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Rule Changes

A number of rules were changed for the 2008-09 season.

* The four qualifying sessions were reduced in length from fifteen minutes to ten minutes each.
* The Sprint Race has been increased from 19 minutes plus one lap, to 24 minutes plus one lap, as well as a mandatory pit-stop being added between laps four and eight.
* The Sprint Race now only scores the top eight positions: 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
* Only the best 9 race weekends will count towards the championship. Both the Sprint and Feature race points from one event will be dropped by teams that race all 10 events. This is to ensure that teams that will miss Zandvoort due to the lack of cars, will still have a fair chance at the title.

An update to the sporting regulations means that technical details of the fastest lap in any session (practice or qualifying) will be made available to all teams after the session ends. This is to allow slower or weaker teams to learn how they can improve their own lap times, making the "field spread" that much smaller.

Several detailed changes to the Friday "rookie sessions" were released on September 1, 2008:

* The age limit for rookie drivers (driver had to be younger than 25), has been abolished.
* Drivers who have competed in Formula 1, GP2, Champ Car, IRL or Formula Nippon cannot participate in the rookie session.
* Total track time is increased from 50 minutes to an hour.
* The gap between the two half sessions is increased from 10 to 20 minutes.

On October 11, 2007, A1GP and Ferrari announced a six year collaboration on the new generation of A1GP cars. The new "Powered by Ferrari" car is a modification of the Formula 1 Ferrari F2004 chassis with a V8 Ferrari engine producing 600 bhp. The car was officially revealed in Southern England, and driven for the first time by John Watson in an inaugural event in May 2007. Michelin will supply the tyres for the new car.

The car was developed and tested over more than 5.600 kilometres at Mugello Circuit, Fiorano Circuit, Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Circuito Guadix, Silverstone Circuit, Donington Park, Circuit Paul Ricard and Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours. Andrea Bertolini was the main test driver, but testing was carried out by Marc Gene, Patrick Friesacher, Jonny Kane and Danny Watts during the sessions at Silverstone Circuit.

HUGE image: [spoiler]

[url]ROUNDS 1 and 2: Sunday, October 5th, 2008 viewtopic.php?f=3&t=647[/url]

Zandvoort, Netherlands



Location: Zandvoort, The Netherlands

Track length: 4.63km (2.88 miles)

Number of turns: 12

Direction: Clockwise

Lap record: 1m 28.353 seconds, set by A1 Team South Africa (Adrian Zaugg) September 2007
Address: Circuit Park Zandvoort, Burgemeester van Alphenstraat 108, 2041 KP

Circuit Park Zandvoort will again be one of the most popular rounds on the 2008/09 A1GP season, the third time it has played host to a race in the World Cup of Motorsport.

Circuit Park Zandvoort has the reputation of being a ‘drivers’ track, with the Tarzan corner at the end of the main straight being one of the most challenging. It is particularly good for overtaking, because the camber of the corner means it is possible to pass around the outside as well as the easier inside lane. Last season’s Feature race winner Oliver Jarvis proved this was the case, going the long way around Germany’s Christian Vietoris.

Situated less than 30km from Amsterdam and close to the North Sea Coastline, Zandvoort is also a popular tourist destination. More than 4.5 million visitors a year take advantage of the 9km stretch of beach, with 35 pubs and 55 restaurants, making Zandvoort a great holiday destination as well as a great opportunity to see the new A1GP cars in action.

Zandvoort’s first race in 2006 has already gone down in A1GP folklore.

Tens of thousands of fans packed the dunes and watched Jeroen Bleekemolen pull off a storming drive in changeable weather conditions to take the lead in the Feature.

He eventually finished fourth, but he had left an impression on the Dutch crowd.

Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg won the race, his first win in what proved to be Germany’s record-breaking championship season.

South Africa’s Adrain Zaugg won the Sprint, the only time a rookie has won his maiden race.
In 2007, Zaugg proved his pace again repeating his Sprint race win, with Great Britain’s Oliver Jarvis making a superb pit strategy work for him to vault ahead of Zaugg and go on to dominate the Feature race.

Bleekemolen was able to go one better in the Netherlands car than he did the previous season, delighting the crowds with third place in the Sprint and a bronze medal. He even did donuts in front of the crowd for good measure.

ROUNDS 3 and 4: Chengdu, China





Location: Chengdu Internartional Circuit, 16km southwest of the center of Chengdu City, South west China

Track length: 3.367km / 2.019 miles

No. turns: 13

Direction: Clockwise

Lap record: to be established


Chengdu city is the capital of the Sichuan province in the south west of the country, while the track, which lies 16 kilometres south west of the city centre, is 3.367 kilometres (2.019 miles) long and features 14 turns.

The ‘City of Abundance’ as Chengdu is also known, is the fifth most populated city in the country with over a 100 million people living in Sichuan Province.

Its other claim to fame is being the most important economic, transportation and communication hub in China. The city is 1,518 kilometres (943 miles) from Beijing and 1,651 kilometres (1,026 miles) from Shanghai.

ROUNDS 5 & 6: Sepang, Malaysia


Location: Selangor, 60km (37 miles) south of Kuala Lumpur

Track length: 5.54 km / 3.44 miles

No. turns: 15

Direction: Clockwise

Lap record: 1m 49.221s, set by A1 Team Switzerland (Neel Jani), November 2007

The beauty of the Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia is not its length nor its corners – it’s its width. Sepang is the widest circuit on the A1GP calendar. With all that room to overtake – passing and excitement is pretty much guaranteed.

The case in point was in 2005, when the Sprint race was arguably the most exciting end to a race in A1GP history. A1 Team France’s Alexandre Premat just beat Switzerland’s Neel Jani circuit after a fierce late race duel, with Premat grabbing the position on the final lap.

Built in a natural stadium, all spectators can see at least 50 per cent of the circuit regardless of where they sit, making the A1GP race in Malaysia one of the best races to witness the new breed of A1GP cars first hand.

Sepang has provided some classic races in the past.

While the 2005 Sprint race provided a thrilling final lap, the 2006 event was noted for a dramatic thunderstorm before the feature race. Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg mastered the conditions to win by a massive 42 seconds.

The 2007 Feature race was a barnstormer, with accidents, incidents and frequent overtaking moves continually keeping the watching crowd and TV viewers entertained.

One driver who has been dominant at the track is Switzerland’s Neel Jani, who has qualified on pole position in all three meetings so far. He dominated the event in 2007, with two wins, two pole positions and two fastest laps. He also won the Sprint race in 2006. With Jani expected to return for Switzerland in the new Powered by Ferrari car, everyone knows who they have to beat this season.

