A1 Zandvoort - Race weekend thread

[cos]

Thought it was time for an appropriate thread as the first session kicks off in a couple of hours.

A1 timetable:
Friday:
13:00 - 13:25 Official Practice - A1 rookies [1st]
13:35 - 14:00 Official Practice - A1 rookies [1st]
16:00 - 17:00 Official Practice [2nd]

Saturday:
11:00 - 12:00 Official Practice [3rd]
14:15 - 14:30 Qualifying Segment 1
14:35 - 14:50 Qualifying Segment 2
14:55 - 15:10 Qualifying Segment 3
15:15 - 15:30 Qualifying Segment 4

Sunday
11:00 - 11:40 A1 Sprint Race [max. 20 min]
15:00 - 16:30 A1 Feature Race [max. 70 min]

Looks like we have 23 teams (Turkey appear to have dropped out). Sprint race is a rolling start whereas the Feature is a standing start.

Qualifying for the sprint race is same as last year - must set a time in each session; aggregate two best times determine the grid.

Qualifying for the feature race is new and hopefully exciting, based on sprint race start position, finishing position and fastest lap time: take your sprint qualifying position (e.g. 4th), sprint finishing position (e.g. 12th) and your ranking on the fastest race lap board (e.g. 7th) and add them together (23 in this case). Driver with the lowest total starts on pole.

Sprint points are 6-5-4-3-2-1, Feature 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1.

[Valker]

Official A1GP live timing isn't working, but the one from Zandvoort page is. 1st rookie test

Who is Takis Kaitaziz? Google gives 0 results!

[Mystery]

Originally Posted by cos

Looks like we have 23 teams (Turkey appear to have dropped out).

Do you have a source for that? I see their flag has been removed from the A1Gp web site, but no other confirmation anywhere.

[cos]

Thanks for the timing link - there's a spelling error for the Greek driver's name, it should be Takis Kaitatzis.

As for Turkey, no 'source' as such; I just noticed that the flag had been removed from A1GP.com, and this press release says 23 national teams are competing.

[Kiwi3]

Armaan Ebrahim drove for India in this session, not really a rookie since he competed in a few rounds last season...

Results:

1 FRA Team France - Loic Duval 1:30.327 9 171,696 1:34.834 10
2 NED Team Netherlands - Jeroen Bleekemolen 1:30.946 5 +0.619 170,527 1:31.863 10
3 GBR Team Great Britain - Oliver Jarvis 1:31.326 7 +0.999 169,818 1:31.326 7
4 CAN Team Canada - James Hinchcliffe 1:31.473 9 +1.146 169,545 1:41.347 12
5 BRA Team Brazil - Rubens Carrapatoso 1:31.905 7 +1.578 168,748 1:32.773 10
6 USA Team USA - Jonathan Summerton 1:31.952 8 +1.625 168,661 1:33.049 10
7 GER Team Germany - Nico H黮kenberg 1:32.871 4 +2.544 166,992 1:32.975 10
8 MEX Team Mexico - Sergio Perez 1:33.232 9 +2.905 166,346 1:33.819 12
9 LEB Team Lebanon - Alex Khateeb 1:33.420 5 +3.093 166,011 1:48.409 7
10 AUS Team Australia - Karl Reindler 1:33.483 8 +3.156 165,899 1:37.500 11
11 RSA Team South Africa - Adrian Zaugg 1:33.682 8 +3.355 165,547 1:33.682 8
12 CHN Team China - Congfu Cheng 1:33.697 6 +3.370 165,520 7:08.474 9
13 CZE Team Czech Republic - Jan Charouz 1:33.828 4 +3.501 165,289 8:52.792 8
14 IRL Team Ireland - John O'Hara 1:34.027 4 +3.700 164,939 1:36.434 12
15 ITA Team Italy - Michele Rugolo 1:34.192 4 +3.865 164,650 1:58.399 8
16 GRE Team Greece - Takis Kaitaziz 1:36.338 8 +6.011 160,983 1:36.338 8
17 SIN Team Singapore - Denis Lian 1:38.164 6 +7.837 157,988 6:14.000 9
18 INA Team Indonesia - Moreno Soeprapto 1:38.924 5 +8.597 156,774 1:56.221 6
19 IND Team India - Armaan Ebrahim 1:45.967 4 +15.640 146,354 7:41.834 6
20 SUI Team Switzerland - Sebastien Buemi

[strider]

How come Jeroen Bleekemolen can be both a Rookie in this session and the main driver for Team Netherlands this weekend?

