baronrojo

HULKENBERG FULFILS EARLY WEEKEND PROMISE WITH FEATURE RACE WIN
26/11/2006 -

Sepang – A1 Team Germany’s rising star Nico Hülkenberg has fulfilled his early weekend promise with a dominant victory in the Astro A1GP Sepang, Malaysia Feature race. The 19-year-old German talent finished more than 42 seconds ahead of A1 Team Great Britain’s Robbie Kerr and defending champions France in a race shortened by heavy rain.

The heavens opened half an hour before the start of the race, forcing a start behind the safety car as standing water remained on the track. Hülkenberg however proved himself to be as adept in wet conditions as he is in the dry as he pulled off a bold overtaking manoeuvre on polesitter Neel Jani at Turn Four to seize the lead. Seeing Jani was slow out of Turn Three, Hülkenberg ran onto the kerb to squeeze past the Swiss on the inside and take the lead. Willi Weber’s star protégé then stormed away from the field to pull out a three second lead by the end of the first lap. He was never challenged from that point on; his only drama coming on lap 18 when he stalled during a pit stop. With a 19 second lead however, Hülkenberg’s position was never in jeopardy and he returned to track in front.

“It wasn’t too bad at the start as it was not so wet any more, but when we went out for the installation lap at 14.20 when the pit lane opened. That was incredible - I have never seen so much water in my life and I spun off on the straight as there was just no chance to drive the car as it was aquaplaning all the time. That was a bit crazy. When we started the race it was quite wet but the car was okay to handle. I like the wet and have no problems with it. When I overtook Neel it was out of Turn Four I think he had a little bit of problems with traction, a little bit of wheelspin, I was a bit smooth on the throttle in second gear and then I had better traction and could pass him. I stalled the car as I was just not smooth enough with my clutch and then the engine stalled. My mechanics had a very good reaction time and pushed me and I started the car by clutch.”

Robbie Kerr demonstrated complete confidence and car control to move from fifth on the grid to second at the flag fall. Kerr caught Malaysia’s Alex Yoong off the start and fought hard to find a way past. On lap 10 the Briton took a long line through Turn 13, which gave him the inside line going into the pit straight and using all available road and grip, Kerr forced his way through into fourth. With Yoong out of the way Kerr then set his sights on third-placed New Zealander Jonny Reid. Racing wheel-to-wheel down the pit straight, Kerr again took the inside line into Turn One, but Reid was not to be pushed out easily and kept his nerve, his line and his position. Undeterred, Kerr challenged again on the following turn and, with good traction and grip, made the move stick to move into third.

“It was absolutely soaking in the first few laps and it was particularly bad back in fifth position where you couldn’t see too much because of the amount of spray. The first few laps were getting used to the track for learning where all the puddles were and such like and then through the race just being able to pull up on Malaysia quite easily and then playing with them a little bit to get Alex to move where I needed him to be to make the overtaking move. Nicolas Lapierre was a little bit close to me behind at that point in time, but I then managed to pull clear in the middle part of the race and was really quick, catching Jonny quite quickly. He braked very early the first time I got alongside him, came into the last corner and I went down the inside of him. I was quite surprised how early he did brake but from then from that point I was just directly behind him and pushing him hard to make a couple of mistakes and then squeezing through.”

Kerr pushed to close the gap to second-placed Jani and eventually found his chance on lap 20 when Jani spun at Turn 14 and lost time while Kerr was making a routine pit stop. Kerr exited the pit lane just seconds before Jani powered down the straight to snatch second. “The team did an excellent pit stop and the team came on the radio telling me to push, push because we had a chance of second position and that was what I did keep consistent lap times, quicker than Neel, and it worked and I squeezed ahead. We had a problem with the car, throughout the race, getting worse and worse towards the end when France was catching up, but I was happy to be in second position and it is great to come back into the series after a break and looking forward to Indonesia.”

Kerr is confident the team will be on the pace at the next round in Sentul, Indonesia, “We are going to push for the win in Indonesia. I am sure the car will be better than it was last year. The competition is going to be harder and I am sure we are going to be on that top step some time soon.”

Third-placed France moved steadily through the field as the track dried, going ahead of Malaysia on lap 12. There was brief contact between the two as Lapierre took an aggressive inside line through a turn, but no damage was sustained and the Frenchman eventually made the move stick round the back of the circuit. He moved ahead of Canada into fourth on lap 22 and took advantage of a mistake in Turn Two by Neel Jani the following lap to move into the final podium slot.

“The most important thing was the second race. I think at the end Neel was a bit straining with his tyres. My tyres were fine and I was just pushing and coming back like a second a lap and then I went past him. It was okay but the main problem was we lost a lot of time at the beginning of the race because we were sixth and could not see anything and were stuck behind Malaysia and we lost 20 or 30 seconds there. Then we came back and I think we had a good pace but we need to start on the front if we want to win a race. We have struggled a bit this year with the new tyres but Indonesia is a track where we qualified second last year, I know the track and Nico will not have the rookie session any more so there are plenty of things which will help us.”