ROUNDS 7 and 8: Taupo, New Zealand



Location: Lake Taupo, North Island

Track length: 3.32 km (2.06 miles)

No. turns: 14

Direction: Anti-Clockwise

Lap record: 1m 14.679s recorded by A1 Team Switzerland (Neel Jani), in January 2007.

The new Taupo Motorsport Park racetrack complex, built by MIT Development Ltd, took over the original site used for the existing Taupo Car Club. The old 1.4km circuit underwent an upgrading and lengthening, to create the new international layout in 2006.

The complex now also includes a motorsport business park and driver and training centre. The track includes three alternative track configurations, with two separate pit areas and start/finish lanes, to allow simultaneous use of two tracks.

The international circuit, used for A1GP, features an 830-metre straight, which also doubles as a drag strip. The circuit was altered slightly for 2008, with a tighter chicane introduced at the end of the back straight. This was instrumental in providing more overtaking opportunities at last season’s events.

If ever there was a patriotic set of fans, it’s those from New Zealand. Thousands have come out in force to support Black Beauty and Jonny Reid in the last two seasons in one of the most beautiful settings for an A1GP race.

Reid scored a brace of third places in the inaugural A1GP Taupo in 2007, but delighted the crowd with victory in the Sprint race a year later. Christian Vietoris became the youngest ever winner in A1GP when he took the following Feature race for Germany.

In the previous season, Germany took a double victory, which started what was an incredible six-race winning streak for Nico Hulkenberg and the team. Loic Duval made an impressive debut for France, recording a couple of second-place finishes.

Rounds 9 and 10: Jakarta, Indonesia






Lippo Village, near Jakarta will host the series’ only street race of the season, A1GP Jakarta, Indonesia, on 6 – 8 February 2009.

This will be the first time Indonesia has seen a street race of this scale. It will be held in the downtown area of Lippo Village, which was formerly known as Lippo Karawaci.
Lippo Village will be modifying parts of the town near the famous Pelita Harapan University (UPH). The track is being designed by Tilke Gmbh, the company responsible for other circuits where A1GP has raced, such as Shanghai and Sepang.

Lippo Village is the flagship city for planned communities created by property developer Lippo Group. Founded in 1993 thirty-kilometres to the west of Jakarta, Lippo Village has become an established lifestyle township with a population of 50,000.

Its integrated education, health and business facilities make it a truly self-sustainable, environmental-friendly city.



This will be the first time Indonesia has seen a street race of this scale. It will be held in the downtown area of Lippo Village, which was formerly known as Lippo Karawaci.

“This is a very exciting occasion not just for Lippo Village, but also Indonesia as a whole,” said Gordon Benton, senior executive from PT. Lippo Karawaci Tbk.

“Lippo wanted to bring a top international event to Indonesia like A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, and we are working very closely with the Ikatan Motor Indonesia (IMI), the Ministry of Youth & Sport and rights holder Carbon Worldwide to make this event the pinnacle stop on the A1GP calendar for years to come.”

David Clare, CEO Asia Pacific, A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, is delighted that the series is returning to Indonesia.

“Season Four will mark our third visit to the country which always draws a strong and passionate fan base in support of A1 Team Indonesia,” he said. “This race will be of great interest to the world’s motorsport fraternity, as Indonesia will be part of a select group of nations capable of hosting a street circuit. Lippo Village will now join venues like Surfers Paradise, Monaco, Melbourne, Long Beach and also Singapore.”

Rounds 11 and 12: Kyalami, South Africa



Location: Kyalami, approximately 20km north of central Johannesburg, South Africa

Track length: 4.26km (2.65 miles)

No. turns: 11

Direction: Anti-Clockwise

Lap record: To be established

A1GP will be making its first visit to Gauteng, having raced three times around the streets of Durban on the Indian Ocean coast.

As a permanent racing facility, Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit is approaching its 50th anniversary. Since its opening in 1961 the circuit played host to numerous Grand Prix, Moto GP and World Superbike endurance events.

The current 4.26-km layout of the track was built in 1991, with only one minor addition since, the building of a chicane at the penultimate corner.

In a recent international survey Kyalami was voted one of the top ten 'names' associated with South Africa.

Rounds 13 and 14: Ciudad de México, México



Location: Mexico City

Track length: 4.08km (2.54 miles)

No. turns: 14

Direction: Clockwise

Lap Record: 1m 21.417s, set by A1 Team Great Britain, Oliver Jarvis, March 2008

After a visit to the Parque Fundidora in Monterrey in 2006, the Mexican round of the series moved to Mexico City in 2007, and has remained there ever since.

The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez Circuit, previously used by Formula One, has recently featured as a round in ChampCar and the second-tier NASCAR Nationwide series.

The bumpy surface makes handling difficult for the drivers and the relatively high altitude – the track lies at 2,285 metres (7,500 feet) above sea level – makes for challenging conditions.

The circuit underwent a few layout changes last season in an effort to increase overtaking, actually shortening it and decreasing the overall lap time. However, in terms of entertainment value, the changes were a big hit.

Tens of thousands of Mexican supporters attended last season, helping A1GP Mexico win the ‘Best A1GP Event’ of 2007/08 at the A1GP Gala Awards.

They watched the maiden A1GP victory for A1 Team Ireland, with Adam Carroll winning a thrilling race after getting the better of Switzerland’s Neel Jani. New Zealand’s Jonny Reid won the Sprint race.

In 2007, another A1GP team got its first taste of victory. A1 Team Great Britain’s Oliver Jarvis dominated proceedings to take the first win for the red, white and blue squad. Malaysia’s Alex Young converted pole position into victory in the Sprint race.

Rounds 15 and 16: To be announced

Could this be Mugello, Italy, which was supposed to be round 1 but was cancelled since the cars weren't ready?

Rounds 17-18: Algarve, Portugal



Location: Portimao, Portugal Autodromo, Internacional do Algarve

Track length: 4.69km (2.91 miles)

No. turns: 18

Direction: Clockwise

Lap Record: To be established

The Autodromo Internacional do Algarve is currently being built in Portimao, Portugal for a total cost of €195 million.

In addition to the circuit, the project also includes a karting track, a technology park, a five-star hotel, a sports complex and apartments.

Construction will be finished by October 2008, with the aim of the World Superbike series racing there in November. A1GP will be the circuit’s first international car race meeting, occurring on April 12, 2009.

Rounds 19 and 20: Brands Hatch, Great Britain}



Location: Brands Hatch, Kent, England

Track length: 4.22 km (2.62 miles)

No. turns: 9

Direction: Clockwise

Lap record: 1m 14.923s, recorded by Robbie Kerr, A1 Team Great Britain, in April 2007.

