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Old 17 Dec 2007, 19:14 (Ref:2090731)   #1
Knowlesy
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The A1 GP love thread. Feel the love. Etc...

Just a quick thread of positivity regarding A1 GP here. Bear with me a moment.

Just got to say how impressed I am with how this series is maturing and growing. The racing is consistently fantastic, it is a magnificent spectacle race weekend after race weekend. Really, it is all motor racing should be about. Like a timewarp to a distant past. F1 of the seventies brought to the modern age.

I worried when the series was first starting out that it would quickly die a death. Yes, it seemed well put together and everything, but would other factions seek to wipe it off the map? Did it really have the infrastructure? Would it receive the support from teams and would the drivers be of a high calibre?

It seems we've got everything really and, well into the third season, it looks like the series is poised to continue going from strength to strength. The news of the Ferrari tie-up is a further boost to the series, adding that extra bit of prestige and marketability.

Here's hoping they don't lose sight of the objective, to entertain. The series has been slightly tweaked year on year, without sweeping change, and the formula is a few tweaks away from nigh on perfection. As long as the Ferrari equipment keeps the racing at the same level, no sweeping changes should be made. Please, just keep it largely the same!

Whatever, I now see no problems fending off the GP2 winter series (indeed, I think it is even better than the main GP2 category right now) and look forward to many, many winters of racing of the highest order, cars that look and sound the real deal on track and, hopefully, a rise in public popularity and awareness.

What a tonic this is to the slightly samey racing and stale politics of many other more mainstream series. It is further proof you don't need big names necessarily to be a success. If the series is good enough, it will make the big names itself.

NOTE - this is not a hysterical reaction to Narain pulling off the win yesterday.

Last edited by Knowlesy; 17 Dec 2007 at 19:16.
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Old 17 Dec 2007, 19:47 (Ref:2090748)   #2
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NAC should be qualifying in the top 10 on the gridNAC should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Ohhhhh

I came in here thinking it was some rookie poster and we were about to get the thread closed. Thought I would find some love trust and pixidust picture with a A1 car in it. You can imagine my shock to find it was posted by Knowlesy.

So I take it you like the series then Love your title.

Well done to the bearer of positivity.

PS was there a question?
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Old 18 Dec 2007, 10:39 (Ref:2091153)   #3
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I came in here thinking it was some rookie poster and we were about to get the thread closed. Thought I would find some love trust and pixidust picture with a A1 car in it. You can imagine my shock to find it was posted by Knowlesy.
I saw the name of the thread starter, but that probably made me more surprised than you that it didn't involve images of an A1GP car in incriminating positions

It's true though, A1GP's first season had some very shaky ground. I suppose it was only to be expected considering the brand new concept - but it didn't bode well.
Now though, it really is going from strength to strength as Knowlesy says. The immediate future of the series is secured, and the racing is amongst the best out there.

I think the biggest problem still is publicity. It's growing, now that media outlets are aware it's not just a flash-in-the-pan series. But I think it's fair to say that most casual observers of F1 aren't aware that there's something to follow in the off season.

There's always threads around comparing F1 to A1. A1 won't ever be in competition with F1. But it's moving in the right direction to complement it. Let's hope the momentum isn't lost.
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Old 18 Dec 2007, 13:30 (Ref:2091270)   #4
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Originally Posted by Knowlesy
What a tonic this is to the slightly samey racing and stale politics of many other more mainstream series. It is further proof you don't need big names necessarily to be a success. If the series is good enough, it will make the big names itself.
I agree with your entire post, Knowlesy, but I picked up on the driver point, because I think it's very interesting. Some people mock A1GP for having failed F1 drivers like Narain Karthikeyan and Alex Yoong. Well, yes, maybe they are, but at least we've heard of them and there are also established GP2 drivers like Adam Carroll and Adrian Zaugg, as well as up-and-coming drivers from WSR, F3 and elsewhere like Olly Jarvis (when did he stop being Oli?), Sebastien Buemi (sometimes) plus established names such as Neil Jani, Jonny Reid and Jeroen Bleekemolem. If some relative unknown can come along and rattle their cages, then you know he's going to be worth watching in the future.

Above all, though, A1GP is about entertainment and in that area it's streets ahead of many mainstream championships.
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Old 19 Dec 2007, 07:22 (Ref:2091758)   #5
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One of the attractions for me has always been the mix of different levels of driver experience. And just because Alex Yoong and Narain Kartikeyan didn't succeed in F1 doesn't mean they are not very good drivers (besides they are still the best their countries have produced).

The one thing I'd still like to see changed is making it more of a team thing, like different drivers used for the Sprint and Feature, but I think I am a minority in this point of view. Having Premat and Lapierre sharing wins in season 1 should that France has depth of talent and deserved the title for that country, didn't enjoy Hulkenberg basically winning it alone when it supposed to be country vs country.