Home nation A1 Team Malaysia seemingly had a race of two halves, as Yoong dropped down the field before the pit stop. With a new set of tyres, a rejuvenated Yoong then scythed through to close to the tail of a five-way battle for seventh with South Africa, Ireland, Singapore, Netherlands and USA by lap 19. Yoong and South Africa’s Adrian Zaugg had light contact at the entrance to Turn Two as Yoong squeezed through, but both emerged unscathed. Yoong made careful use of the PowerBoost to close down on Ireland down the pit straight and take Michael Devaney on the entrance to the first corner.

Again Yoong used his PowerBoost to go ahead of Singapore’s Christian Murchison and then Netherlands’ Jeroen Bleekemolen, within striking distance of seventh-placed Phil Giebler in the USA car. Giebler however moved ahead of Jonny Reid into sixth, leaving Yoong to ease in front of the New Zealander into seventh. Yoong put his second half performance down to changing the tyre pressures on the second set of rubber, “It was so bad at the start,” commented Yoong. “I just had people passing me so we dropped the tyre pressures for the second set and the car was transformed and I could really attack. It’s really been a race of what ifs, but that’s Motorsport.”

Ireland and Singapore battled for the final points scoring position until the end of the race, with Devaney coming out on top to secure the Irish team’s first points of the season. Brazil were however excluded from the final results after Stewards deemed the team had taken its mandatory pit stop outside the allocated pit stop window. Germany’s win puts the team back at the head of the teams’ championship, six points ahead of Great Britain, who are the only nation to have scored in all four Feature races this season. Malaysia move up to third in the standings, while Mexico drop to fourth.

Feature race results
A1 Team Driver Time Gap first
1 Germany Nico Hulkenberg 1.10.54.943
2 Great Britain Robbie Kerr 1.11.37.792 +42.849
3 France Nicolas Lapierre 1.11.41.564 +46.621
4 Switzerland Neel Jani 1.11.57.264 +1.02.321
5 Canada Sean McIntosh 1.12.02.552 +1.07.609 6 USA Phil Giebler 1.12.03.535 +1.08.592
7 Malaysia Alex Yoong 1.12.08.002 +1.13.059
8 New Zealand Jonny Reid 1.12.16.275 +1.21.332
9 Netherlands Jeroen Bleekemolen 1.12.28.358 +1.33.41

The bonus point for the fastest race lap went to A1 Team New Zealand who recorded a time of 1.53.343 on lap 2 of the Sprint race, with a speed of 176.0kph.



2005/06 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport standings:
1 Germany 37
2 Great Britain 31
3 Malaysia 24
4 Mexico 24
5 France 24
6 Canada 22

The A1GP World Cup of Motorsport will return at the Sentul International Circuit, Indonesia from 8-10 December 2006 for the fifth round of the 2005/06 season.

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baronrojo

aunque no logro la vuelta rapida que le hubiese otorgado otro punto en el casillero aleman pues esta fue a manos de italia que fuera de los puntos hizo un desesperado intento x coger algun punto para no irse con las manos vacias logrando marcar un increible 2.14, ya que en las ultimas vueltas todos los participantes rebajaron sus tiempos me da pensar que las condiciones de pista fueron en constante mejoria,NICO al final solo lograria la 4ª mejor vuelta

Me cito a mi mismo para aclarar que cosa que no sabia al piloto que otorgan el punto extra x la vuelta rapida es el que sea mas rapido de las 2 carreras ylogicamente en esta 1ª a sido sobre seco con lo cual es para el equipo:

The bonus point for the fastest race lap went to A1 Team New Zealand who recorded a time of 1.53.343 on lap 2 of the Sprint race, with a speed of 176.0kph.

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baronrojo

SWITZERLAND SCORES FIRST WIN OF SEASON IN SEPANG
26/11/2006 - Sepang – A1 Team Switzerland’s Neel Jani has converted pole position to a win in the Sprint race at the Astro A1GP Sepang, Malaysia. The Swiss driver led from start to finish to win by over a second from Germany’s Nico Hülkenberg and New Zealand’s Jonny Reid. A1 Team Malaysia’s Alex Yoong was a popular fourth position in his home race, with Great Britain and France completing the top six.

Jani’s victory makes amends for his last lap defeat by France’s Alexandre Premat in last season’s Sepang race. There were no such problems for the Swiss this year however as he pulled away cleanly from the start and steadily extended his advantage over the 10-lap race. Second on the grid Jonny Reid pulled level with Jani going into the first corner, but with the Swiss held his line to stay in front.

