Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[World Cup Fever: A1GP to make a comeback?]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/07/world-cup-fever-a1gp-to-make-a-comeback/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/07/world-cup-fever-a1gp-to-make-a-comeback/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/07/07/world-cup-fever-a1gp-to-make-a-comeback/#commentsFiled under: ,



Until its demise, A1GP had an intriguing, original formula. (At least once it took its place as a feeder series and not a competitor to Formula One). The idea, for those unfamiliar, was to pit teams representing their home countries against each other in identical F1-style single-seaters on famous race tracks around the world. Unfortunately, like so many things, the execution failed to live up to the idea.

With the series financially supporting each team, the whole proverbial house of cards came tumbling down last year, its creditors (including Ferrari, which had designed and built their new spec racer) seizing the series' assets.

Now it seems that the self-styled "World Cup of Motorsport" may have another chance to see the light of day. A group of investors is reportedly working out a plan to get the cars and other assets out of hock and field them once more. But instead of the original doomed formula, the re-inaugurated series would demand each team secure its own financial backing, while the series organizers would coordinate the races and provide spare parts trackside. An off-season calendar could see the series run 10 races in 2011-12, if the plan comes to fruition.

[Source: Autosport]

World Cup Fever: A1GP to make a comeback? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Jul 2010 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a1a1 gpa1 grand prixA1GpA1GrandPrixworld cupworld cup of motorsportWorldCupWorldCupOfMotorsportWed, 07 Jul 2010 10:32:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19542311/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/07/07/world-cup-fever-a1gp-to-make-a-comeback/19542311/article-detail.xml 19542311 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/07/a1grandprixbrandshatch2005_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/07/a1grandprixbrandshatch2005.jpg <![CDATA[Be Your Own Racing Czar: A1 GP assets offered up in liquidation sale]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/30/be-your-own-racing-czar-a1-gp-assets-offered-up-in-liquidation/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/30/be-your-own-racing-czar-a1-gp-assets-offered-up-in-liquidation/http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/30/be-your-own-racing-czar-a1-gp-assets-offered-up-in-liquidation/#commentsFiled under:



How do you spell "Boondoggle?" That would be "A1 GP." The national-team based, FIA-sanctioned motorsport series declared bankruptcy at the end of last year and all of its holdings and intellectual property are up for sale, including the 20 Ferrari chassis that the Italians had been withholding for debts outstanding.

If the price is much higher than a penny, we question why anyone would want to get involved. In six years the series never made money, teams have been going bankrupt and there are current and potential judgments from individuals and territories against the entire series. Billed as The World Cup of Motorsport, the venture sounded good, and the list of drivers it attracted is seriously impressive, but making the necessary dough is another story.

Still, the administrator of A1 GP Operations is optimistic enough to say he hopes to have a purchaser in place by the end of March. We'll keep an eye out for that announcement, but we think a safe bet with that penny would be on not seeing another A1 GP season. You'll find a press release on the sale after the jump.

[Source: GoIndustry DoveBid]

Continue reading Be Your Own Racing Czar: A1 GP assets offered up in liquidation sale

Be Your Own Racing Czar: A1 GP assets offered up in liquidation sale originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Mar 2010 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a1 gpA1GpTony TeixeiraTonyTeixeiraTue, 30 Mar 2010 09:29:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/19415488/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2010/03/30/be-your-own-racing-czar-a1-gp-assets-offered-up-in-liquidation/19415488/article-detail.xml 19415488 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/a1gpsale_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/03/a1gpsale.jpg <![CDATA[Suspension problem on Ferrari A1GP car delays season opener]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/25/suspension-problem-on-ferrari-a1gp-car-delays-season-opener/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/25/suspension-problem-on-ferrari-a1gp-car-delays-season-opener/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/08/25/suspension-problem-on-ferrari-a1gp-car-delays-season-opener/#commentsFiled under: ,


Click above to view a high-resolution gallery of the new Ferrari A1GP car

It was an ambitious target to design, develop, shake down and launch an all-new spec car across the series in less than a full year, but that's what the organizers of the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport set out to do. Unfortunately, the first major setback inevitably meant that the series would have to be postponed, and that's just what happened.

The new car has been under development with Ferrari for the past ten months or so - based on Ferrari's Formula One racing car design - and things had been going well. However, when test driver Patrick Friesacher was injured after a vital suspension component failed, it was back to the drawing board. The delay means that the start of the fourth season, which was originally scheduled for September 21 at the Mugello track in Italy, will now be pushed back to Zandvoort, Holland, for October 4, which was initially planned as the second race of the season.