Address: Brands Hatch Circuit, Fawkham, Longfield, Kent, DA3 8NG

Brands Hatch has existed since 1926, when a grass track was used for motorcycles. Since then, many motor racing legends have won at the circuit, including Stirling Moss, Jim Clark, Jack Brabham, Emerson Fittipaldi and Ayrton Senna.

The 2.65-mile Grand Prix circuit was constructed in 1959 and first held a major motor racing event in 1960. During the Sixties, the owners negotiated a deal that meant the British Grand Prix alternated between Brands Hatch and Silverstone.

Through the Eighties and Nineties, the circuit changed ownership several times, before being bought by MotorSport Vision in 2004, headed by ex-F1 driver Jonathan Palmer.

Since then the circuit has hosted many international motorsport meetings, with World Superbikes, DTM and World Touring Car fans regularly making the pilgrimage to Kent.

Brands Hatch has hosted three superb A1GP races so far – each one making history for different reasons.

The inaugural A1GP World Cup of Motorsport meeting took place at the circuit in September 2005, where 72,000 fans turned up to watch A1 Team Brazil secure the first two victories in the series.

The second meeting – the 2006/07 season’s championship finale – was the first time a home nation had won their home event. A1 Team GBR’s Robbie Kerr delighted the crowd when he dominated the Sprint race, leading from start to finish.

Last season, the venue held the first championship race to go to the wire, with A1 Team Switzerland taking glory in the final event.

With its fierce undulating circuit and fast sweeping corners, Brands Hatch is one of the most challenging Grand Prix circuits in the world.

The infamous Paddock Hill Bend has ended many a driver’s race, including A1 Team Lebanon’s Khalil Beschir, who rolled spectacularly in A1GP’s first-ever meeting. A1 Team Australia’s Ian Dyk also crashed in a major way here, at the start of 2007’s Feature race.

The team chairman is former-Formula One world champion Alan Jones, backed by general manager and former NASCAR driver Peter Nolan. The seat is owned by Formula One talent-spotter come principal engineer Alan Docking through his eponymous racing team organisation.

Founded 2005
Seat holder Alan Docking
Team principal Alan Jones
Race driver(s) John Martin
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 32
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 0
Feature race victories 0
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
Total points 96
Best race position: 3rd (5 times: Marcus Marshall, Ryan Briscoe (twice), Karl Reindler and Ian Dyk)

2005-2006: 13th
2006-2007: 13th
2007-2008: 17th

Date of Birth: 8 Jul 1984 (24 years old)
Nationality: Australia (Brisbane, Queensland)

A1GP Vital Stats
Presences 15
Caps 12
Average finishing
position 13.67
Best race classification 5 (1)
Best grid position 9 (1)
Raced laps 268
Raced km 1021

Season Series Team Races wins Poles Fast laps Points Pos.
2008 British Formula 3 Räikkönen Robertson Racing series in progress
2007-08 A1 Grand Prix A1 Team Australia 12 0 0 0 18 17th (1)
2007 British Formula 3 Alan Docking Racing 22 0 0 0 16 15th
2006 Formula Ford Australia CAMS Rising Star 23 8 300 1st
2006 Formula Ford UK Alan Docking Racing 8 1
2005 Formula Ford Australia Cram Competition 6 2 1 71 10th
2005 Formula Ford New South Wales, Australia Borland Racing Developments 18 11 418 2nd
2005 Formula Ford Victoria, Australia Borland Racing Developments 15 6 5 425 1st

Founded 2005
Seat holder Ronaldo
Emerson Fittipaldi
Team principal Luís Vicente
Race driver(s) TBA
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 32
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 1 (Nelson Piquet Jr)
Feature race victories 1 (Nelson Piquet Jr)
Pole positions 2
Fastest laps 4
Total points 124
2005-06 position 6th
2006-07: 18th
2007-08: 11th

Date of Birth: 22 Mar 1991 (17 years old)
Nationality: Brazil (Brasilia)

2008

Euroseries 3000
Position: 8 (16 points)
4 races. 0 wins. 1 pole position. 1 podium. 1 fastest lap.
Team: TP Formula
Car: Lola B02/50 (Zytek)


2007

Campeonato Sudamericano de Formula 3
Position: 4 (54 points)
16 races. 2 wins. 1 pole position. 6 podiums. 4 fastest laps.
Team: Amir Nasr Racing
Car: Dallara F301 (Berta)

The karting career of Felipe Guimarães — in detail
2007

Panamerican Sudam Championship ICC
Position: 2
Kart: Mini (Riomar)


2006

French Championship Elite
Position: 21 (70 points)

Founded 2005
Seat holder Wade Cherwayko
Team principal -
Race driver(s) TBA
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 32
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 1
Feature race victories 1
Pole positions 2
Fastest laps 2
Total points 167
2005-06 position: 11th
2006-07: 11th
2007-08: 9th

Founded 2005
Seat holder Liu Yu
Team principal -
Race driver(s) Congfu Cheng
Ho-Pin Tung
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 32
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 0
Feature race victories 0
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 4
Total points 83
2005-06 position: 22th
2006-07: 15th
2007-08: 13th

He started kart racing in the Netherlands 1997 with excellent results, later participating in many Formula races.

Tung won the 2003 Formula BMW Asia series and was rewarded with a test drive with the Williams F1 team. This F1 test was widely reported in China.

In 2004 he joined the ATS Formel 3 Cup. Although he scored race wins and podium finishes, the series is not considered to be on a par with the British Formula Three Championship or the Formula Three Euroseries. He finished 7th in his rookie year.

In 2005, He finished 3rd in the German F3 championship.

In 2006, Tung won the 2006 German Formel 3 Cup drivers’ title, winning 9 races, 4 pole positions and 5 fastest laps.

At the 2007 Chinese Grand Prix he was announced as a BMW Sauber test driver for the rest of the year.

On 4th April 2007, BCN Competicion announced that it had signed Tung as its second driver alongside Japanese driver Sakon Yamamoto for the 2007 GP2 series. [1]

Tung drove for Trident Racing team in the 2008 GP2 Asia Series and GP2 Series, scoring his first podium finish in the latter.

A1 Team France is the French team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the inaugural season, 2005-06.

A1 Team France's owner is Jean-Paul Driot. The Team is managed by Driot's racing team Driot Associates Motor Sport (DAMS) since the series debut.