Nevertheless, I have loved it from the very beginning and still do now. Previously I just hoped all the rumours of instability were false, now it is possible to relax and enjoy the growth that the series is experiencing.

As long as the Ferrari designed cars also produce as good racing, then season 4 should be eye-popping entertainment with even stronger teams and drivers, in some sold out established venues plus some exciting new ones perhaps.
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Old 20 Dec 2007, 01:48 (Ref:2092408)   #6
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oneof the things I like about them is actually seeing them up close and personal... ar'nt the going to a bigger engine this next season?? something more close to the F1 theme??...
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Old 24 Dec 2007, 00:50 (Ref:2094267)   #7
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Entertained=yes!
However I think the cars look crap with the silly nose AKA Williams and the standard of drivers is poor.
On a positive note the Ferrari tie-up is great as long as they can get a decent calibre of drivers in the series.
I prefer to watch a A1gp than F1 as I tend not to fall asleep during A1, Max are you listening...................
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Old 24 Dec 2007, 04:36 (Ref:2094317)   #8
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I don't see how you could improve the standard of drivers much more. You've got former F1 drivers, GP2 drivers, and then for countries that don't have anyone else you get the likes of Adam Khan and Cheng Congfu. The latter just got a podium so he's not crap either.
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Old 24 Dec 2007, 05:52 (Ref:2094333)   #9
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From what I watched last season I liked it. I like the concept and I like the racing.
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Old 24 Dec 2007, 16:26 (Ref:2094513)   #10
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Originally Posted by Knowlesy
The racing is consistently fantastic, it is a magnificent spectacle race weekend after race weekend. Really, it is all motor racing should be about. Like a timewarp to a distant past. F1 of the seventies brought to the modern age.
Agree wholeheartedly!! basic principle give cars more power than grip, limit aero devices, It is not rocket science!

I too hope that they do not change what they have built up by going over from Lola to Ferrari.

A1GP stands on the quality of it's racing and I believe that car design is crucial to that.
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Old 29 Dec 2007, 13:05 (Ref:2096173)   #11
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cos should be qualifying in the top 10 on the grid
Autosport had a piece this week saying the as many as 33 countries are interested in the 26 grid spots for next season... South Korea, Venezuela and Finland were all mentioned as possible new entries.
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Old 30 Dec 2007, 03:23 (Ref:2096418)   #12
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Not long ago they were financially supporting some franchises, now they can effectively auction them off! Another sign of the strong growth and long term potential of the series. It will be interesting to see if some of the less well organised franchises disappear or some seat holders will change before season 4.

cos - I presume that's the hard copy version of Autosport? Didn't see anything on their website.
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Old 30 Dec 2007, 15:51 (Ref:2096591)   #13
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Yup, hard copy. The impression given is that they'd be looking at the potential franchises business models and sponsorship when making decisions about who to have on the grid for season 4. The last thing needed is another Team Singapore...
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Old 30 Dec 2007, 18:56 (Ref:2096669)   #14
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f1manoz should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridf1manoz should be qualifying in the top 5 on the gridf1manoz should be qualifying in the top 5 on the grid
If I had Sky, I'd watch the A1 series.

But I don't, so I can't....
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Old 30 Dec 2007, 19:24 (Ref:2096683)   #15
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If I had Sky, I'd watch the A1 series.

But I don't, so I can't....

Watch on the A1GP stream mate. It's great quality and it's free!
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Old 30 Dec 2007, 20:39 (Ref:2096739)   #16
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Watch on the A1GP stream mate. It's great quality and it's free!
It's also blacked out if you're in the UK!
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Old 31 Dec 2007, 05:38 (Ref:2096927)   #17
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It's also blacked out if you're in the UK!

Oh, didn't know it doesn't work in the UK...
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Old 31 Dec 2007, 05:38 (Ref:2096928)   #18
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Yup, hard copy. The impression given is that they'd be looking at the potential franchises business models and sponsorship when making decisions about who to have on the grid for season 4. The last thing needed is another Team Singapore...
...or Team Russia, or Team Greece, or Team Austria (at least the latter completed the season). Good that they will be taking a pragmatic approach.
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Old 4 Jan 2008, 05:01 (Ref:2099036)   #19
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It's also blacked out if you're in the UK!
Isn't it being shown later in the week at some obscure time of the day as a highlights show on Channel 5 this season like it was last season? I got Sky sports specifically for A1 so haven't looked elsewhere for it but I heard that the channel 5 coverage was better than nothing.

I love A1, I went to the first race at Brands and the Season 2 final (Also at Brands) and will be back at Brands for this years race, I've never missed a race on the box and will continue to support A1 as long as it stays this good.
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