Welcome To All About The A1GP!

(Scroll down for the current championship standings)

What is A1 Grand Prix?

A1 Grand Prix is the first opportunity in motorsport for nations to compete on a level playing field. The technology is deliberately equalised so performance is determined by human bravery and skill. Team and driver combine to represent their country and compete against other countries.

A1 Grand Prix is a new sport -- The World Cup of Motorsport. Putting driver up against driver and country up against country for the first time ever, A1 Grand Prix (a.k.a. The World Cup of Motorsport), will bring together 25 nations representing 80 per cent of the world's population to compete on a level playing field.

A1 Grand Prix has created a new way for national and international brands to promote themselves to a global market. Through The World Cup of Motorsport they can join forces with their national teams to be part of this unique and brand new sporting event.

What does 'A1' mean?

The name 'A1' encapsulates the two key aspects of the World Cup of Motorsport, unity and excellence.

In most languages, 'A1' is In most languages, 'A1' is a term used to describe the very best and this is what A1 Grand Prix is all about: the pinnacle of driver skill and national pride combined.

Car Spec's and Some Interesting Facts:

A technical look at the cars taking part in the A1 Grand Prix Of Nations - keeping in mind that they are all kept to the exact same standards in engines and aerodynamics to level the playing field.

The look of the car itself was inspired by what Sheikh Maktoum regards as a good looking race car. Hey, if you're the boss then they have to listen to you, right?

Sheikh-Maktoum-With-A1-GP-Car

Aerodynamics: Also very much at the front of developer's minds was the need for excitement in the sport in the form of overtaking; a problem with cars at high speeds with high downforce. What happens, generally speaking, is a very high volume of dirty air (by dirty air I mean unstable and not unclean) is flung out behind the car generating the high downforce. This means the car immediately behind loses downforce and this in turn makes it very difficult for passing as the vehicle following becomes difficult to handle. What the developers of the A1 GP cars have created is a car that creates a very small pocket of dirty air and at the same time engineered the front wing in a way that would allow close following and therefore a lot of passing to happen throughout a race.

The chassis is made and designed by Lola International and is made up of a core of aluminium honeycomb surrounded by a carbon fibre skin. This results in a one-piece safety cell tub which has proven to be incredibly resistant to twisting (a good thing).

The Vital Statistics: Sheikh-Maktoum-With-A1GP-Engine-Picture
Weight: About 600kg
Gearbox: 6-speed sequential with paddle-shift
Engine Size: 3.4 litre V8
Valve-Train: 4 OH Cams and 4 valves per cylinder
Max Power: 412kW or 520bhp
Fuel Tank: 135 litres

Another addition to the cars to create exciting racing is the Powerboost: This is a driver-activated system which boosts the car to it's maximum of 550bhp at the touch of a button. Each driver has a limited number of times he can use this option (about 8 times in a feature race) and once he has activated it it will stay at the boosted power until he lifts his foot off the accelerator. This has to make for some exciting passes and surely some great defensive manoeuvres as well.

**Current Championship Standings:**
Position	Team	Points
1.	France	92
2.	Sweden	65
3.	Brazil	60
4.	New Zealand	42
5.	Great Britain	38
6.	Malaysia	32
7.	Netherlands	32
8.	Ireland	29
9.	Portugal	29
10.	Australia	26
11.	Canada	20
12.	Czech Republic	16
13.	Mexico	16
14	USA	13
15.	Italy	12
16.	Germany	11
17.	Japan	6
18.	South Africa	6
19.	Indonesia	5
20.	Pakistan	4
21.	Austria	1
22.	China	0
23.	India	0
24	Lebanon	0
25.	Russia	0