Olivier Panis, former Formula 1 driver, was announced to join A1 Team France as advisor in the 2007-08 season

Founded 2005
Seat holder Jean-Paul Driot
Team principal -
Race driver(s) TBA
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 32
Championships 1 (Nicolas Lapierre, Alexander Premat)
Sprint race victories 6 (Nicolas Lapierre, Alexander Premat, Loic Duval)
Feature race victories 7 (Nicolas Lapierre, Alexander Premat)
Pole positions 6 (Nicolas Lapierre, Alexander Premat, Loic Duval)
Fastest laps 10
Total points 357
2005-06 position 1st
2007-07: 4th
2007-08: 4th

Date of Birth: 12 Jun 1982 (26 years old)
Nationality: France (Chartres)
Height 178 cm
Weight 78 kg
Blood type RH+O

A1GP Vital Stats
Presences 23
Caps 20
Average finishing
position 5.80
Wins 1
Podium places 11
Pole positions 2
Fastest laps 1
Raced laps 527
Raced km 2063
Races led 6
Led laps 27
Led km 99

Season Series Team Races Wins Poles Fast laps Points Pos.
2008 Formula Nippon PIAA Nakajima Racing 11 2 0 1 62 2nd
2008 Super GT Japan GT500 Nakajima Racing series in progress
2008 24 Hours of Le Mans (LMP1) Team Oreca Matmut - no no no - 8th
2007-08 A1 Grand Prix A1 Team France 10 1 2 1 85 4th
2007 Formula Nippon PIAA Nakajima Racing 9 0 0 1 31 6th
2007 Super GT Japan GT500 Nakajima Racing 9 0 1 1 69 2nd
2006-07 A1 Grand Prix A1 Team France 8 0 0 0 32 4th
2006 Formula Nippon PIAA Nakajima Racing 9 2 0 25 4th
2006 Super GT Japan GT500 Nakajima Racing 9 1 1 51 11th
2005 Formula 3 Euroseries Signature 19 0 0 0 52 6th
2004 Formula 3 Euroseries Signature 20 0 0 0 22 12th
2003 Formula Renault 2000 France 4 4 196 1st
2002 Formula Renault Campus France 9 9 253 1st

A1 Team Germany is the German team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the second season, 2006-07.

Founded 2005
Seat holder Willi Weber
Team principal -
Race driver(s) TBA
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 32
Championships 1 (Nico Hülkenberg, Christian Vietoris)
Sprint race victories 4 (Nico Hülkenberg, Michael Ammermüller)
Feature race victories 7 (Nico Hülkenberg, Christian Vietoris)
Pole positions 4 (Nico Hülkenberg, Michael Ammermüller)
Fastest laps 6
Total points 249
2005-06 position 15th
2006-07: 1st
2007-08: 8th

A1 Team Great Britain was one of the first six seat holders in the series announced, with chairman John Surtees hosting the event. The car was unveiled to the public in September 2005, displaying a distinctive blue, red and white livery to reflect the colours of the flag of the United Kingdom, rather than Britain's traditional racing green colour.

British financier Tony Clements is the national seat holder, and will run the corporate arm of the team. Former Formula One and 500cc Motorcycle World Champion John Surtees was the team principal for the first 2 seasons of A1GP, working with the organisational structure, technical development, recruitment and race operations for the team. He quit his role before season 3 and was replaced by Katie Clements. The Arden International racing organisation was responsible for race operations of the team for the first season. However, for season 2 Surtees assembled a bespoke race team to handle the race operations of A1 Team Great Britain. That team is still in place in the 3rd season of A1GP.

Founded 2005
Seat holder Tony Clements
Team principal John Surtees
Race driver(s) TBA
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 32
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 3 (Robbie Kerr)
Feature race victories 2 (Oliver Jarvis)
Pole positions 4 (Robbie Kerr)
Fastest laps 4
Total points 315
2005-06 position 3rd
2006-07: 3rd
2007-08: 3rd

[edit] Management

A1 Team India Seatholders are Ravi Chilukuri & Andy Sehgal.

Arena Motorsport continue to work with A1 Team India this year. The UK based team was founded by Mike Earle and is best know for competing in Formula 1 as the Onyx Formula 1 Team and in the British Touring Car Championship running the works Honda programme. Mike Earle’s experience lies not only in sports and touring cars, Earle is considered one of the most widely experienced team managers in recent decades. His teams have run in virtually every area of motorsport, including Formula 2, Formula 3000, Formula 3 and even Formula 1.

Yohann Setna has been involved with A1 Team India since the first season and stands as Chief Operating Officer this year. Daljit Singh as Chief Marketing Officer and Aashika Abraham is the teams Media Manager

Founded 2005
Seat holder Yohann Sethna
Team principal Yohann Sethna
Race driver(s) Armaan Ebrahim
Narain Karthikeyan
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 29
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 0
Feature race victories 2 (Narain Karthikeyan)
Pole positions 1 (Narain Karthikeyan)
Fastest laps 0
Total points 74
2005-06 position 24th
2006-07: 16th
2007-08: 10th

A1 Team Indonesia has been operating since January 2008 by Performance Racing, which provide technical and race services. Its team now is managed by Bobby Issazadhe and helped by their new race engineer, Dave Luff[1]. Bagoes Hermnato it's the new team principal.

Founded 2005
Seat holder n/a
Team principal Bagoes Hermnato
Race driver(s) TBA
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 31
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 0 (Best position: 5th-Ananda Mikola)
Feature race victories 0 (Best position: 8th-Ananda Mikola)
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
Total points 18
2005-06 position 18th
2006-07: 21st
2007-08: 21st

Date of Birth: 29 Jun 1984 (24 years old)
Nationality: Indonesia

A1GP Vital Stats
Caps 20
Average finishing
position 17.35
Best race classification 10 (1)
Best grid position 15 (1)
Raced laps 455
Raced km 1979
Races led 1
Led laps 1
Led km 4

Season Series Team Races wins Poles Fast laps Points Pos.
2007-08 A1 Grand Prix A1 Team Indonesia 20 0 0 0 1 21th (1)
2007 Formula V6 Asia Team Meritus 10 0 0 0 67 3rd
2006 Formula 3 Asia Promotion Class Joson Formula 3 1st

Karting

He start racing in indonesian karting National Champion in 1994.

* 1995 : National Champion Category intercontinental A
* 1996 : 3rd Place in National Champion Category Intercontinental A
* 1997 : National Champion Category intercontinental A
* 2005 : 9th Place in Grand Finale World Rotax Max

Touring Car

In 1998, he became national champion in Timor One Make Race Division II.

Formulas

In 1999 he take the 2nd place in National Formula Asia and in 2000 the 3rd place in Formula Ford Euro Asia Cup in Sentul.
He test the Formula BMW Team Meritus in Sepang in 2005 and the Formula Renault with ART Grand Prix and Champ Motorsport, in Zuhai in 2006.