Hülkenberg however used the battle in front to his advantage, driving round the outside of Reid into second position. There was light contact between the New Zealand and German cars and Reid’s machine sustained suspension damage, which affected the car’s handling in the later stages of the race. Reid was distinctly unimpressed by Hülkenberg’s actions – a repeat of their clash into the first corner at Brno, which led to both their retirements. With the German and New Zealand teams run by the same outfit, Super Nova Racing, the atmosphere in the post-race conference was frosty;

“I am not smiling as I was run into in the first corner by my team-mate,” said Reid, “I am not happy about that. We will have to sit down and talk about it again as it is the second time it has happened. We are lucky that we both didn’t go off. He was right onto my rear tyre and I think for the remainder of the race the rear suspension was a bit damaged. I am a bit annoyed about it but third place is still third place and it is still good points and we have just got to get down and fine tune the car a bit more and get it right for the main race. We will change things for the next race as I was not too happy with the car as we didn’t quite have the pace of the other cars and I was pushing quite hard too and working hard to keep up. We have a lot of work to do and we will see what happens in the main race.”

Hülkenberg added, “My start was pretty good and then into the first corner. I just know what happened in the first corner from my view, so I want to watch the TV footage to see what happened. I can’t really tell you about this. I am confident but as we saw Neel is really quick on a long distance too, but I think it is a long race and everything can happen.”

With a clear track ahead and Hülkenberg and Reid ensconced in their own battle, Jani built on his lead to become the sixth different winner in seven races. “That was clean and constant and I was not trying to push too hard and it worked out,” Jani commented. ”I hope to do more, but Beijing was not really a race weekend as I guess it could have worked a lot better, but now at the first real race weekend to be back like that is fantastic.

There were clashes off the start further down the field too with Italy, Brazil and Czech Republic picking up damage and returning to the pits. The left-rear suspension of the Italian car was smashed in the impact and driver Enrico Toccacelo fought to bring the car to the garage as the steering slewed it off to the side. While the Brazilian team made repairs and sent Raphael Matos out again, the right-rear suspension and right wing of Tomas Enge’s Czech car was too badly damaged and Enge retired in the pits. With the gearbox undamaged, Enge fully expected to be back on the pace for the Feature race. Indonesia’s Ananda Mikola also came into the pits and straight into the garage with suspension damage.

The wide, flowing Sepang track provided many overtaking opportunities for the closely matched competition, with South Africa and Australia enjoying a race-long battle for 12th position. After three laps Australian Ryan Briscoe squeezed ahead, but Adrian Zaugg pushed him hard throughout the remaining laps. Singapore and India similarly raced side-by-side over the race with Christian Murchison almost running into the back of Armaan Ebrahim as he outbraked himself on lap seven. Murchison’s sustained pressure eventually paid off on the penultimate lap when he pushed through into 15th position.

Switzerland will now start the Feature race on pole, ahead of Germany and New Zealand. The 35 lap race is due to kick off at 15.00 local time.

Sprint race results
A1 Team Driver Time Gap first
1 Switzerland Neel Jani 19:06.289
2 Germany Nico Hulkemberg 19:07.492 +1.203
3 New Zeland Jonny Reid 19:09.890+3.601
4 Malaysia Alex Yoong 19:18.115 +11.826
5 Great Britain Robbie Kerr 19:19 +18.858
6 France Nicolas Lapierre 19:20.020 +13.731
7 Netherlands Jeroen Bleekemolen 19:22.386 +16.097

Fastest lap: New Zealand (Jonny Reid) 1:53.343 (176.0kph), lap two

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MICK DOOHAN

Menudo post que te has currado Baronrojo.

Un saludo.

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baronrojo

Bueno se hace lo que se puede gracias de todas maneras y .

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baronrojo

A1 GP Sepang Feature Race - Hulkenberg straordinario

26-11-2006

Facile dire "un fenomeno": certo che Niko Hulkenberg, l'ultimo di una generazione di talenti teutonici del volante, ha tutte le premesse per trasformarsi nel nuovo Schumacher. Oggi a Sepang il giovane tedesco scoperto da Willi Weber ha dato saggio di come, a 19 anni, si può guidare una monoposto complicata come la Lola Zytek dell'A1 Grand Prix sotto il diluvio, guadagnando 1"5 al giro sulla concorrenza. "Hulky" porta la Germania al secondo trionfo nella Feature Race dopo Zandvoort, piazzandosi in solitaria in cima al campionato e proponendosi, di fatto, come favorito per la Coppa del Mondo dell'Automobilismo. In una gara dove l'Italia è naufragata tra azzardate scelte al pit (le slick dopo la sosta al box, tentativo di sistemare un weekend cominciato male e finito peggio nonostante l'entusiasmo post-Pechino), la Germania vive un momento straordinario, con Kerr secondo (ancora a podio la Gran Bretagna) ed un redivivo Lapierre terzo. Tutti protagonisti che passano in secondo piano rispetto a Hulkenberg, vero mattatore dell'A1 Grand Prix. Un talento di cui sentiremo parlare per tanto tempo.

