.

Other than race cars, spares and mechanical equipment, the A1GP freight contains all other material and equipment that is needed to operate an international racing series. This includes radios, scrutineering equipment, telemetry equipment, signage, branding, timing equipment, hospitality equipment, accreditation equipment and press material.

Once the racing has finished and all cars have been through scrutineering and returned to the pits, the teams begin packing the cars and equipment into the containers and car racks manufactured to A1GP's own design specifications. It takes more than 20 car racks to transport all the cars, more than 20 containers to carry team's equipment and four containers to transport A1GP Operations equipment and spares. The packing and loading of the cars and equipment takes around two days.

Once all of the cars and equipment are packed into containers, the freight is re-packed onto the 747s and flown on to the next A1GP race. It takes approximately seven days for all the freight to arrive at the new venue, from loading the containers to arriving at the new circuit. Any damaged equipment and if necessary, engines and race cars are flown back to the UK for repair between races. A1GP is responsible for all organisation, including the necessary documentation such as customs clearance, carnets, etc. At the end of the season, the cars return to their home at the A1 Technology Centre in Silverstone, UK.
Pit stops
The race pit stop must take place between laps eight and 20 and a maximum of seven mechanics are permitted to change all four wheels and tyres. There’s no limit to the number of times a car can stop - but of course it’s slower driving through the pit lane than racing on the track.

Pit stops not only need to be quick they also need to be strategically planned for the perfect point in the race. The team need to plan exactly when the best time is to pit - depending on the strategy of competitors and traffic on the track. As the pit lane is a busy, confined area, a pit lane speed limit is enforced. A driver will press the pit limiter as the car crosses a line at the entry of the pit lane, which will quickly bring the car down to a speed of 60km/h. If a car exceeds the speed limit, the team will be fined and the driver will incur a drive through penalty. Pit stops therefore, make up an integral part of the race strategy.
PowerBoost
Each A1GP race car is equipped with a unique PowerBoost system, a mechanism to provide short bursts of increased power to create additional overtaking opportunities and action throughout a race.
By changing the engine's parameters, the system can give the driver additional power over a limited time during each race to take the A1GP race car above its standard 500bhp.
The PowerBoost is driver-activated by a button mounted on the steering wheel, but will only work if the button is pressed when the throttle is above 80 per cent and the car speed is above 60kph.
The button has to be kept pressed to keep the PowerBoost activated but the system will automatically deactivate if the throttle drops below 40 per cent.
Each driver will have a limited amount of times that he can use the extra power; four activations for each Sprint race and eight activations for each Feature race.
Starting procedure
There are two types of start procedure in motor racing, a rolling start and a standing start. A1GP is unique it that it includes both of these. The Sprint race begins with a rolling start and the Feature race starts with a standing start.
Thirty minutes before the start of each race, the cars will leave the pits to cover a formation lap and stop in their grid position at the end of the lap. Fifteen minutes before the start of the race the pit exit is closed. Any car that has not left the pit lane by this time must start the race from the pit lane exit and wait until the rest of the field has left the grid, regardless of their original grid position.


When the one minute signal is shown, engines are started and all team members must leave the grid by the time the 15 second signal is given. If any driver needs assistance after the 30 second signal they must raise their arm and when the other cars have left the grid, the car will be pushed to safety.

The start of the race is announced by signals shown 10 minutes, five minutes, three minutes, one minute and 15 seconds before the start of the formation lap, each of which is accompanied by an audible warning. When the 10 minute signal is shown, everybody except drivers, officials and team members must leave the grid.
When the green flag is shown, the cars begin the formation lap with the pole position driver leading behind the pace car. Overtaking on the formation lap is not allowed. Drivers may only overtake if they are delayed when leaving their grid position, but still managed to get away before the rest of the field left the grid. Under these circumstances a car may overtake another car for the purposes of re-establishing the original starting order.

