Season five (2009-2010) Calender

[Armco Bender]

Race cars in lock-up

A LONDON freight company has locked up the A1GP cars due to race in next month's Nikon SuperGP but series bosses have promised 'we won't let the Gold Coast down'.

A1GP general manager Paul Cherry confirmed to the Weekend Bulletin yesterday its cars were being held under lock and key in London by the company DOT because of unpaid bills over last season's transport.

"There are some cars," he said, when asked if DOT had been holding the cars since May awaiting payment of unpaid bills said to be up to $1.9 million.

"We are working with DOT, obviously they have to protect their position and have taken some of the cars.

"They are working with us very well to ensure we are going to be there (on the Gold Coast) on October 16 even though we haven't ironed out all the commercial difficulties."

Mr Cherry said DOT planned to fly the cars to Australia for the Nikon SuperGP regardless.

"They are one of our major creditors but they are also one of our major supporters," he said.

"We are not going to let the Gold Coast down. We've got our hotels booked, freight booked, team uniforms ordered ... we are not doing all of this for a smokescreen."

Mr Cherry said its full calendar was ready to go but was awaiting FIA approval, which had been delayed because a Formula One hearing into race fixing had been given priority.

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/...oast-news.html

[Kiwi3]

Alex, thanks for posting the Zhuhai piece. What was the source?

Bad news for me as I was hoping to go to Zhuhai on Dec 6, I will be elsewhere on Nov 15 :-(

[AlexBlakeley]

The source is the FIA and many other sources.

The article is my site.

[Francis Albert]

And now this..

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/78767

[Peat]

It aint looking good. This is such a shame, was turning into a great little series.

In my opinion, they would have been better off sticking with the old car and engine for another few years, did the Ferrari link really add anything for the fans? I'm not so sure it mattered a jot.

[kerrmanningjarv]

We must remember though that the Ferrari deal was done prior to the global recession... it was announced in October 2007 but had obviously been negotiated prior to that.

Yes it has turned out to be a bad deal because it seems to have cost a fortune for little gain, but at the time I'm sure they thought it looked wonderful.

However I am very sceptical about the Autosport article because neither Ferrari or A1GP have commented - so how reliable can the story really be?

[steve nielsen]

If it was'nt true they would have said it, "no comment" usualy means it's true.

[Francis Albert]

A1GP announces 9 race calendar:

http://www.a1gp.com/News/NewsArticle...de=EN&teamId=1

[kerrmanningjarv]

"The nine event Season Five calendar, subject to FIA approval, includes four new race meetings in Australia, Brazil, Germany and The Netherlands.

It also has three that have been on an A1GP calendar once before, in China, South Africa and Portugal, and one twice before, in Mexico.

Meanwhile the series has raced in Malaysia in all four seasons to date."

Tony Teixeira, A1GP Chairman, said "I wanted to make sure we avoided that and so give our broadcasters, teams and fans something realistic. I also wanted to make sure the racing was good and varied. I am confident this calendar, that may still include at least one more event, will achieve our criteria for the series.”

Schedule is as follows:

1 25 October 2009 Australia (SuperGP)
2 15 November 2009 China (Circuit TBA - FIA schedule says Zhuhai)
3 06 December 2009 Malaysia (Sepang)
4 28 February 2010 South Africa (Kyalami)
5 14 March 2010 Brazil (Circuit TBA - presumably Interlagos)
6 21 March 2010 Mexico (Presumably Mexico City)
7 11 April 2010 Portugal (Algarve)
8 02 May 2010 Germany (Circuit TBA)
9 16 May 2010 The Netherlands (Assen)

No British or New Zealand rounds on the schedule, while the expected Lippo Village street race and rumoured races in India, Ireland and a 2nd in China have not come off. One of those may be the possible extra round.

Plus they have also announced a deal with IMG Sports Media, a global sports media company, which is good news as well.

[Kebab]

The few A1 employees left scramble to counter the bad publicity of the Autosport article ... it would be funny if so many people hadn't been screwed!

[Purist]

Anybody else think it's interesting that the Brazil round is the same date as the IndyCar Series season opener in Brazil?