Cronaca di Gara

Diluvia letteralmente a Sepang, solito monsone malese che quest'anno ha costretto, per la cronaca, all'annullamento delle qualifiche della MotoGP lo scorso 9 settembre. In ogni caso niente è compromesso per la "World Cup of Motorsport", si partirà senza problemi per la Feature Race con la seguente griglia decretata dalla classifica di Gara 1: Jani, Hulkenberg, Reid, Yoong, Kerr, Lapierre, Toccacelo ultimo ma con la pioggia niente è compromesso. Nel giro di installazione clamorosi testacoda di Lapierre, Murchison e Beschir, ampiamente giustificati considerando che a Sepang con i monsoni si creano dei rigagnoli (leggi fiumi) in mezzo alla pista.

Dopo un mini-rinvio di 10 minuti, con Alan Jones che si è dilettato al ruolo di intervistatore per la regia internazionale della serie, finalmente si parte per la gioia nostra e di un discreto numero di appassionati presenti nel complesso creato da Tilke. La pioggia sembra aver dato una tregua definitiva, tutto è pronto, si parte però dietro la safety car che resta in pista per i primi 4 giri, finalmente rientra ai box... via!!!

Jani tiene la testa della corsa mentre Duran entra in testacoda forse toccato da Briscoe che perde il musetto, ma davanti Hulkenberg è combattivo ed in uscita dalla Curva 6 prende il comando delle operazioni. Il tedesco guadagna 3 secondi in 10 curve su Jani, va in fuga mentre Toccacelo pian piano recupera ed è 15°. "Hulky" viaggia mediamente 1"5 al giro più veloce di tutti gli altri: è davvero un talento straordinario, complimentoni a Willi Weber che ha messo a sicuro il suo futuro del post-Schumacher.

Si scatena la bagarre per la quarta posizione, con Kerr e Lapierre che in poco tempo passano un Yoong visibilmente in difficoltà. L'inglese è scatenato ed in due tornate raggiunge e sopravanza Reid per un virtuale piazzamento a podio, grazie ad un'incredibile manovra all'esterno della Curva 10. Cominciano le prime soste ai box: Irlanda, India, Pakistan e Francia, tutti gli altri indugiano ancora per qualche tornata regalando, è il caso di Zaugg e Murchison, tanti sorpassi in rimonta.

A 19 giri dalla chequered flag (anche se la corsa è sul cronometro) rientrano Reid, Giebler, Zaugg e Congfu, un passaggio più tardi è il momento di Hulkenberg seguito da Jani ma... incredibile, il tedesco spegne per un istante il propulsore, fortuna che con il suo enorme vantaggio acquisito può davvero permettersi di tutto.

Momentaneamente in testa Kerr, succede veramente di tutto in pista con tanti improvvisati duelli, tra i quali si distinguono Zaugg e Devaney che rischiano in più occasioni di buttarsi amichevolmente fuori. Rientra a 17 tornate dal termine Toccacelo che esce azzardatamente con le slick, tanto che subito alla curva 2 arriva lunghissimo...

Sosta anche per la Gran Bretagna, "Hulky" riconquista la leadership e si invola verso la seconda vittoria stagionale, alle sue spalle proprio l'inglese per pochi decimi su Jani che poco prima ha commesso un plateale errore con una prolungata escursione sulla sabbia all'esterno della Curva 14. Lo svizzero è in crisi e lascia il terzo posto a Lapierre, che chiude così un podio che celebra in ordine inverso Francia, Gran Bretagna e Germania. Applausi per Niko Hulkenberg, leader di campionato, appuntamento l'8 dicembre a Sentul, Indonesia.

