FORUMula1.com - F1 Forum

[bud]

http://www.a1gp.com/News/NewsArticle.aspx?newsId=41524

A1GP World Cup of Motorsport has revealed the first image of its brand new ‘Powered by Ferrari’ car for use in season four (2008/09).

The CAD drawing was released ahead of the car’s inaugural shakedown test in Southern England.

A1GP’s own TV commentator and Formula One legend, John Watson, will have the honour of driving the car for the first time, powered by a V8 Ferrari engine producing in the region of 600 bhp.

The chassis is based on the design of the highly successful F2004 chassis, incorporating A1GP’s core values to deliver close, exciting racing among a competitive field where overtaking is an essential part of the entertainment.

A1GP technical director, John Travis, is overseeing the design, development and production of the car from premises in Bognor Regis in the UK, with Rory Byrne acting as consultant. Meanwhile the work on the manufacture and supply of the A1GP engine is being overseen by Ferrari’s Jean-Jacques His.

The Powered by Ferrari project was first announced on 11 October 2007 when the most famous name in motorsport signed a six-year agreement to manufacture and supply all A1GP engines for this unique series and provide consultancy on the design of all A1GP chassis from season four onwards.

‘Everyone is very excited about this project and it will be fantastic to see the new A1GP powered by Ferrari car turn a wheel for the first time on Friday,' said A1GP chairman Tony Teixeira.

'We obviously still have a lot of work to do as this is just the first step in what will be an intense development and testing programme, but I am very happy with the progress made so far.

'We have a small, dedicated group of people in Bognor Regis and are very lucky to be able to use some well known motor racing companies for certain areas of expertise. I am pleased to say we are on schedule and we will be announcing the date of the official unveiling of the car soon.’

[Rivelution]

I dont really watch A1, but I guess this is cool.

[bud]

yeah i can see A1's popularity growing now especially in your country with Ferrari's involvement

[Rivelution]

yeah i can see A1's popularity growing now especially in your country with Ferrari's involvement

I dont get what you're saying.

[bud]

Ferrari is very popular in the US. USA is their largest market. Now A1GP is not that big in the world and especially not that big in the USA, I bet most Americans dont even realise there is a USA team represented.
with the Ferrari brand being involved in A1 i think its popularity will grow throughout the world but majorly in the USA

[darwin dali]

Ferrari is very popular in the US. USA is their largest market. Now A1GP is not that big in the world and especially not that big in the USA, I bet most Americans dont even realise there is a USA team represented.
with the Ferrari brand being involved in A1 i think its popularity will grow throughout the world but majorly in the USA

If that were true, then F1 should be huge in the US since Ferrari actually competes as Ferrari in F1 and not in a cryptic manner as in A1.

[bud]

i didnt say exactly how much it would grow but are you saying A1 is as popular as F1 in the USA?
Im thinking with A1 having an American team coupled with Ferrari's involvement could make it jump right up to round about the same fan base as F1 in the USA.

Ofcourse its a hard shell to crack the Americans liking their own over international sports.

[Rivelution]

Ferrari is very popular in the US. USA is their largest market. Now A1GP is not that big in the world and especially not that big in the USA, I bet most Americans dont even realise there is a USA team represented.
with the Ferrari brand being involved in A1 i think its popularity will grow throughout the world but majorly in the USA

I highly doubt that. Americans honestly dont care about F1 not to metion even A1. Even if Ford,, or Chevy was involved in A1, Americans still wouldnt watch F1. I dont want to go any further because DD already said what I was going to say.

[bud]

read my post to DD i never mentioned it would become HUGE in the USA i said it would grow and i think it will grow in popularity world wide by this move!

10 million F1 tv viewers in the USA as quoted in F1 racing magazine while thats small fry for a nation thats 300 mil thats still half the population of Australia watching F1 in the USA.

[darwin dali]

A1 i think its popularity will grow throughout the world but majorly in the USA

As I said before, I doubt this will be the case, the majorly part - not BECAUSE Ferrari provide the cars.

[racechick]

I went to the inaugral A1 GP at Brands Hatch,. It was good-exciting, Nelson Piquet was racing in it then (and he wasnt bad!). There was lots of razamataz. I cud really have got into it! But there was no TV coverage and i eventually got fed up with trying to follow it through autosport race reports.Its a shame because i think if it had been given TV coverage the national aspect of it would have appealed to people who dont normally follow motor racing.

[7UpJordan]

I went to the inaugral A1 GP at Brands Hatch,. It was good-exciting, Nelson Piquet was racing in it then (and he wasnt bad!). There was lots of razamataz. I cud really have got into it! But there was no TV coverage and i eventually got fed up with trying to follow it through autosport race reports.Its a shame because i think if it had been given TV coverage the national aspect of it would have appealed to people who dont normally follow motor racing.

It does have TV coverage in the UK, it's on Sky Sports.

[McLaren Fan]

A1GP is nothing but counterfeit Formula One.

[texasmr2]

A1GP is nothing but counterfeit Formula One.

Atleast it's racing right?

[Forti_Corse]

technically its not a counterfeit heres the diffrences:

F1: consists of constructors competing against one another around the world with individual designed chassis
A1: contains countries competing against each other around the world in identical chassis

F1 is alot more technical and intricate but thats the main point of A1, open wheel no nonsense racing which in return makes for a much more unpredictable result