Hermanto win the Formula 3 Asia, Promotion Class in 2006 with the Joson Formula 3 team.

In 2007-08, Hermanto is the race driver for the A1 Team Indonesia.

The team is owned by Status Grand Prix Ltd and the team owner is Mark Kershaw[1]. Eden Rock Sports plan out the team activity but Mark Gallagher, drivers manager and senior manager in the former Formula One team Jordan Grand Prix, is the managing director and team principal of A1 Team Ireland[2]. Therefore, the team is self managed and doesn't collaborate with a racing team like most of A1 teams.

Founded 2005
Seat holder Mark Kershaw
Team principal Mark Gallagher
Race driver(s) Adam Carroll
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 32
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 0 (Best position: 3rd-Adam Carroll)
Feature race victories 1 (Adam Carroll)
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 4
Total points 170
2005-06 position 8th
2006-07: 19th
2007-08: 6th

Date of Birth: 26 Oct 1982 (25 years old)
Nationality: Ireland (Portadown, Northern Ireland, Great Britain)

A1GP Vital Stats
Caps 18
Average finishing
position 8.17
Wins 1
Podium places 4
Best grid position 3 (1)
Fastest laps 1
Raced laps 470
Raced km 1961
Races led 3
Led laps 14
Led km 55

Founded 2005
Seat holder Piercarlo Ghinzani
Team principal -
Race driver(s) Edoardo Piscopo
Fabio Onidi
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 24
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 0 (Best position: 3rd-Enrico Toccacelo)
Feature race victories 1 (Enrico Toccacelo)
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 1
Total points 110
2005-06 position 14th
2006-07: 7th
2007-08: 18th

Date of Birth: 9 Mar 1988 (20 years old)
Nationality: Italy (Milan)

Fabio debuted in 2001 with the karts. Since he was a little boy he was fond in cars and motors. But his big passion comes out in 2001 when he tried for the first time riding in a kart. He partecipated at some competitions with a kart with CRG Chassis and Maxter motors obtaining best results thanks also to some advises by Mario Filippini, an expert in karts.

In 2002, Fabio competed with the category 100 Junior in some national and international competitions: Winter Cup, Margutti Trophy, Open Master Championship, Italian Championship, Montecarlo Municipal Circuit. The CRG - chassis builder - and Maxter - car motors builder - were satisfied with the driver Fabio performances and his continuity.

In 2003, he was the champion of the Italian Championship "go kart 100 Junior", and the 6th placed at the European Championship "go kart 100 Junior"

In 2004, he won 3rd place in the Formula BMW Rookie Championship and the 8th place, in the Formula BMW Championship. he also earned the prize as Best Driver Improved (Formula1 Williams BMW) from the Motors Manager of BMW-Williams Mario Thiessen. During the season Fabio carried on to grow up and place himself always forward in charts conquering his first pole position on the Brno Track.

In 2005, he competed at Formula BMW with Eifelland Racing Team.

In 2006, he won the Rookie Championship Formula Renault 2.0 UK by the team Fortec. In 5 November, 2006, Fabio riceived the prize as winner of the Rookie Championship 2006 Formula Renault 2.0 UK.

In 2007, he competed at Eurocup Formula Renault and Formula Renault 2.0 Northern European Cup. As of 2008, he is competing at Euroseries 3000.

A1 Team Lebanon owner is Tameem Auchi

A1 Team Lebanon is currently the only active A1 team (excluding new teams Korea and Monaco) to have not scored a single championship point.

Founded 2005
Seat holder Tameem Auchi
Team principal -
Race driver(s) Daniel Morad
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 32
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 0 (Best position: 12th-Basil Shaaban)
Feature race victories 0 (Best position: 11th-Basil Shaaban and Graham Rahal)
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
Total points 0
2005-06 position 23rd
2006-07: 22th
2007-08: 22th

Date of Birth: 24 Apr 1990 (18 years old)
Nationality: Lebanon (Markham, Ontario, Canada)
Height 170 cm
Weight 67 kg

Morad was born in the spring of 1990 in Ontario to Robin and Ramsin Morad, he has one sister, Kayla. The Canadian's career began in his native country during 1998 competing in several karting events. In his eight year career in Karts, Morad picked up a number of trophies, including the Canadian Formula Senior Championship and a Florida Winter Tour champion title, in the Pro-Shifter class, both of which were won in his final year in karting, 2005. He then moved up into Formula racing the following year in the form of Formula BMW, competing in it's American series. In his début season, in which the Canadian participated in all fourteen rounds, he picked up a win in Mid-Ohio, a pole position, a fastest lap and a podium at the Lime Rock Park meeting. With a collection of 75 points, Morad finished 6th overall in the Drivers' Championship.

He switched teams the following year, joining the Italian EuroInternational. The Canadian won the title that year, taking six wins of a possible fourteen and scoring 523 points, more than the previous year albeit with a more generous points system than the previous year, nearly 100 points clear of runner-up Mexican Esteban Gutierrez. 2007 also saw Morad drive for the Canadian A1 Grand Prix team taking the role of test driver at the South African, Mexican, Chinese and British meetings.

With his Formula BMW USA title on his CV, Morad managed to get a drive at the EuroInternational Atlantic Championship team alongside Venezuelan Luis Schiavo. After scoring 95 points, he currents occupies 10th in the Drivers' Championship.

Morad is racing for A1 Team Lebanon in the 2008-09 season. Although having previously driven in rookie sessions for A1 Team Canada, his Canadian-Lebanese heritage allowed him to switch nationalities, as he has not yet made his race debut.

Season Series Team Name Races Poles Wins Points Final Placing
2006 Formula BMW USA AIM Motorsport 14 1 1 75 6th
2007 EuroInternational 14 3 6 523 1st
2008 Atlantic Championship 8 0 0 95* 10th*

A1 Team Malaysia is operated by A1 Team (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. The seat holder and fanchise holding company is A1 Grand Prix (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. of which Alex Yoong and Jack Cunningham, a Briton, are directors and shareholders.

Founded 2005
Seat holder Alex Yoong
Team principal Jack Cunningham
Race driver(s) Fairuz Fauzy
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 32
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 3 (Alex Yoong)
Feature race victories 1 (Alex Yoong)
Pole positions 2 (Alex Yoong)
Fastest laps 3
Total points 154
2005-06 position 5th
2006-07: 6th
2007-08: 15th

Date of Birth: 24 Oct 1982 (25 years old)
Nationality: Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)
Height 178 cm
Weight 70 kg

A1GP Vital Stats
Presences 14
Caps 10
Average finishing
position 13.40
Best race classification 5 (1)
Best grid position 7 (1)
Raced laps 227
Raced km 874

Fauzy started competing in karting events in 1994 before making the move to British Formula Ford at the start of 1999. He moved to British Formula Renault in 2000, developing his skills there before moving up to British Formula Three in 2002, albeit in the B-Class.