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baronrojo

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baronrojo

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baronrojo

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baronrojo

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baronrojo

A1-GP-Serie: Hülkenberg auf "Schumis" Spuren
26. November 2006 - 11:57 Uhr
Mit einer sensationellen Vorstellung auf regennasser Fahrbahn sicherte sich Nico Hülkenberg den Sieg beim A1-Grand-Prix-Rennen in Sepang
Nico Hülkenberg ließ die Konkurrenz weit hinter sich (F1Total.com/sid) - Im Stil von Formel-1-Rekordweltmeister Michael Schumacher feierte Niko Hülkenberg aus Emmerich beim achten Rennen der A1-Grand-Prix-Serie in Sepang (Malaysia) nach einer starken Leistung seinen zweiten Saisonsieg. Der 19 Jahre alte Schützling von "Schumis" Manager Willi Weber dominierte bei sintflutartigem Regen das Hauptrennen des so genannten Weltcups des Motorsports. Bei äußerst schwierigen Bedingungen mit zum Schluss abtrocknender Strecke hatte Hülkenberg nach 28 von ursprünglich geplanten 35 Runden sage und schreibe 42,849 Sekunden Vorsprung vor dem Briten Robbie Kerr.
ANZEIGE
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"So viel Regen habe ich noch bei keinem Rennen erlebt. In meiner Einführungsrunde hatte ich im zweiten Gang auf der Geraden schon bei 50 km/h starkes Aquaplaning und einige Fahrer standen bereits im Kiesbett. Ich habe mich über den großen Abstand zu meinen Gegnern gewundert und bin trotzdem zügig weitergefahren, um die Konzentration nicht zu verlieren", sagte Hülkenberg, der seinen Erfolg auf dem Siegertreppchen sichtlich genoss.
Bei seiner sensationellen Vorstellung war der frühere deutsche Kart-Meister pro Runde fast zwei Sekunden schneller als seine 21 Konkurrenten. Auch ein Missgeschick beim vorgeschriebenen Pflichtboxenstopp, bei dem er den Motor des 520-PS-Boliden abwürgte und dabei fast zehn Sekunden verlor, ließ sich Hülkenberg nicht aus der Ruhe bringen.
Im zuvor ausgetragenen Sprintrennen über zehn Runden auf trockener Bahn hatte der talentierte Youngster, der von Startplatz drei losgefahren war, 1,203 Sekunden hinter dem Schweizer Neel Jani Rang zwei belegt.
"Nico ist wie schon in Zandvoort im Regen ein wunderbares Rennen gefahren. Unter diesen Bedingungen einen so souveränen Sieg herauszufahren, zeigt seine Klasse - er ist einfach der Beste", freute sich Teamchef Willi Weber.
Hülkenberg hatte 2005 als Neuling auf Anhieb die Formel BMW gewonnen. Obwohl er nicht an allen Veranstaltungen teilgenommen hat, belegte er in der abgelaufenen Saison der Deutschen Formel-3-Meisterschaft den fünften Gesamtrang.
Im Winter 2006/2007 treten in der zweiten Saison der A1-Serie 22 Nationen an. Durch den zweiten Erfolg nach dem Auftaktsieg in Zandvoort hat das Team Deutschland von Willi Weber nach 4 von 12 Veranstaltungen wieder die Führung übernommen und liegt sechs Punkte (37:31) vor Großbritannien. Die nächsten beiden Läufe finden am 10. Dezember in Sentul (Indonesien) statt.

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rossoferrari

Te está quedando un post chulísimo, me encantan las fotos

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rossoferrari Socio "Schumacherrules" Nº94

baronrojo

gracias

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baronrojo

Hulkenberg cumple la promesa

Sepang - La estrella del A1 Team Alemania cumplió la promesa que hizo al principio del fin de semana con una dominante victoria en el Astro A1 Sepang, en la carrera principal en malasia. El talentoso alemán de 19 años terminó más de 42 segundos adelante de Robbie Kerr de Gran Bretaña y de Nicolas Lapierre del campeón Francia en una carrera que tuvo que ser acortada por la fuerte lluvia.

La lluvia comenzó a caer media hora antes del inicio de la carrera, obligando a largar detrás del auto de seguridad por la gran cantidad de agua que había sobre la pista. Hülkenberg demostró que es tan apto para manejar en esas condiciones como lo es sobre seco cuando ejecutó una valiente maniobra en la curva cuatro para rebasar a Neel Jani por la primera posición. Cuando vio que Jani salía lento de la curva tres, Hülkenberg se lanzó hacia el hombro de la pista para superar al suizo por la parte interna y arrebatar el primer lugar. A partir de ahí el protegido de Willi Weber se alejó del resto de sus rivales y al final de la primera vuelta había logrado una ventaja de tres segundos. Después de eso no hubo nadie a su altura, su único momento dramático fue en la vuelta 18 cuando el coche se le apagó durante una parada en los pits. Pero con una ventaja de 19 segundos, la posición de Hülkenberg nunca estuvo en riesgo y volvió a la pista todavía en el primer lugar.

Robbie Kerr demostró una confianza y control total sobre el coche para avanzar de quinto a segundo al caer la bandera. En el inicio Kerr alcanzó a Alex Yoong de Malasia y peleó con él buscando la forma de pasarlo. En la vuelta 10 el británico tomó una trayectoria larga en la curva 13, eso le dió la parte interna al entrar a la recta de los pits y utilizando toda la pista disponible, Kerr forzó a Yoong a cederle la cuerta posición. Con el malayo fuera de su camino, Kerr se fijó como objetivo el neozelandés Jonny Reid. Luchando rueda a rueda en la recta de los pits, Kerr nuevamente tomó la línea interna
llegando a la curva uno, pero Reid no iba a ceder tan fácilmente y conservó su postura, su línea y su posición. Sin inmutarse, Kerr atacó nuevamente en la siguiente vuelta y con buena tracción y agarre, hizo la maniobra que necesitaba para ponerse en el tercer lugar.