Check out the press release after the jump, and the new high-resolution gallery of the Ferrari-developed and -powered A1GP spec racer by clicking the thumbnails below.

Gallery: A1GP - Powered by Ferrari


[Source: A1GP]

Continue reading Suspension problem on Ferrari A1GP car delays season opener

Suspension problem on Ferrari A1GP car delays season opener originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Aug 2008 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a1 gpa1 gp ferrariA1GpA1GpFerrariworld cup motorsportWorldCupMotorsportMon, 25 Aug 2008 17:58:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1294464/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/08/25/suspension-problem-on-ferrari-a1gp-car-delays-season-opener/1294464/article-detail.xml 1294464 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/08/a1gp-ferrari-garage_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/08/a1gp-ferrari-garage.jpg <![CDATA[A1GP boss: Ecclestone helped broker deal with Ferrari]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/03/a1gp-boss-ecclestone-helped-broker-deal-with-ferrari/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/03/a1gp-boss-ecclestone-helped-broker-deal-with-ferrari/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/03/a1gp-boss-ecclestone-helped-broker-deal-with-ferrari/#commentsFiled under: , ,

When the A1GP World Cup of Motorsports started back in 2005, some saw it as a challenger to Formula One. But while the nation-based formula was creative, it stood little chance of posing any serious competition to F1 with all its decades of history, billions of dollars and millions of fans worldwide. The start-up open-wheel racing series, however, has managed to carve out a niche for itself as an additional feeder series, providing another stepping stone from which F1 can draw talent in addition to other second-tier racing formulae like F3, GP2 and Champ/Indy (at least, before the split).

In an interview with Italian sports journal Gazzetta dello Sport, A1GP chairman Tony Teixeira made a point of thanking his F1 counterpart Bernie Ecclestone, whom Teixeira credits with helping to broker the deal with Ferrari by which the Scuderia will design the cars and supply the engines for the entire series starting with the 2008-2009 season. (A1GP runs on the off-season in order to attract drivers and fans when other series are on break.)

Teixeira, who has also been tipped to be considering the purchase of an F1 team, also noted that he approached Ferrari for the mutually-beneficial deal. Ain't it swell when everyone plays nice together?

[Source: Autosport]

A1GP boss: Ecclestone helped broker deal with Ferrari originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 03 Jan 2008 21:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>a1 gpA1Gpbernie ecclestoneBernieEcclestonebrokerdealferrarinegotiatetony teixeiraTonyTeixeiraThu, 03 Jan 2008 21:02:00 EST http://www.autoblog.com/feed/1075527/article-comments.xml http://www.autoblog.com/feed/2008/01/03/a1gp-boss-ecclestone-helped-broker-deal-with-ferrari/1075527/article-detail.xml 1075527 http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/teixlestone_thumbnail.jpg http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/01/teixlestone.jpg <![CDATA[60-year-old Fittipaldi to test Ferrari-powered A1 GP race car]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/18/60-year-old-fittipaldi-to-test-ferrari-powered-a1-gp-race-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/18/60-year-old-fittipaldi-to-test-ferrari-powered-a1-gp-race-car/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/18/60-year-old-fittipaldi-to-test-ferrari-powered-a1-gp-race-car/#commentsFiled under: ,

Former two-time Formula 1 champion and Indy 500 winner Emerson Fittipaldi has announced he will come out of retirement to test the new car being built by Ferrari for the A1 Grand Prix. The 60-year-old Fittipaldi, who is currently the head of A1 Team Brazil, never drove for Ferrari (he won his F1 titles with Lotus and McLaren) but is excited about getting seat time in a single-seater powered by the Prancing Horse. He also has high hopes that bringing Ferrari to the A1 GP will increase people's awareness of the racing series. "The Ferrari name alone is incredible and people are going to give A1GP more respect and we are going to be much bigger," he stated. Fittipaldi admitted that he has no intention of racing the car in the series, and will limit his time behind the wheel to purely testing. Follow the jump for the press release.

[Source: A1 Grand Prix]

Continue reading 60-year-old Fittipaldi to test Ferrari-powered A1 GP race car

60-year-old Fittipaldi to test Ferrari-powered A1 GP race car originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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