He moved up to the main class in 2003, driving for both the SYR and Promatecme teams, before driving for both the Menu and P1 teams in 2004. He moved to the GP2 Series for 2005, becoming one of a number of Asian drivers in the championship. Despite being the only driver to start every race and not score a point, he continued in the series for 2006, again scoring no points. During this team he was also one of A1 Team Malaysia's drivers (along with Alex Yoong) in the A1 Grand Prix series.

Fauzy was confirmed as one of Spyker F1's test and reserve drivers for 2007, and he also raced in the World Series by Renault for the Cram Competition team.

He returned to GP2 for 2008, driving for the Super Nova team in the GP2 Asia Series. He is currently driving in the 2008 World Series by Renault season, joining the season late.

Career summary
Season Series Team No. Races wins Poles Fast laps Points Pos.
2008 GP2 Asia Series Super Nova Racing 08 10 1 0 24 4th
2007-08 A1 Grand Prix A1 Team Malaysia 6 0 0 0 7 15th (1)
2006 GP2 Series Super Nova Racing 06 21 0 0 0 25th
2005-06 A1 Grand Prix A1 Team Malaysia 4 0 0 0 8 5th (1)
2005 GP2 Series DAMS 15 23 0 0 0 24th

A1 Team Mexico owners are Juan Cortina and Julio Jáuregui.

The technical assistance was initially provided by DAMS in 2005-06 but new regulation impose to a racing team to work with two differents A1 Team maximum. In 2006-07, DAMS work with A1 Team France and South Africa. Mexico craft a team named Teamex to replace the french team and for 2008-2009, the will be with "Escudería del Mediterráneo".

Founded 2005
Seat holder Juan Cortina
Julio Jáuregui.
Team principal -
Race driver(s) TBA
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 32
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 1 (Salvador Durán)
Feature race victories 1 (Salvador Durán)
Pole positions 1 (Salvador Durán)
Fastest laps 2 (Salvador Durán)
Total points 116
2005-06 position : 10th
2206-07: 10th
2007-08: 16th

On 29 August 2008, it was announced that A1 Team Monaco will be competing in season four. The joint seat holders will be Hubertus Bahlsen, and former F3 and GP2 driver Clivio Piccione - who will also be acting as the race driver.

Founded 2008
Seat holder Clivio Piccione
Hubertus Bahlsen
Team principal Graham Taylor
Race driver(s) Clivio Piccione
First race 2008-09 Netherlands
Events entered 0
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 0
Feature race victories 0
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
Total points 0
2008-09 position ( pts)

Date of Birth: 24 Feb 1984 (24 years old)
Nationality: Monaco (Monte Carlo)

Piccione's career started in karting in 1997, where he stayed until 2001 before moving up to British Formula Ford. He only spent one season there, debuting in British Formula Three's B-Class in 2002 for the T-Sport team. 2003 seen him move up to the main class with the Manor team, and he stayed in the series for 2004 with the Carlin Motorsport team.

In 2005 the Monegasque driver drove in the inaugural GP2 Series season, driving for the Durango team. Although he won a race, he did not score many points and switched to the DPR Direxiv team for 2006, scoring more points despite a troubled start. He competed in the World Series by Renault for 2007.

Piccione will drive in the 2008-09 A1 Grand Prix season for the newly-formed A1 Team Monaco. He will also be the nation's joint seat-holder, alongside Hubertus Bahlsen.

A1 Team The Netherlands owner is former Formula One driver and Le Mans winner Jan Lammers. The team is managed by Lammer's racing team Racing for Holland, notable for their participation in the 24 hours of Le Mans and FIA sportscars series.

Founded 2005
Seat holder Jan Lammers
Team principal -
Race driver(s) Jeroen Bleekemolen
Robert Doornbos
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 32
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 1 (Jeroen Bleekemolen)
Feature race victories 1 (Jos Verstappen)
Pole positions 2 (Jeroen Bleekemolen)
Fastest laps 2
Total points 213
2005-06 position 7th
2006-07: 5th
2007-08: 7th

Date of Birth: 23 Oct 1981 (26 years old)
Nationality: Netherlands (Heemstede)
Height 175 cm
Weight 65 kg

A1GP Vital Stats
Presences 40
Caps 39
Average finishing
position 7.92
Wins 1
Podium places 3
Pole positions 2
Raced laps 1083
Raced km 4374
Races led 6
Led laps 72
Led km 258

In a Chrysler Viper GTS-R he drove in the FIA GT Championship, with great success. He competed in the very competitive German Formula 3 Championship and drove a number of times at the Masters of Formula 3 at Circuit Zandvoort, the unofficial F3 World Championship. Together with Opel he raced in the DTM. In 2005 Jeroen Bleekemolen competes in the ELF BRL V6.

Jeroen Bleekemolen is currently the first driver for A1 Team The Netherlands in the A1 Grand Prix series, replacing Jos Verstappen. Jeroen Bleekemolen was already a backup driver in the first season.

Jeroen Bleekemolen participated, and won, in the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans-race, driving the Van Merksteijn Motorsport's LMP2-class Porsche RS Spyder.

He is the son of former Formula One driver Michael Bleekemolen.

2008 A1GP, Porsche Supercup
Debut season 2005-06
Current team A1 Team The Netherlands
Starts 23
Wins 1
Poles
Previous series
1998
1998
1999
1999
2000
2001, 2005-06
2001
2001
2002
2002
2002
2003-04, 2006
2005
2005
2006
2006-07
2007
2007
2007
Dutch & Benelux Formula Ford
Renault Megane Cup
Formula Palmer Audi
European Formula Opel Championship
German Formula Three Championship
FIA GT
European Renault Clio Championship
Dutch Renault Clio Championship
Dutch Touring Car Championship
V8 Star Championship
European Renault Clio V6
DTM
Le Mans Endurance Series
Benelux Racing League
Belcar
Porsche Carrera Cup
Le Mans Series
ADAC GT Masters
BRL V6
Championship titles
1998
1998
2001
2005
2005
2008 Dutch Formula Ford Championship
Benelux Formula Ford Championship
Dutch Renault Clio Cup
Dutch Benelux Racing League
Benelux Racing League
Porsche Supercup
Awards
1998 Dutch Talent of the Year

The team was formed by and is owned by prominent Auckland businessman Colin Giltrap, well known for this car dealerships. The team is managed by Kiwi Bob McMurray who retired last year after nearly 30 years involvement with the McLaren Formula One racing team. The car is run by David Sears' organisation, Super Nova Racing, as is the A1 Team Germany car, meaning that the two teams are often thought of as one.