Kerr redujo la distancia con Jani y eventualmente tuvo su oportunidad en la vuelta 20 cuando el suizo se trompeó en la curva 14 y perdió tiempo mientras Kerr hacía una parada de rutina en los pits. Kerr salió de los pits unos cuantos segundos antes de que Jani pasara por la recta y así consiguió el segundo lugar.

El equipo francés avanzó posiciones consistentemente a medida que la pista se secaba, y superó a Alex Yoong en la vuelta 12. Hubo un pequeño contacto entre ellos cuando Lapierre tomó agresivamente la línea interna en una curva, pero no hubo daños y eventualmente el francés pudo superar al malayo. Rebasó a McIntosh de Canadá en la vuelta 22 y en la siguiente vuelta aprovechó un error de Jani en la curva dos para alcanzar el último escalón del podio.

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baronrojo

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baronrojo

Hülkenberg gano la A1GP en Malasia
A1GP 26/11/06 14:21

La estrella del A1 Team Alemania, Nico Hülkenberg, cumplió la promesa que hizo al principio del fin de semana con una dominante victoria en el Astro A1 Sepang, en la carrera principal en malasia. El talentoso alemán de 19 años terminó más de 42 segundos adelante de Robbie Kerr de Gran Bretaña y de Nicolas Lapierre del campeón Francia en una carrera que tuvo que ser acortada por la fuerte lluvia.
La lluvia comenzó a caer media hora antes del inicio de la carrera, obligando a largar detrás del auto de seguridad por la gran cantidad de agua que había sobre la pista. Hülkenberg demostró que es tan apto para manejar en esas condiciones como lo es sobre seco cuando ejecutó una valiente maniobra en la curva cuatro para rebasar a Neel Jani por la primera posición. Cuando vio que Jani salía lento de la curva tres, Hülkenberg se lanzó hacia el hombro de la pista para superar al suizo por la parte interna y arrebatar el primer lugar. A partir de ahí el protegido de Willi Weber se alejó del resto de sus rivales y al final de la primera vuelta había logrado una ventaja de tres segundos. Después de eso no hubo nadie a su altura, su único momento dramático fue en la vuelta 18 cuando el coche se le apagó durante una parada en los pits. Pero con una ventaja de 19 segundos, la posición de Hülkenberg nunca estuvo en riesgo y volvió a la pista todavía en el primer lugar.
Robbie Kerr demostró una confianza y control total sobre el coche para avanzar de quinto a segundo al caer la bandera. En el inicio Kerr alcanzó a Alex Yoong de Malasia y peleó con él buscando la forma de pasarlo. En la vuelta 10 el británico tomó una trayectoria larga en la curva 13, eso le dió la parte interna al entrar a la recta de los pits y utilizando toda la pista disponible, Kerr forzó a Yoong a cederle la cuerta posición. Con el malayo fuera de su camino, Kerr se fijó como objetivo el neozelandés Jonny Reid. Luchando rueda a rueda en la recta de los pits, Kerr nuevamente tomó la línea interna
llegando a la curva uno, pero Reid no iba a ceder tan fácilmente y conservó su postura, su línea y su posición. Sin inmutarse, Kerr atacó nuevamente en la siguiente vuelta y con buena tracción y agarre, hizo la maniobra que necesitaba para ponerse en el tercer lugar.
Kerr redujo la distancia con Jani y eventualmente tuvo su oportunidad en la vuelta 20 cuando el suizo se trompeó en la curva 14 y perdió tiempo mientras Kerr hacía una parada de rutina en los pits. Kerr salió de los pits unos cuantos segundos antes de que Jani pasara por la recta y así consiguió el segundo lugar.
El equipo francés avanzó posiciones consistentemente a medida que la pista se secaba, y superó a Alex Yoong en la vuelta 12. Hubo un pequeño contacto entre ellos cuando Lapierre tomó agresivamente la línea interna en una curva, pero no hubo daños y eventualmente el francés pudo superar al malayo. Rebasó a McIntosh de Canadá en la vuelta 22 y en la siguiente vuelta aprovechó un error de Jani en la curva dos para alcanzar el último escalón del podio.

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baronrojo

Adelantamiento a jeroen bleekemolen, y camino de su 1ª victoria en la A1 GP en Zandvoort.

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baronrojo

TRACK & RACE DETAILS
A1GP Sentul, Indonesia Practice : Friday, Dec. 08, 2006
Qualifying : Saturday, Dec. 09, 2006
Race : Sunday, Dec. 10, 2006
Race times Local : Sprint race: 11.00 Feature race: 15.00
Race times GMT : Sprint race: 04.00 Feature race: 08.00
Localinformation Time zone: GMT + 7
Airport: Soekarno Hatta International Airport
Currency: Rupiah
Average temperature: 79.9 °F (February)
Average precipitation: 12.6 inches (February)




Circuit factsLocation: Citerureup, Bogor, 42 Km from Jakarta and 60 minutes from Soekarno Hatta International Airport.
Track length: 4.12 km
No. turns: 11
No. laps: Sprint race: TBC
Feature Race: TBC
Direction: Clockwise
Lap record: 1:19.029, Ralph Firman, A1 Team Ireland, 2006




A1GP Sentul, IndonesiaIndonesia will host its second A1GP event in 2006, after the successful first A1GP Sentul, Indonesia, in February. The success of the last race may have come as a surprise to some, who see Indonesia’s lack of international sporting events as a disadvantage. This proved not to be the case, with some fantastic racing, packed grandstands and above all a great atmosphere at the circuit’s first A1GP event.

