A1GP end of season awards

[RichardRenes]

Since there was no end-of-year ball, and since we're not sure whether these awards will be announced this season, I decided to do these myself untill A1 bothers to do them.

Soooo:

World champion: A1 Team Ireland
Runners up: A1 Team Switserland
Number 3: A1 Team Portugal
Best event 2008-2009: Gauteng
Most improved team: A1 Team Australia
Rookie of the year: JR Hildebrand jr. *
Most spectacular overtaking move: Dan Clarke vs John Martin at Brands Hatch
Best Fans: A1 Team Netherlands
PR Excellence: A1 Team Australia
Most Improved driver: John Martin (AUS)
Best pitcrew: A1 Team Australia
Rebuild award: A1 Team Brazil
Broken promises award: A1 Team Pakistan shared with A1GP management.

Off course, every award except the top 3 is open for discussion

* for rookie award, I have used the definition as someone who was/ is eligeable for rookie sessions at the start of the year.

[kerrmanningjarv]

I think I actually agree with all of them Rich... good choices.

World champion: A1 Team Ireland
Runners up: A1 Team Switserland
Number 3: A1 Team Portugal
Best event 2008-2009: Gauteng (good racing on a track they hadn't visited before, and not a bad crowd)
Most improved team: A1 Team Australia (really impressed me this year)
Rookie of the year: JR Hildebrand Jr. (spectacular race debut at Brands Hatch)
Most spectacular overtaking move: Dan Clarke vs John Martin at Brands Hatch (of course )
Best Fans: A1 Team Netherlands (for coming out in their droves at Zandvoort and getting drenched, also for their vocal support at Brands Hatch. Irish fans a close second)
PR Excellence: A1 Team Australia (their website always carries up to date, interesting news and articles)
Most Improved driver: John Martin (AUS) (went from midfield to upper midfield, could have scored a win if circumstances allowed. Will win on the Gold Coast if he stays with the team, in my opinion )
Best pitcrew: A1 Team Australia (fastest, what more can we say?)
Rebuild award: A1 Team Brazil (Felipe G. seemed to crash at every round and somehow they managed to repair it each time, except the Brands Hatch races)
Broken promises award: A1 Team Pakistan ("We will race in Taupo" - nope; "We will race in Kyalami" - nope; "We will race in Portugal" - nope; "I'll race at Brands if my racing commitments allow" - nope. Disgraceful)

[kerrmanningjarv]

I propose to add a few new awards too:

Best Website: Australia, was always updated and all the team members have profiles on there
Best Livery: I have to say I loved the GBR one this year, maybe it's biased but what the hell?

[diabloA1]

I'm inclined to say:

Best Website: Malaysia. Tonnes of stuff in there. You really must have a look. NZL site is cool too but not updated enough I think
Best Livery: Portugal. One of my personal favourites.

[kerrmanningjarv]

BTW just reconsidered, and perhaps Portugal could be most improved team - midfielders for most of last year, title contenders this year. Hard to call.

[RichardRenes]

Yes, but Portugal was allready climbing out when they switched drivers last season Australia stuck with John Martin, and he didn't let them down.

[ASRoma]

Best event 2008-2009: Gauteng
Most improved team: A1 Team Australia/A1 Team Lebanon
Rookie of the year: Nicolas Prost and Earl Bamber. Most spectacular overtaking move: Fauzy on Martin at Chengdu
Best Fans: A1 Team Ireland
Broken promises award:1 Algarve Event - Average track, few spectators

[RichardRenes]

Bamber and Prost both had excellent 1st weekends, and then they sank to or below the average... I do not know if Hildebrand will stay on top.. He has the benefit of his first raceweekend being the last weekend of the season

[kerrmanningjarv]

I thought the Algarve track was very exciting and gave us good racing. The only negative for me was that it seemed to be in the middle of nowhere so it didn't have much scenery.

[Kiwi3]

Good idea for a thread RR.

I have added a couple at the end:

Best event 2008-2009: Gauteng
Most improved team: Portugal (tempted to say NED)
Rookie of the year: Robert Doornbos (NED) – if I may ignore RR’s criteria a bit
Most spectacular overtaking move: Zahir Ali on Marco Andretti, Gauteng
Best Fans: Netherlands
PR Excellence: Malaysia
Most Improved driver: John Martin (AUS)
Best pitcrew: A1 Team Australia
Rebuild award: A1 Team Brazil
Broken promises award: Adam Khan
Went backwards award: New Zealand
Underperformed award: Marco Andretti
Worst event: Chengdu
Personality of the Year: Adam Carroll
A1GP Staunch Supporter: Mark Gallagher (IRL), commendation to Alan Jones (AUS)

[kerrmanningjarv]

http://gpworld-online.com/your-vote/...=17799&lang=en

The site GPWorld-Online is running its own A1GP awards in a similar vein to this... you can choose your picks for a number of different awards. The results will then be posted on the closing date of 11th May.

[kerrmanningjarv]

Anyone who has not yet voted in GPWorld-Online's awards has until 13:00 GMT (14:00 BST) tomorrow (Monday 11th May 2009) to vote - make your choices, there's time left!

Results will be announced after 16:00 GMT (17:00 BST) tomorrow, once the results have been collated.

[strider]

Originally Posted by kerrmanningjarv

I thought the Algarve track was very exciting and gave us good racing. The only negative for me was that it seemed to be in the middle of nowhere so it didn't have much scenery.

Apparently it was so much in the middle of nowhere that even the locals couldn't give directions and those who rely on sat-navs found themselves totally abandoned.

[kerrmanningjarv]

Well hopefully as the track gets older, they build more sign posts and educate the locals as to where it is .

[kerrmanningjarv]

GPWorld-Online A1GP Award Results are now in.

http://tinyurl.com/gpa1awards

[strider]

Originally Posted by kerrmanningjarv

Well hopefully as the track gets older, they build more sign posts and educate the locals as to where it is .

Yes, of course. BF3 has its penultimate round there in September, so there's a target for sorting it out!