Founded 2005
Seat holder Colin Giltrap
Team principal Bob McMurray
Race driver(s) Earl Bamber
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 32
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 4 (Jonny Reid)
Feature race victories 3 (Jonny Reid)
Pole positions 4 (Jonny Reid)
Fastest laps 6
Total points 297
2005-06 position: 4th
2006-07: 2nd
2007-08: 2nd

Date of Birth: 9 Jul 1990 (18 years old)
Nationality: New Zealand (Wanganui)
Height 178 cm
Weight 66 kg

2008 - 1st Place, Race 2 Imola, Eurpoean Formula Master
2008 - Grand Cup Winner, FV6 Sepang
2008 - Clean sweep, qualifying, fastest lap and 2 races in
Toyota Racing Series races at Hamilton, New Zealand
2008 - 2nd Overall Toyota Racing Series New Zealand
2008 - Outright lap record in Adelaide in F3
2007/08 Rookie Driver for A1GP NZ
2007 Pole Position Formula V6 Asia, Sepang
2007 7th Toyota Racing Series
2006 Formula BMW Asia Champion (first ever in rookie year)
2006 Formula BMW Lap Record Holder - Sepang, Malaysia
2005 Fourth overall Formula Ford series
3rd Rotax World Finals as New Zealand representative
New Zealand Go Kart Champion
Started racing at the age of 8

On September 10, 2008, Adam Khan was announced to hold the dual-role of race driver, and seat holder of A1 Team Pakistan for the 2008-09 season.

Founded 2005
Seat holder Adam Khan
Team principal -
Race driver(s) Adam Khan
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 29
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 0 (Best position: 7th-Adam Khan)
Feature race victories 0 (Best position: 5th-Adam Khan)
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
Total points 12
2005-06 position: 20th
2006-07: 22nd
2007-08: 20th

The A1 Team Portugal team owners were the well known football player, Luís Figo, and coach Carlos Queiroz. The team's operations were run by CEO Luís Vicente, manager of the Fundação Luís Figo.

Founded 2005
Seat holder Luís Figo
Carlos Queiroz
Team principal Luís Vicente
Race driver(s) Filipe Albuquerque
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 26
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 0 (Best position: 2nd-Alvaro Parente)
Feature race victories 0 (Best position: 2nd-Filipe Alburquerque)
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
Total points 135
2005-06 position 9th
2006-07: 17th
2007-08: 11th

Date of Birth: 13 Jun 1985 (23 years old)
Nationality: Portugal (Coimbra)

A1GP Vital Stats
Caps 8
Average finishing
position 5.13
Best race classification 2 (1)
Podium places 3
Best grid position 2 (1)
Raced laps 224
Raced km 870
Races led 3
Led laps 7
Led km 26

Filipe Albuquerque started his motor racing career in karting in 1993, "I started karting as a joke, but it quickly became more and more serious" Albuquerque recalled, "It's really hard to get sponsorship to go racing. Without Red Bull I would probably be at home studying" he added. The young Portuguese driver went onto win two national karting titles before moving up to Spanish Formula Three with the help of Red Bull. But later, Albuquerque was moved up to the Formula Renault, "a driver was fired from Red Bull" The Portuguese commented, "and I was told I would do the Renault 2.0-litre race in Zolder." Albuquerque was the fastest driver for the team during the race and so became the permanent replacement and was also called into the Formula Renault German series.

The Portuguese driver finished sixth in the Spanish Formula Three championship, fifth in the Formula Renault Eurocup and third in the Formula Renault Germany series, finishing as a highest positioned rookie in all three championships.[1] In 2006, Albuquerque raced in two championships, the Formula Renault Eurocup championship and the North European Formula Renault championship, where he won the Drivers' title in both series.

For 2007, Albuquerque entered the World Series by Renault championship with the Epsilon Euskadi team. He was also chosen as replacement of Ernesto Viso in the Silverstone round of GP2 Series, following the Venezuelan's accident at Magny-Cours. From then on, he has been the lead driver on the portuguese A1 GP team.

Season Series Team Name Races Poles Wins Points Final Placing
2005 Spanish F3 Racing Engineering 14 1 1 52 6th
Formula Renault Eurocup Motopark Academy 14 3 0 63 5th
Formula Renault Germany Motopark Oschersleben 14 6 4 273 3rd
2006 Formula Renault Eurocup Motopark Academy 14 4 4 99 1st
Formula Renault NEC Motopark Academy 14 2 4 312 1st
2007
2007 World Series by Renault Epsilon Euskadi 13 0 1 63 5th
GP2 Series Racing Engineering 4 0 0 0 32nd
2007-08 A1 Grand Prix A1 Team Portugal 8 0 0 54 11th

A1 Team South Africa owner is Tokyo Sexwale. The Chief Executive Officer of the team is Dana Cooper and the technical and sporting manager is Mike Carroll. For the 2006-07 season South Africa have enlisted DAMS to run their car, the outfit which ran the French and Swiss teams to 1st and 2nd places in 2005-06.

Founded 2005
Seat holder Tokyo Sexwale
Team principal -
Race driver(s) Adrian Zaugg
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 32
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 2 (Adrian Zaugg)
Feature race victories 1 (Adrian Zaugg)
Pole positions 5 (Adrian Zaugg)
Fastest laps 4
Total points 140
2005-06 position 17th
2006-07: 14th
2007-08: 5th

Date of Birth: 4 Nov 1986 (21 years old)
Nationality: South Africa (Singapore)
Height 175 cm
Weight 70 kg

A1GP Vital Stats
Caps 32
Average finishing
position 10.09
Wins 3
Podium places 6
Pole positions 5
Fastest laps 4
Raced laps 713
Raced km 2871
Races led 8
Led laps 74
Led km 316

After winning the Bridgestone Cup in Karting, he impressed on a Formula BMW Scholarship Course, he was signed by Austrian energy drink company Red Bull in 2004, for their Red Bull Junior Team programme.

For 2005, he moved up to Eurocup Formula Renault, winning one race.

He continued briefly in the Eurocup for 2006, before moving up to the World Series by Renault, for Carlin Motorsport. In six races, he achieved one pole position.

For the 2006-07 season, he also made his A1 Grand Prix debut for Team South Africa at Zandvoort, the 2006-07 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Netherlands. He qualified on pole position in his very first qualifying session, and went on to win the Sprint race, though he crashed out on the first lap of the Feature race.