While drivers may have mixed feelings about the challenging and physically demanding circuit, spectators and viewers certainly won’t, as the track provided one of the most surprising and entertaining Feature races of the first season.

Located in the lush and tropical landscape of Bogor, and just 42 km from the vibrant city of Jakarta, the A1GP Sentul, Indonesia is a unique event in motorsport.




Circuit historySentul International Circuit is located in the region of Bogor, 42 km of Jakarta. Originally built as a circuit to host Formula One Grand Prix, the track was completed in 1994. Despite its facilities, the track has never hosted a Formula One event, and predominantly holds bike racing and Asian Formula 3 races.

The circuit is fast and wide, allowing for many different racing lines which provide overtaking manoeuvres. The heat and humidity mean that this is a tough and tiring circuit for the drivers, the 36 lap feature race is a particular challenge.

Last year’s races provided an exciting spectacle, with A1 Team France taking victory in the Sprint race after overtaking pole sitter Robbie Kerr on the first lap. The Feature race saw a surprise result, with Canada’s Sean McIntosh finishing on the top step of the podium, despite starting last on the grid, and suffering a driver through penalty.

The difficult conditions and wide circuit are bound to provide another exciting race for A1GP’s second visit.


Country informationIndonesia is the world’s largest Archipelago and is made up of 18,108 islands, of which 7,000 are inhabited. The most populated island is Java, with half of the population, followed by the islands of Sumatra. Borneo, New Guinea and Sulawesi.

Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country in the world and the fourth most populated country overall.

The Portuguese were the first European to show interest in Indonesia, and later in seventeenth century became the most powerful group in the region while the Dutch held power through the nineteenth century.

During the Second World War, with the Netherlands under German occupation, Japan succeeded in taking control of the colony. Following the defeat of Japan in 1945, the Netherlands attempted to regain control of their previous colony, with the backing of the British, but after intense international pressure, especially from the USA and internal war in Indonesia, the Netherlands was forced to recognise Indonesia as a Federation of Autonomous States.

The 1950s and 60s saw a period of unrest in the country, due to military confrontation with neighbouring Malaysia and domestic disturbances. Army General, Suharto attempted to take control of the situation when he became President in 1967, but his controversial leadership of the country came to an end when he was forced to step down amid massive popular demonstrations and a weak economy in 1998.

Indonesia had four presidents during the period 1998 – 2005. The first free and direct presidential election was held in 2004 and was the largest one-day election in the world.

Located on the edge of tectonic plates, Indonesia suffers from some of the heighest levels of seismic and volcanic activity in the world. One of the most significant events was a massive earthquake and tsunami on 26 December 2004 which completely devastated parts of northern Sumatra, particularly the area of Aceh. A further earthquake in March 2005, destroyed most of the buildings on Nias Island, in which 100s of people were killed. Despite these challenges, Indonesia has recovered, proving itself to be a vibrant and resilient country, which hosted one of the most colourful and memorable races of the first season.




Local A1 Team A1 Team Indonesia perfectly embodies the spirit of A1GP. A nation not typically associated with motorsport, the country has provided a talented young driver with a good racing background and an enthusiastic team of mechanics. Building on the notion that each team should be made up mostly of nationals, A1 Team Indonesia is using the experience of an established motorsport team to train national mechanics, who may not have experience in an international motor racing series. The final goal being that over time, more and more Indonesian nationals will join the team and the reliance on outside providers will diminish.

Ananda Mikola was undoubtedly the star of the show at the A1GP Sentul, Indonesia, with 46,000 spectators creating one of the most enthusiastic crowds of the first season. A1 Team Indonesia has demonstrated what a strong effect patriotic spirit and national pride can have.


( PROXIMA CITA: SENTUL INDONESIA, ESTOY DESEANDO VERLA)

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baronrojo

Lunes, 20 de Noviembre de 2006
Fórmula BMW DELL es la prefecta lanzadera para los pilotos profesionales

El ganador podrá hacer pruebas al mando de un bólido del BMW Sauber F1 Team. También quieren demostrar sus habilidades ante los atentos ojos de los expertos del deporte del motor. Estudiando el palmarés de muchos de sus antecesores, resulta evidente que las cuatro series internacionales de Fórmula BMW que se disputan en Alemania, Gran Bretaña, Norteamérica y Asia, ofrecen la preparación necesaria para continuar una exitosa carrera profesional como pilotos.



