A logistical nightmare, cars being built and delivered late and to top it all, monsoon consitions to greet the first race day of the new A1GP season, but through it all, the series came out with an enhanced reputation thanks to 2 exciting races in which 3 teams dominated
SPRINT RACE
The dutch car driven by Jeroen Bleekemolen dominated qualifying to take pole in front of the home crowd, the only downside being 17 cars were to participate instead of the expected 23 because 6 teams (Germany, Great Britain, India, Canada, Mexico & Pakistan) did not recieve delivery of their cars in time. But we did see the debut for 2 brand new teams, Monaco and South Korea, the former qualifying in the top 5. The race however was started behind the safety car because of the terrible weather, there was drama as the safety car pulled in so the race could start as Ireland's Adam Carroll spun at Lyuendyk corner taking out both him and the Monaco car driven by Cilvio Piccione. As the sprint race progressed, the first 4 cars began to open up a sizeable lead and Bleekemolen, looked comfortable at the front until a mistake at the chicane let through New Zealand's Earl Bamber into the lead, and later on Bleekemolen woul lose a further 2 places to 2 hard chargers, Fairuz Fauzy (Malaysia) and Loic Duval (France), Fauzy himself would later catch Bamber and pass him coming out of Tarzan corner, and he would go on to win ahead of Bamber, Duval, Bleekemolen, Switzerland's Neel Jani and Adrian Zaugg finishing 6th for South Africa. Italy's Fabio Onidi and American Chalie Kimball rounded out the points scorers in a race shortened by the accident of Brazil's Felipe Guimaraes.
FEATURE RACE
Fauzy (thanks to his sprint win) sat on pole for the feature race again started behind the safety car. After it went in, the conditions worsened further as the rain fell heavier, Carroll and Kimball were 2 that were caught out early on and later Neel Jani retired with a flooded gearbox. Onidi and Zaugg both crashed out soon after meaning only 12 cars were still running after just 8 laps but even more controversy arose after the first round of pitstops. Jeroen Bleekemolen came into the pits again complaining of gearbox problems and demanding his steering wheel was changed, they didnt and Bleekemolen decided to persist with the problem until the 2nd round of pitstops.
Before that though, Satrio Hermanto (Indonesia) crashed out but Filipe Albuquerque (Portugal) suffered a very scary off himself which forced the safety car to come out, that meant only 10 cars were left running meaning the 2 debutants (Monaco & South Korea) and Lebanon (after 3 years of trying) would be guaranteed to score their first points. Out of all the madness though, France's Loic Duval had quietly kept the race lead ahead of Malaysia and New Zealand and this was the case after the 2nd round of pitstops. USA driver Charlie Kimball then spun off immediately after setting the fastest lap much to the disappointment of team boss Michael Andretti. 2 laps later though came the incident that ended the race.
Lebanon's Daniel Morad failed to brake for the first corner sending him into a terrifying spin, he went head on into the barrier taking China's Ho-Pin Tung with him, both drivers came out fine, this meant the race finished behind the safety car with Duval taking (by his standards) a pretty much straightforward win ahead of Fauzy and Bamber, only 7 cars officially finished the race.
NATIONS STANDINGS TOP 10
=1. Malaysia 22, =1. France 22, 3. New Zealand 18, 4. Netherlands 11, 5. Australia 8, 6. Monaco 5, =7. South Korea 4, =7. Switzerland 4, =9. South Africa 3, =9. USA 3
DRIVERS TOP 10
=1. Fairuz Fauzy 22, =1. Loic Duval 22, 3. Earl Bamber 18, 4. Jeroen Bleekemolen 11, 5. John Martin 8, 6. Cilvio Piccione 5, =7. Jin-Woo Hwang 4, =7. Neel Jani 4, =9 Adrian Zaugg 3, =9. Charlie Kimball 3
SPRINT RACE
The dutch car driven by Jeroen Bleekemolen dominated qualifying to take pole in front of the home crowd, the only downside being 17 cars were to participate instead of the expected 23 because 6 teams (Germany, Great Britain, India, Canada, Mexico & Pakistan) did not recieve delivery of their cars in time. But we did see the debut for 2 brand new teams, Monaco and South Korea, the former qualifying in the top 5. The race however was started behind the safety car because of the terrible weather, there was drama as the safety car pulled in so the race could start as Ireland's Adam Carroll spun at Lyuendyk corner taking out both him and the Monaco car driven by Cilvio Piccione. As the sprint race progressed, the first 4 cars began to open up a sizeable lead and Bleekemolen, looked comfortable at the front until a mistake at the chicane let through New Zealand's Earl Bamber into the lead, and later on Bleekemolen woul lose a further 2 places to 2 hard chargers, Fairuz Fauzy (Malaysia) and Loic Duval (France), Fauzy himself would later catch Bamber and pass him coming out of Tarzan corner, and he would go on to win ahead of Bamber, Duval, Bleekemolen, Switzerland's Neel Jani and Adrian Zaugg finishing 6th for South Africa. Italy's Fabio Onidi and American Chalie Kimball rounded out the points scorers in a race shortened by the accident of Brazil's Felipe Guimaraes.
FEATURE RACE
Fauzy (thanks to his sprint win) sat on pole for the feature race again started behind the safety car. After it went in, the conditions worsened further as the rain fell heavier, Carroll and Kimball were 2 that were caught out early on and later Neel Jani retired with a flooded gearbox. Onidi and Zaugg both crashed out soon after meaning only 12 cars were still running after just 8 laps but even more controversy arose after the first round of pitstops. Jeroen Bleekemolen came into the pits again complaining of gearbox problems and demanding his steering wheel was changed, they didnt and Bleekemolen decided to persist with the problem until the 2nd round of pitstops.
Before that though, Satrio Hermanto (Indonesia) crashed out but Filipe Albuquerque (Portugal) suffered a very scary off himself which forced the safety car to come out, that meant only 10 cars were left running meaning the 2 debutants (Monaco & South Korea) and Lebanon (after 3 years of trying) would be guaranteed to score their first points. Out of all the madness though, France's Loic Duval had quietly kept the race lead ahead of Malaysia and New Zealand and this was the case after the 2nd round of pitstops. USA driver Charlie Kimball then spun off immediately after setting the fastest lap much to the disappointment of team boss Michael Andretti. 2 laps later though came the incident that ended the race.
Lebanon's Daniel Morad failed to brake for the first corner sending him into a terrifying spin, he went head on into the barrier taking China's Ho-Pin Tung with him, both drivers came out fine, this meant the race finished behind the safety car with Duval taking (by his standards) a pretty much straightforward win ahead of Fauzy and Bamber, only 7 cars officially finished the race.
NATIONS STANDINGS TOP 10
=1. Malaysia 22, =1. France 22, 3. New Zealand 18, 4. Netherlands 11, 5. Australia 8, 6. Monaco 5, =7. South Korea 4, =7. Switzerland 4, =9. South Africa 3, =9. USA 3
DRIVERS TOP 10
=1. Fairuz Fauzy 22, =1. Loic Duval 22, 3. Earl Bamber 18, 4. Jeroen Bleekemolen 11, 5. John Martin 8, 6. Cilvio Piccione 5, =7. Jin-Woo Hwang 4, =7. Neel Jani 4, =9 Adrian Zaugg 3, =9. Charlie Kimball 3
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