His impressive outings in A1GP led to him being signed up to drive for Arden International for the 2007 GP2 Series.

GP2 Series 2007: 18th

Jung-Yong Kim of Omnibus Investment is the seat holder, with Good EMG supporting the project. Carlin Motorsport will be the racing team.

Founded 2007
Seat holder Joshua Kim
Team principal ?
Race driver(s) Hwang Jin-Woo
First race 2008-09 Netherlands
Events entered 0
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 0
Feature race victories 0
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
Total points 0
2008-09 position (0 pts)

Nationality: South Korea
Height 178 cm
Weight 70 kg
Blood type RH+B

2008

Super GT Japan GT300
Position: 28 (2 points)
4 races. 0 wins. 0 pole positions. 0 podiums. 0 fastest laps.
Team: Team Shadow
Car: Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
Car: Yunker Ishimatsu Funky´s (Hankook GT3)


Super GT Japan GT300
Position: 28 (2 points)
2 races. 0 wins. 0 pole positions. 0 podiums. 0 fastest laps.
Team: Team Shadow
Car: Porsche 911 GT3 RSR
Car: Yunker Ishimatsu Funky´s (Hankook GT3)


2003

F3 Korea Super Prix
Race position: no position.
Team: Prema Powerteam
Car: Dallara F303 (Opel)

A1 Team Switzerland is the Swiss team of A1 Grand Prix, an international racing series. The team were the A1 Grand Prix champions for the third season, 2007-08.

Founded 2005
Seat holder Max Welti
Team principal -
Race driver(s) TBA
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 32
Championships 1 (Neel Jani)
Sprint race victories 4 (Neel Jani)
Feature race victories 2 (Neel Jani)
Pole positions 9 (Neel Jani)
Fastest laps 7
Total points 339
2005-06 position 2nd
2006-07: 8th
2007-08: 1st

Date of Birth: 8 Dec 1983 (24 years old)
Nationality: Switzerland (Rorschach)
Height 172 cm
Weight 58 kg

A1GP Vital Stats
Caps 46
Average finishing
position 5.83
Wins 6
Podium places 23
Pole positions 9
Fastest laps 6
Raced laps 1171
Raced km 4835
Races led 21
Led laps 191
Led km 865

Jani's career started in karting in 1998, where he stayed for two years before moving up to Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup in 2001.

In the same year he also raced some races in Italian Formula Renault. He would stay in both for 2002, again only racing part of the Italian Formula Renault season. In 2003 he moved to Formula Renault V6 Eurocup, driving for the Jenzer team.

He stayed in V6 Eurocup for 2004, driving for the DAMS team this time, whilst also one race for DAMS' FIA GT Championship team. In 2005 he raced in the GP2 Series with Racing Engineering alongside Borja Garcia, who he generally outperformed. He won two races, at the Hungaroring and at Monza. He also managed to lead most of the Nürburgring race in a clearly slower car with some effective defensive driving.

In 2006 he replaced injured Nicolas Lapierre in the Silverstone and Magny-Cours races for English race team Arden. By doing this he also secured his place in the record books, being the only person to ever drive in both GP2 and F1 on the same day.

He then raced in the new A1 Grand Prix series, representing his home nation with A1 Team Switzerland. In the inaugural season of A1GP, the team earned the silver medal for second place, with Jani consistently finishing on the podium, including a win at the Dubai Autodrome during the Sprint Race of the 2005-06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, United Arab Emirates.

After missing the first two rounds of the 2006-07 season in favour Sébastien Buemi, Jani would win another Sprint Race, during the 2006-07 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Malaysia.

Jani drove all the races for Switzerland in the 2007-08 season, taking the championship with four wins and 168 points.

He was linked to an F1 seat with the Sauber team in 2004. However, he moved back to GP2 the following year. In December 2005 he was confirmed as Scuderia Toro Rosso's third driver, alongside race drivers Scott Speed and Vitantonio Liuzzi, a role he held throughout the 2006 season, before departing to pursue a Champ Car career. For the 2008 F1 season, Neel has been linked with the test drivers role at Red Bull Racing.

For 2007, Jani drove for the PKV Racing team in the Champ Car World Series. He ended the series in ninth place with a total of 231 points. After choosing to focus on the 2007-2008 A1GP season rather than stay in ChampCar for 2008., the series was absorbed by the IRL. Jani has not been linked to any 2008 IRL rides.

Owner Rick Weidinger became interested in A1 Team USA and the A1 Grand Prix series when national franchises were being bid for the new series. Along with minority partners and friends Rusty Lewis and Bill Dean, Weidinger finalized the franchise acquisition in July 2005. The engineering side of the team was originally run by British squads David Price Racing, and then West Surrey Racing, but is now run by the famous Indy Racing League team, Andretti Green Racing.

Founded 2005
Seat holder Rick Weidinger
Team principal -
Race driver(s) TBA
First race 2005-06 Great Britain
Events entered 32
Championships 0
Sprint race victories 0 (Best position: 2nd-Jonathan Summerton)
Feature race victories 1 (Best position: 2nd-Jonathan Summerton)
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 2
Total points 121
2005-06 position 16th
2006-07: 9th
2007-'08: 12th

Date of Birth: 20 Feb 1985 (23 years old)
Nationality: United States (Chertsey, Great Britain)

Charlie Kimball (born February 20, 1985 in Chertsey, England) is an Anglo-American racecar driver currently competing in the World Series by Renault championship.


Kimball's single-seater career started in 2002 when he took part in the American Formula Dodge national championship, finishing the season in 10th place overall. He also won three races in the SCCA Formula Ford series. For 2003 he moved up to Formula Ford U.S., finishing third overall with two race wins and seven podium finishes. He also contested the UK Formula Ford winter series, taking one race win to finish third overall.

In 2004 he competed in the full UK Formula Ford championship for Team JLR, taking two race wins and eleven podiums on his way to fourth in the championship. In the end-of-season Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch he finished in eighth place. His performances earned him a drive with front runners Carlin Motorsport in the 2005 British Formula 3 championship, where he took five race wins to finish an impressive second behind team-mate Álvaro Parente. He also finished 12th in the Malboro Masters at Zandvoort, but failed to finish the season-ending Macau Grand Prix.

For 2006 Kimball stayed in Formula 3, but moved up to the F3 Euroseries with the French Signature-Plus team. He took one race win and three podiums to finish the season in eleventh place. Once again, he took part in the Masters Formula 3 race at Zandvoort and the Macau Grand Prix, finishing in 9th and 21st places respectively.

In 2007 he is competing in the World Series by Renault for the Italian Victory Engineering team, alongside Dutchman Giedo van der Garde.