Changes to A1GP World Cup of Motorsport Sporting Regulations to Add to Excitement

London, Great Britain, 11 August 2008 – The pressure will be even greater for the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport national teams when they go to Mugello, Italy for the start of season four in September. An extra mandatory pit stop is among the changes to the series’ Sporting Regulations planned to make the racing even more exciting with the extra stop having to be taken in the A1GP Sprint Race between laps four and eight.

“We never stop looking for ways of improving the action on the track. The two pit stops in the Feature Race have proved to be the really high pressure points of the events. We felt an additional one would not only add another variable into the Sprint Race mix, but also give the crews another opportunity to display their team work. When we sat down to discuss ways of improving the series from every viewpoint this was a popular addition. However, we have also made other changes that will give the teams greater flexibility in certain areas,” said Tony Teixeira, A1GP Chairman.

The unique qualifying format has also proved very popular with the spectators and to increase the drama and tension each of the four sessions have now been reduced from 15 to ten minutes with the same five minute break between each. Here the added pressure is on the drivers, as the Sprint Race grid is determined from each driver’s best time taken from sessions one and two and the Feature Race grid from sessions three and four.

Nations can and do use the Friday to try out young or less experienced drivers in the two Rookie and Developing Nation Sessions. This popular addition will continue, but now there will be no age limit and the gap between the two 30 minute sessions has increased from five to 20 minutes.

The duration of the Sprint Race, with its rolling start, has also been increased from 19 to 24 minutes plus one lap, while the Feature Race, from a standing start, remains at 69 minutes plus one lap. However, now the points’ allocation for the shorter race has also been reduced with them only going to the top eight on the scale of 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. The Feature Race remains the same with the top ten receiving points on the scale of 15, 12, 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

A1GP Testing Update: The A1GP World Cup of Motorsport test at Silverstone on the 19th and 20th August will no longer be a press event with teams attending, but a closed one with just the series test cars on the track. However, now the teams will be running at the two day test at Donington Park on the 9th and 11th September. This decision will ensure the teams will have exactly the same data and so be able to compare their track progress in relation to the other teams.

ABOUT A1GP WORLD CUP OF MOTORSPORT
Pitting nation against nation in the World Cup of Motorsport, A1GP unites 23 countries in a competition where human bravery, skill and excellence determine victory. Racing identical single-seat cars, the deliberately equalised technology allows countries as diverse as the USA, Lebanon, France, China and South Africa to compete on a level playing field.

With three days of on-track action, an A1GP event offers a rare opportunity for fans to interact with teams and drivers. Exclusively inclusive, A1GP brings the thrill of international motorsport to billions of fans across the globe.

Now preparing for its fourth season, A1GP takes in a mix of established world-famous venues plus exciting new state-of-the-art facilities and tight twisty street circuits, delivering high-speed adrenalin fuelled action at every turn.

Source: A1GP

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