En la Final Mundial de la DELL Fórmula BMW, que se llevará a cabo entre el 24 y el 26 de noviembre de 2006 en Valencia, 37 talentosos jóvenes pilotos no solamente se enfrentarán para conseguir un premio muy especial: el ganador podrá hacer pruebas al mando de un bólido del BMW Sauber F1 Team. También quieren demostrar sus habilidades ante los atentos ojos de los expertos del deporte del motor. Estudiando el palmarés de muchos de sus antecesores, resulta evidente que las cuatro series internacionales de Fórmula BMW que se disputan en Alemania, Gran Bretaña, Norteamérica y Asia, ofrecen la preparación necesaria para continuar una exitosa carrera profesional como pilotos.
Los grandes ídolos de los jóvenes pilotos son, lógicamente, los pilotos que han logrado estar presentes en la Fórmula 1. Sebastian Vettel (DEU), por ejemplo, consiguió una holgada victoria en la Fórmula BMW Alemania en el año 2004 y ahora es piloto de pruebas y piloto sustituto del BMW Sauber F1 Team. También el ganador de seis Grandes Premios, Ralf Schumacher (DEU) empezó su carrera en coches de fórmula en la década de los noventa en la Fórmula BMW. El campeón de la Fórmula BMW Alemania del año 2002, Nico Rosberg (DEU), debutó en la Fórmula 1 en la temporada de 2006. Timo Glock (DEU), que obtuvo el título de la Fórmula BMW Alemania un año antes que Rosberg, empezará como piloto de pruebas del BMW Sauber F1 Team el 30 de noviembre.
Pero el concepto de la Fórmula BMW también está cosechando frutos en otras categorías del deporte de competición automovilística. Actualmente hay varios pilotos que provienen de la Fórmula BMW y que están entusiasmando en otras series, como, por ejemplo, la serie A1 Grand Prix. Adrian Zaugg (RSA), que compitió en la Fórmula BMW Alemania en 2004, no solamente consiguió la pole al empezar la temporada en Zandvoort, sino también logró ganar la primera carrera. En la segunda carrera se hizo de la victoria Nicolas Hülkenberg (DEU), campeón de la Fórmula BMW Alemania del año 2005. Además de Zaugg y Hülkenberg hay otros tres jóvenes pilotos que antes habían estado presentes en la Fórmula BMW y que ahora compiten en el campeonato A1 defendiendo los colores de sus patrias: James Hinchcliffe (CAN), Armaan Ebrahim (IND), Sébastien Buemi (SUI) y Michael Devaney (IRE).
En Norteamérica, la Fórmula BMW USA se está transformando cada vez más en la serie de preparación más apropiada para la participación en la ChampCar World Series. Andreas Wirth (DEU), que obtuvo el título de la primera edición de la Fórmula BMW USA en 2004, se estrenó en la competitiva ChampCar World Series a finales de octubre y ocupó el noveno puesto en su primer intento. Numerosos pilotos que empezaron a conducir coches de fórmula en la Fórmula BMW se propusieron acceder a niveles superiores con buenos resultados en la ChampCar Atlantic. Entre ellos Graham Rahal (USA) quien, como Hinchcliffe participó al mismo tiempo en el campeonato A1, Tim Bridgman (GBR), Richard Philippe (FRA), Alan Scuito (USA), James Davison (AUS) y Michael Patrizi (AUS).
También en Europa llamaron la atención en 2006 numerosos pilotos que antes habían estado presentes en la Fórmula BMW. Ho-Pin Tung (CHN), campeón de la Fórmula BMW Asia de 2003, logró coronarse campeón del campeonato de Fórmula 3 de Alemania. Jonathan Summerton (USA) ocupó el noveno lugar en la Fórmula 3 Euro Series, en la que también compitió Vettel ocupando el segundo lugar. Bruno Senna (BRA), sobrino del tres veces campeón mundial Ayrton Senna (BRA), pudo acumular primeras experiencias durante el año 2004 en la Fórmula BMW Reino Unido y en la temporada pasada participó con éxito en la Fórmula 3 británica. Varios pilotos que habían participado en la Fórmula BMW pudieron demostrar su pericia en diversas series de Fórmula Renault nacionales e internacionales, entre ellos Chris van der Drift (NZL), Eduardo Piscopo (ITA), Sam Bird (GBR), James Sutton (GBR) y Dean Smith (GBR).
Ello significa que en la Final Mundial DELL Fórmula BMW, la guinda de la temporada de Fórmula BMW de 2006, los espectadores no solamente podrán apreciar carreras disputadas entre muchos jóvenes y talentosos pilotos que están ávidos de recibir la oportunidad de efectuar una prueba al mando de un Fórmula 1. Es muy probable que también vean a pilotos que en el futuro estarán presentes en otras series de alto nivel, luchando por ganar carreras.

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