Or has Jos Verstappen come to his senses?

[Go_For_Pole]

Originally Posted by cos

there's a spelling error for the Greek driver's name, it should be Takis Kaitatzis.

Spot on! Takis is ex Greek F3 champion and pretty much has won everything in both Karting and circuit racing in Greece. Nikos Zahos was one of his big rivals, lots of championships for him as well. Both have been rallying in the past few years so they are very rusty but trust me, they are talented enough.

[Kiwi3]

Second part of the rookie session:

1 FRA Team France - Loic Duval 1:30.968 7 170,486 1:32.436 8
2 NED Team Netherlands - Jeroen Bleekemolen 1:31.155 4 +0.187 170,136 1:31.695 8
3 SUI Team Switzerland - Sebastien Buemi 1:31.284 3 +0.316 169,896 1:38.515 9
4 GBR Team Great Britain - Oliver Jarvis 1:31.308 9 +0.340 169,851 1:31.308 9
5 RSA Team South Africa - Adrian Zaugg 1:31.656 8 +0.688 169,206 1:31.656 8
6 CAN Team Canada - James Hinchcliffe 1:31.714 3 +0.746 169,099 8:26.273 8
7 USA Team USA - Jonathan Summerton 1:31.875 8 +0.907 168,803 1:31.875 8
8 GER Team Germany - Nico Hulkenberg 1:32.621 3 +1.653 167,443 1:38.494 8
9 BRA Team Brazil - Rubens Carrapatoso 1:33.029 3 +2.061 166,709 1:59.358 4
10 CZE Team Czech Republic - Jan Charouz 1:33.050 8 +2.082 166,671 1:33.050 8
11 MEX Team Mexico - Sergio Perez 1:33.052 8 +2.084 166,668 1:33.052 8
12 AUS Team Australia - Karl Reindler 1:33.744 5 +2.776 165,437 1:35.307 10
13 LEB Team Lebanon - Alex Khateeb 1:33.987 5 +3.019 165,010 1:35.956 6
14 CHN Team China - Congfu Cheng 1:34.107 3 +3.139 164,799 1:34.566 8
15 IND Team India - Armaan Ebrahim 1:34.254 6 +3.286 164,542 1:35.183 7
16 ITA Team Italy - Michele Rugolo 1:34.907 6 +3.939 163,410 1:36.396 10
17 IRL Team Ireland - John O'Hara 1:34.953 8 +3.985 163,331 1:34.953 8
18 GRE Team Greece - Takis Kaitaziz 1:35.050 3 +4.082 163,164 1:37.103 10
19 INA Team Indonesia - Moreno Soeprapto 1:36.794 8 +5.826 160,224 1:36.794 8
20 SIN Team Singapore - Denis Lian 1:37.400 3 +6.432 159,227 1:39.860 8

[cos]

Drivers registered for this weekend:
http://www.a1gp.com/news/index.php?f...d=1&newsid=375

[Kiwi3]

No Adam Khan for Pakistan?

No Tomas Enge for the Czech Republic either however according to his web site he has other commitments this weekend.

[strider]

Thanks for that, cos.

The footnote answers the question I raised earlier about Jeroen Bleekemolen. The same applies to several other drivers.

[strider]

Originally Posted by Kiwi3

No Adam Khan for Pakistan?

I believe there are some shenanigans going on with that team. It was being run by Performance Racing at Silverstone and for a while they weren't allowed to run on the second morning.

Originally Posted by Kiwi3

No Tomas Enge for the Czech Republic either however according to his web site he has other commitments this weekend.

No Jaroslav Janis either. I think he's doing the FIA race in Budapest and Enge will racing an Aston Martin in Petit Le Mans in Atlanta.

It's what happens when A1GP overlaps with the end of the normal racing season. Other guys are missing because they are at Le Mans for WSR. The same thing will happen at the end of A1GP, because it cuts deep into the start of the regular 2007 season.

Further evidence, IMO, of bad planning by the A1GP top brass. There are some really good people at the intermediate level of the organisation, but I doubt if their views are listened to.

