Series Five (2009-2010) Entry list

[Armco Bender]

Don't phone the undertaker just yet,latest installment...

Tyres 'on way' as A1GP seeks court reprieve

MORE than 500 tyres are en route to Australia and two new A1GP teams are set to line up on the grid at this month's SuperGP, according to event organisers.

Having overcome a series of hurdles to the race making the starting grid, series bosses have told The Bulletin that all of its race gear is on its way or about to be shipped to Australia.

A1 general manager Paul Cherry said seven sets of tyres for each of the 20 teams lining up for the Gold Coast SuperGP were already headed our way.

"The tyres are already on their way, they are coming directly from France," said Mr Cherry from London.

"And I've just been out at Stansted Airport where half of our equipment is now in containers ready to be sent to the Gold Coast.

...http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/...t-supergp.html

[Mak]

I can only imagine the court hearing did not go well as all creditors have not been payed by yesterdays deadline.

Quote: "Now we have to go back to court to come out of administration.

"We need to prove that we have the funding to meet our financial obligations."

When Mr Teixeira announced the new financial structure last week, he promised to repay all creditors by the October 6 hearing (London time).

"Our intention is to settle all our outstanding creditors prior to the administration hearing, and would like to thank them for their patience and support," he said.

[Armco Bender]

Well looks like at least the Gold Coast get 500 tyres to look at.

[Kebab]

This sounds like what happened to GBR, only on a bigger scale ... no doubt the assets will mysteriously disappear and a new company formed to go racing.

[Mak]

I think this is all looks like another shifty managment deal. They must have thought they could let A1 operations go into liquidation, writing off their debts and keep all the assets. Fortunately DOT were awake and held the cars and equipment. Now it looks like they have to honour there debts in order to move forward. TT likes to let everone know how successful a businessman he is, and how he has made Billions, well maybe he should take responsibility for his bad decisions and do the right thing and save jobs. I doubt he will thou! He will just let it go than use his own funds.

[Petrol Head]

This does not look good guys. A1 has come back from the dead on several ocassions but this really could be it this time.

Hope i'm wrong as there are a lot of jobs and fans on the line. Ironic that A1 would be racing in front of its biggest crowd ever - anyway fingers crossed.

[rychard]

I can't even get a response from any of the email addresses I have for A1 ......

[mark_l]

When are the teams due to arrive in the Gold Coast?

I was interested to read in Autosport that Ian Barnwell, A1GP Freight and Logistics boss has left and is restarting his own race team, Team Firstair.

When I went to the 1000km race at Silverstone last month I noticed the A1GP air freight boxes in the yard of the unit that A1GP used to rent, but when they have moved to Bognor Regis why are the freight boxes still in Northamptonshire.

[dave not neil]

The article doesn't actually say that he has left A1.

And A1 has never moved to Bognor. The new car was produced there, at URT Composites, but the operational base of A1 has always been at Silverstone.

But given that it looks increasingly more likely that Superleague Formula will replace A1GP at Surfers Paradise, I would say thats game over for A1.

[cptkablamo]

dave - I could live with Superleague - those cars are awesome! - do you have a link???

Both use Michelin, and I guess the tyre specs would be similar...

[dave not neil]

No link, just insider 'knowledge' from a very disgruntled A1 Mechanic

[ASRoma]

Even if superleague cars are nice, the level of the championship is nowhere close to a1... the standard of driving last year was very very good in a1

I once talked to the chief engineer from ferrari and he told me he was really really impressed by some of the guys

[Kiwi3]

Originally Posted by dave not neil

But given that it looks increasingly more likely that Superleague Formula will replace A1GP at Surfers Paradise, I would say thats game over for A1.

Does not make any sense at all. Australian public would not relate to it and the Queensland Govt would not back it.

[cptkablamo]

I guess that if they had a choice between Superleague and nothing, they will choose Superleague...IF it did happen, and it is a big IF...I can't see it being for more than 1 year...

[cos]

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns21908.html

A1GP boss Tony Teixeira has won a court case to win the release of the cars that have been held since the end of the last A1GP season by a freight company that is claiming it is owed $2m.

Teixeira says that he will have 17 cars in Australia.

Off-topic, but did anyone else hear Gareth Jones' A1GP/Monty Python Dead Parrot sketch on his latest podcast?

[Bodysnatcher]

On A1GP's own site they have put up a press relase about having 19 cars (*subject to change) at Surfer's Paradise.

However, looking at the list the first 4 are given as
A1 team countryname,
the other 15 as just countryname

To a sceptical reader like me, this looks like there might just be 4 A1 cars, with the rest being something else wrapped up in country colours. (Superformula cars?). This allows TT to stage an event and keep the cash coming, without actually having to get the majority of cars out of hock?

[Bodysnatcher]

Doh!, the page has now changed and all now listed as team A1GP countryname bang goes that conspiracy theory.
I thought the master magician had pulled it off at the last moment, again

[Kiwi3]

No Malaysia for the first round - http://thestar.com.my/sports/story.a...581&sec=sports

Pakistan is listed, so I guess they will no show and it will be 18...

[Kebab]

I wonder whether A1 can find enough people they haven't scammed to run the cars, etc. ...

[Mak]

Originally Posted by Kebab

I wonder whether A1 can find enough people they haven't scammed to run the cars, etc. ...

Just run with the ones they have already scammed!

[Kebab]

Originally Posted by Mak

Just run with the ones they have already scammed!

Are there really that many people desperate/dumb enough to work for these clowns again?!

[Lam Pak]

i hop they scam astromega. team china deserves beter team. everybody fancy a beter team for china.

[csirl]

Now that the country list has been release, the next question is:

Who will be driving for each country? Anyone know the driver lineup?

[strider]

Here is Autosport's list of the teams, but there is no mention of who the drivers will be.

Adam Carroll, for one, is thought still to be chasing an F1 drive and I did read somewhere that Nell Jani had similar ideas.

I think any motorsport money from Malaysia will head towards the Lotus F1 project and Fairuz Fauzy is thought likely to be one of the drivers, so that's probably the real reason for Malaysia's absence from the list.

I suppose Teixeira has to put on a brave face but, really, who does he think he's kidding?

[ASRoma]

Let's not be too harsh with A1 GP. People can criticize the management but I tell you that most of the drivers are very happy to drive there and that hundreds would love to drive there. The championship was always very good and it was good to have another "Monoseater professional series."

Ok Carroll and Jani are trying to get to F1, but I sincerely doubt they will get there and they were really happy to drive in A1 GP when they had nothing else. Fauzy will only get to F1 because of his money and he is not F1 standard, and has never really been a great front runner in A1.

Ok TT is a special character and he sometimes do not respect the people who are working hard such as the mechanics, but I tell you most drivers would like to drive in A1GP.