A serious contender for A1?

[climb]

Dunno whether it's the right forum for this thread, but I couldn't find another closer to the topic.

Italiaracing .net reports (english version available)

http://italiaracing.net/notizia.asp?id=14898&cat=4

that the current GP2 cars should be used next year for a winter series, called GP2 Asian series.

The teams should be run by the GP2 regular ones, like a junior series running in the winter.

Bernie's clear aim is to create a serious competitor for A1.

Has this piece of news been hinted elsewhere as well?

[strider]

Yes, it's been on most of the English websites for a while. I've posted a few links below.

To be honest, I tend to agree that it's not good news for A1GP. The Asian economy may be booming but there's no way it can support two series of this nature. Apparently the current generation of GP2 cars are all going to be shipped out to Asia at the end of the season, so it's looking like a done deal.

The problem I see is finding enough Asian drivers capable of driving the cars properly, but maybe other drivers would go out there to race.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/58436

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpa...s_art_id=31280

http://www.pitpass.com/fes_php/pitpa...s_art_id=31290

[duke_toaster]

I think that it could become a workable idea, what tracks would they run at though ...

Maybe it would be an F1 support event for some of the Asian races ...

[Kiwi3]

Who knows. Might be that Bernie is thinking of buying A1GP and is using his usual tactic of applying some pressure to lower the price.

[SALEEN S7R]

The GP2 winter series could end up working quite well for Asia, I forget when exactly but I think it is for the 2008 season that the A1 GP organisers are building new cars? New engines certainly. Back in Autosport a few months ago there was news that the new engines will be producing around 700-750bhp so similar I would imagine to what the new GP2 cars will be producing. If that is the case the current generation GP2 cars would fit in Asia quite well making it a perfect stepping stone for aspiring A1 GP drivers, at the moment all asia has is Formula Renault V6 asia with cars that have 370bhp and whilst the cars are not old they are getting older and the current GP2 cars would be a good replacement.

[Go_For_Pole]

Good luck to teams trying to find 20-odd drivers with 800k budget... Naah, Bernie is up to something, GP2 Asia seems like a bargaining tool

[Armco Bender]

Whoopee,....some series in Asia,with some drivers I never heard of,can hardly wait
Bernies losing a few marbles if he thinks thats going to kill off a world wide series like A1GP with that,but then Bernies been pretty good at killing off any other series thats challenged Formula Yawn/Arabia over the years.

[Kiwi3]

Apparently Bernie turned up at Brands and I don't think the reason is that he's a closet A1GP anorak.

If he isn't thinking of buying it he should. Why?

1. It would be cheap (as much as it pains me to say so).
2. It wouldn't be hard for him to grow it.
3. He could tie in TV deals with F1.
4. It would give him somewhere to park his old GP2 cars (just change some bodywork and repaint them).
5. He could gain income from circuits that can't/won't hold F1. For example the British A1GP round at Silverstone, Tiago Monteiro in the A1GP Portugal entry in a return to Estoril (properly promoted this time of course) etc etc.
6. It won't cannabalise F1/GP2. If you read official website forums you will see a lot of the people posted comments are new to motorsport (which I why I am staying here!). Brands did a survey and found that 28% of the attendees were completely new to motorsport. In other words it is a different consumer base for a different product.
7. All that would be left to rule the world would be to buy IRL and Champcars and merge them! OK just joking with this one.

An alternative scenario (and a horror one) is that he does see it as a long term threat, and would buy it to close it. I would hope he would never dare think such evil things, but look how closely F1 is looking at street circuits and new markets such as India, and then think of Karthikeyan growing interest in A1GP there, or the crowds we've seen in Durban...

Of course another scenario is that he'll leave it completely alone.

[strider]

Now that this has beeen officially confirmed there is another thread about it in National & International Single Seaters - http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=96856

I still don't think it's great news for A1GP, but we shall have to see. For me, A1GP will be far more interesting if they can keep it going.

[climb]

The problem is, which of the two series will promise more about possible F1 consequences for the entrants; honestly GP2 seems to be in a very better position.