A1 Team Thailand

[Kiwi3]

Someone is hoping to put a Thai team together:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/Motoring/...07_motor07.php

Actually it is not the first time a Thai team has been mooted, it was apparently discussed before the first season.

Nice little dig at James Grunwell when the article mentions "just another farang (foreigner) driving with a Thai license". Grunwell is the highest profile Thai driver currently.

[Mekola]

Will Tor Graves race for them???

[bkkdriver]

James Grunwell has British citizenship but he races with a Thai racing license due to his residency. He is not eligible to race for A1 team Thailand if that materialises.
A1 GP require that drivers race only for their countries.

Tor may have dual citizenship (British and Thai) but I am not sure. No offence, but i don't think his race cv is sparkling enough.

Personally, I think there are still 2-3 young Thai drivers who can step up to A1 when that chance arrive.

Nuttawut Charoensukawattana is a veteran racer who seems to be fit enough, but he knows he's lost the edge and would take one hell of a beg to ask him to at least test the A1 car.

[Kiwi3]

James Grunwell was born in Thailand and would be eligible. I have the A1 sporting regs at home which I can check later, but am 99.9% sure he would be eligible.

Until we see someone else at least step up to F. BMW Asia and perform then it's hard to know who else could drive. What are the others you are talking about doing? Karting?

[bkkdriver]

Thanks for the insight, Kiwi.

BTW, the BKK post article did not refer to James Grunwell in a negative sense.

that bit read
" Bobby is not a model/actor/pop singer who lends his fame to the motorsport nor is he a product of B50m international rally marketing - he's not a celebrity, not yet.
Also, perhaps, because he didn't go by the name Chawakij from the beginning, so people thought he was just another farang racing with a Thai license."
First part referred to Mana Pornsiricherd ,the second Thai to finish the Dakar and with Mitsubishi.

The second part, the writer was referring to Bobby not James.


FYI: A person born in Thailand does not automatically get a Thai citizenship unless at least either the mother or father is Thai.

It's just that Bobby told me about the nationality requirement.
My friend in M'sia had been told a driver could be a resident of the team country but he cannot change team afterwards.

I am verifying this with A1.

There's another Thai FBMWA graduate - Nattapol Horthongkham.

Another good driver is Vutthikorn who does the Porsche Asia Cup, but since he's also a businessman (he owns the Porsche distributor in Thailand), he may not be able to commit himself to A1.

[Kiwi3]

The Sporting Regs I have don't cover this point. I remember reading it somewhere and pretty sure the requirements are similar to football. Parentage is enough, or long term resident and able to speak the language of the country (or something slightly weird like that).