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Originally Posted by Flatintop
A few facts about A1 Team Australia
The A1 Team AUS crew of ten personnel are totally seperate from ADR's F3 team. A1 Team AUS works independently because it's season overlaps most other categories.
Over the off season, A1 Team Australia went on a recruitment drive. This included acquiring the services of highly respected engineer Rob Arnott who's previous credits include Formula Nippon (2004 Champion), Formula 3000 (2 time champion with DAMS), Team Kool Green (US Champcar) and nine years in F1 as an engineer). Rob also turned the fortunes of A1 Team China around in Season 2 of A1GP, engineering the relatively unknown Chinese drivers into the spot light (remember Ho Pin Tungs podium at Eastern Creek!). New mechanics have also been brought into the team including two from top GP2 team Piquet Sport (2nd in the 2006 GP2 Championship with Nelso Piquet Jnr).
When Australian drivers of an international level have represented the team (Will Power and Ryan Briscoe), the team have achieved results.
Will Power, on his one and only apearance for A1 Team Australia, qualified fourth on the grid at the inaugural A1GP race at Brands Hatch. He went on to finish the feature race in 2nd place. The following week Will was offered a paid drive in Champ Car.
Ryan Briscoe started five rounds for A1 Team Australia. Ryan came away with 2 podiums out of five rounds (Shanghai & Zandvoort). Other highlights included 5th on the grid at Laguna Seca (on debut), and 5th on the grid at Sentul. Heavy rain affect both results at Laguna and Sentul. Following Indonesia, Ryan was offered a paid deal to for Penske in the US.
A1 Team Australia are in partnership with A1 Team Netherlands this season. This includes sharing of data and working on set-ups together. Both teams are known to of used almost identical set-ups this season. A1 Team Netherlands qualified on pole in Brno with an identical car!
A1 Team Australia have also set the fastest pit stop time in the feature race for the second consecutive event.
I don't think the finger can be pointed at the team this year!
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YEP ... precisely. Any time a REAL top class driver has been in the car it has (amazingly) performed. In A1GP unlike F1, there is a much bigger variation in driver ability than car speed.
Dyk is out of his league - no doubt about this - and should be sacked immediately otherwise the season is worthless. I'm also not convinced that John Martin is the answer because he has been off the pace of competitive guys (0.3 sec is an eternity).
Unfortunately, I don't have the answers about who to put in but it's time to have a "shootout" between all the likely young guns. For what its worth, I think these cars wouls suit Leanne Tander so I'd like to see her have a drive. I also think her aggression suits the category.