Edit: Forgot to mention. The new procedure for forming the grid for the main race is ridiculous!

[cos]

Originally Posted by strider

It's what happens when A1GP overlaps with the end of the normal racing season. Other guys are missing because they are at Le Mans for WSR. The same thing will happen at the end of A1GP, because it cuts deep into the start of the regular 2007 season.

Tomas Kostka is listed for Czech Republic; doesn't he drive WSR at the moment?

Edit: Forgot to mention. The new procedure for forming the grid for the main race is ridiculous!

It's...different... I wouldn't go as far as saying it's ridiculous though. It looks like a pretty good way of determining a driver's overall performance running up to the feature race, but we'll have to see what kind of grid it gives us come Sunday.

[Kiwi3]

I could almost change my username to A1 cheerleader, however I must agree with Strider on this one. Too complicated and I think Mr. Average Joe Punter will agree.

[strider]

Originally Posted by cos

Tomas Kostka is listed for Czech Republic; doesn't he drive WSR at the moment?

Not sure to be honest. He hasn't registered on my radar. It's a bit like musical chairs in that series. Maybe he has decided that A1GP is a better bet for him. I was thinking of drivers like Robbie Kerr (although I think Darren Manning will do a better job) and Sean McIntosh.

Originally Posted by cos

It's...different... I wouldn't go as far as saying it's ridiculous though. It looks like a pretty good way of determining a driver's overall performance running up to the feature race, but we'll have to see what kind of grid it gives us come Sunday.

Okay, explain it to me in two sentences that an average spectator can understand!

[Mystery]

It is complicated but I quite like it. The problem is actually with the coverage that we might get of the race weekend. On Saturday we'll be watching qualifying but Joe Punter might tune in to watch the race live on Sunday only to find its a different grid because of the Sprint Race that isn't being shown live. Poor planning of the calendar in my view because they surely wanted TV companies to take both races live.

[cos]

Originally Posted by Kiwi3

Too complicated and I think Mr. Average Joe Punter will agree.

Yes, some of the team bosses are worried that the system might confuse the fans. Still, I think it's an interesting way of deciding the grid; and would benefit drivers who, say, qualify at the head of the field, get involved in a first corner accident but then run in clear air half a lap down and set fastest lap.

On Saturday we'll be watching qualifying but Joe Punter might tune in to watch the race live on Sunday only to find its a different grid because of the Sprint Race that isn't being shown live. Poor planning of the calendar in my view because they surely wanted TV companies to take both races live.

I think Sky are showing the sprint race on delay just before the feature? I agree it's a bit of a curious way to structure the race weekend; as they're shortening the sprint and lengthening the feature why not just make the main event a 90min proper race and do away with the sprint altogether?

[Fiorentina 1]

If Singapore run Murcho, they have a chance to do well. i'm also surprised that Pakistan are not running Khan. He was quick towards the end of last year.

[nev]

If Manning doesn't win both races this weekend (in reverse) he should be sent to redo his driving test !! i thought this was supposed to be competitive, i supose it will be just like his last race in A1 where all of the real drivers had gone off to play with thier new cars.

[Kiwi3]

Nev,

I don't understand your post? Why should Manning win both races?

[Red Bulldog]

Manning looks good setting the 2nd fastest time on his 2nd lap.

But Hinchcliffe looks like the man to beat - nice one James!

[cos]

Hm, I can't seem to find the right link for the live timing - all I get is a page with just Shaaban's times?!

Is Hinchcliffe the guy who co-commentates ChampCar on Eurosport?

[nev]

Originally Posted by Kiwi3

Nev,

I don't understand your post? Why should Manning win both races?

cos there is no competition

[strider]

Originally Posted by cos

Is Hinchcliffe the guy who co-commentates ChampCar on Eurosport?

I believe so. I'm quite impressed by him.

[Red Bulldog]

Originally Posted by cos

Hm, I can't seem to find the right link for the live timing - all I get is a page with just Shaaban's times?!

Is Hinchcliffe the guy who co-commentates ChampCar on Eurosport?

I don't think you get the live timing in Europe.

Hinchcliffe drove in the Atlantic Series last year which is a feeder for ChampCar - he is only 19 but may well be the co-commentator