The Sprint race begins with a rolling start. The pace car pulls off the track into the pit lane at the end of the lap, leaving the car which qualified on pole position leading the field. At this point the car on pole position has an advantage, as it controls the speed of the pack as they approach the start/finish line. The driver leading the cars can reduce the speed, bunching up the rest of the field before suddenly accelerating away to start the race.

At the start of the Feature race, the cars return to the grid at the end of the formation lap, stopping on their respective grid positions but keeping their engines running. A standing start follows with the starting signal given by means of the starting lights. Once all the cars have come to a halt on the grid, the five second signal will be shown and five seconds later the starter will switch on the red light(s). At any time between 4 and seven seconds after the red light(s) become visible, the Feature race will be started by extinguishing the red light(s).


Safety
Safety is paramount in A1GP and there are a number of features and regulations in place to ensure the welfare of the drivers, officials and spectators at all times.
On track there are a few key regulations. A car’s rear light must be illuminated at all times when running on wet-weather tyres. Should it become necessary to stop a race because the track is blocked by an accident or because weather or other conditions make it dangerous to continue, the Clerk of the Course will order a red flag to be shown at the start/finish line. Simultaneously, red flags will be shown at all Marshals' posts.

If a driver has to abandon a car on track, it must be left in neutral and with the steering wheel in place so the marshals can move the car easily. Within the car, it is mandatory to wear two shoulder straps, one abdominal strap and two straps between the legs. Drivers must also wear protective clothing and a neck restraint, which supports the head and neck in the event of an accident.

To assess track conditions and control the speed of the field in the event of an incident, there must always be a safety car on standby. The safety car is always driven by an experienced circuit driver. It also carries an A1GP approved observer capable of recognising all cars and is in permanent radio contact with Race Control.

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baronrojo

GB protest angers German boss


Last updated at 15:52pm on 7th December 2006

Team Germany manager Willi Weber has hit out at his British counterparts after they lodged a protest following German victory in Malaysia last weekend.
Team Great Britain protested the result at the Sepang circuit after Germany driver Nico Hulkenberg received a push-start from his crew after stalling during his mandatory stop.
"It's disappointing that this performance is thrown, partially at least, into doubt," he said.
"The stewards of the meeting in Malaysia decided that the rules were not in breach when the mechanics pushed the car after the engine had stalled. A1 Team Great Britain nevertheless has a problem with this."
Aside from the bitter aftertaste of events two weeks ago, Team GBR driver Robbie Kerr, fresh from a sterling drive to second place in Sepang, arrives for this weekend's race in Indonesia looking for a repeat of his exploits at the same event last season.
On that occasion Kerr claimed the team's first pole position on his way to finishing second in the sprint race, while a fumbled pit-stop denied him victory in the feature race.
John Surtees, A1 Team GBR principal, said: "Robbie was right in the running on our last visit, sticking it on pole and looking good for the win until a poor strategy cost us.
"We've taken steps to ensure that won't happen again and I think you'll see quite an aggressive performance this weekend, hopefully leading to registering our first win."
Kerr, meanwhile, is keen for Team GBR to build on their solid start to the campaign, which sees them lying second in the title race, just six points behind Germany.
"I'm looking forward to getting back out there," he said.
"We had a good weekend in Malaysia and hopefully we can go one step better this time round in Indonesia."
Hulkenberg will be gunning for another inspired performance when the A1GP circus arrives in Indonesia.
Buoyed by a fantastic feature race victory in a rain-hit Malaysia a fortnight ago - a full 43 seconds clear of Team Great Britain in second - Hulkenberg will be confident of more glory as the series returns to south-east Asia.
The Sentul circuit on the island of Java provides the setting for the fifth round of the season, and the 19-year-old is hopeful that the monsoon season in the region will serve up the conditions for a repeat of his majestic performance in the rain last time out.
"There's a good chance it could rain in Sentul, just like it did in Sepang," said Hulkenberg.
"Obviously we did very well when it rained - we looked at the weather and did a compromise set-up for rain and if it dried. "Of course, as a driver you would need to adjust your driving style too, but I hope we can do just as well in the wet here as we did in Sepang."

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