[Kiwi3]

Originally Posted by kerrmanningjarv

Plus they have also announced a deal with IMG Sports Media, a global sports media company, which is good news as well.

On the contrary, it raises questions about why the deal with Octagon didn't produce anything. They need an agency to negotate media rights deals, it might as well be IMG but it could just as easily be Octagon, MP & Silva or anyone else.

[kerrmanningjarv]

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/...oast-news.html

This crap doesn't help! It is clearly the 2005-08 car for sale (the Lola) which must still be owned by Racing for Holland, who are going through tax difficulties. It is clearly not the current car and there is no indication that the Dutch team won't be at the SuperGP.

It's this kind of awful lazy reporting that gets everyone worried in the first place. They need to get their facts straight.

[kerrmanningjarv]

Originally Posted by Kiwi3

On the contrary, it raises questions about why the deal with Octagon didn't produce anything. They need an agency to negotate media rights deals, it might as well be IMG but it could just as easily be Octagon, MP & Silva or anyone else.

Well they did have live TV in many countries last year, so it's not like they were in the wilderness.

Although I agree that they definitely need more media exposure.

[kerrmanningjarv]

Originally Posted by Purist

Anybody else think it's interesting that the Brazil round is the same date as the IndyCar Series season opener in Brazil?

Very interesting indeed.

[Armco Bender]

I think you would have to say that its all over.

[rychard]

I expected them to send out a statement denying what Autosport published or what was published in Australia last Friday

[Mak]

Originally Posted by kerrmanningjarv

We must remember though that the Ferrari deal was done prior to the global recession... it was announced in October 2007 but had obviously been negotiated prior to that.

Yes it has turned out to be a bad deal because it seems to have cost a fortune for little gain, but at the time I'm sure they thought it looked wonderful.

However I am very sceptical about the Autosport article because neither Ferrari or A1GP have commented - so how reliable can the story really be?

We should remember that A1 ran up huge debts in the first 3 seasons despite being in the boom period. They then tried to trump this by doing a "fabulous deal" with Ferrari by paying them vast sums of money for nothing (branding rights) and still had to buy the engines and pay for service of the engines, again despite being in considerable debt already. A fabulous deal to me at the time would have been a free engine deal for advertising the Ferrari name around the world. Still TT does have a strange view on what is good business.
I think you may unfortunately find out in the next few days about the reliability of this article.

[diddy100]

lets hope the problems are overcome - this series could still be good - way above the Super League effort - also lets hope for a British round in 2010

[Kiwi3]

Originally Posted by diddy100

lets hope the problems are overcome - this series could still be good - way above the Super League effort - also lets hope for a British round in 2010

Can only hope someone with a pot of money sees the potential and buys it off the current owner I think.

[Armco Bender]

Can only hope someone with a pot of money sees the potential and buys it off the current owner I think.

Flavio Briatore..

[Kiwi3]

Originally Posted by Armco Bender

Flavio Briatore..

A1GP is also FIA sanctioned, it is the nonsense excuse given for the very late release of the calender!

[rychard]

After that story in Autosport I tried emailing the A1GP pr crew ..... no reply.
I used an email address that was on a recent press release.

[kerrmanningjarv]

Maybe they are busy sorting out their finances - I hope they are!

[Armco Bender]

Legal issues surrounding the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport are the greatest indication yet that the series will not make it to the Gold Coast for the Nikon SuperGP in October.

A1 Grand Prix Operations, a subsidiary of A1 Grand Prix Holdings, was put into compulsory liquidation on June 24 in England owing millions of dollars.

It is understood that A1GP Holdings, being the parent company of A1GP Operations, is laying claim to the 25 Ferrari-powered cars, which are due to touch down in Australia for testing at Queensland Raceway in the lead up to the October 22-25 Nikon SuperGP .

Freight company DOT is currently holding the open wheelers along with the series’ pace and medic cars in England because A1GP allegedly owes AU$6.5 million, while the liquidator of A1GP Operations has indicated it will produce evidence proving that company is the true owner of the cars.

http://www.bigpondsport.com/news/tab...d/default.aspx