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A1 GP Durban - Kwa-Zulu Natal
Providing the back drop to one of the most exciting races of the first season, Durban is bound to put on a great show for its second A1 event.
Jos Vertappen was the hero of the race in 2006, demonstrating the dangers and the glory of racing on such a narrow circuit, crashing out of the Sprint race, and winning the Feature race with an impressive overtaking maneuver on the last lap.
A1's first race in Durban was a maximum capacity event, with over 100,000 fans watching the action over the course of the race weekend. The enthusiastic and patriotic fans were the most vocal of the season, cheering on the local star, A1 Team South Africa driver, Stephen Simpson in his 'Vulindlela' car. |
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The 'Golden Mile', which lies alongside the A1 circuit, attracts many swimmers and surfers who enjoy the warm Indian Ocean. For those wishing to get a bit closer to the marine wildlife, uShaka Marine World, situated near the centre of Durban, provides the opportunity to get a closer look at fishes and sharks, including 'Ocean Walks', as the A1 drivers discovered when they visited in January 2006.
An entirely new concept in motor racing:
A1GP pits nation against nation in the “World Cup of Motorsport”
A level playing field:
Drivers from 23 nations compete as equals without financial or technological advantage
Inclusive not Exclusive:
Despite its glamorous profile, A1GP is both accessible and affordable to everyone
Speed and glamour combined:
A1GP offers a series of fast, adrenaline fueled weekends set in sensational locations across the world
High speed action at every turn:
Tight, twisty street circuits and world-famous venues guarantee excitement
A wider audience:
In addition to the traditional motorsport fan base, A1GP attracts a new audience passionate about their country and heritage
Interaction with teams & drivers:
Over three days of on-track action A1GP builds a close affinity between fans, teams and drivers
A new medium for national & international brands:
A1GP offers a unique opportunity for brand exposure on a global scale
Driving skills and national pride celebrated in the ‘World Cup of Motorsport’
A1GP is the first opportunity in any area of motorsport for nations to compete on a level playing field. It is a series where technology and innovation are deliberately equalised, making success dependent on human bravery and pure driving skill. Team and driver combine to create a performance advantage and the winning nation raises its flag in celebration.
A1GP is more than just another motorsport phenomenon; it's an entirely new concept. Pitting driver against driver and country against country for the first time in history, A1GP brings together 24 nations, representing 80 per cent of the world's population, to compete as equals, without financial or technological advantage.
A1GP has created a new medium for national and international brands and organisations to promote themselves on a global scale. Through the A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, they can join forces with their national teams to become a part of this unique sporting event.
The A1GP World Cup of Motorsport promotes countries and utilises the national patriotism instilled in every person on the planet not only attracting traditional motorsport and sporting fans but exciting anyone who is passionate about their heritage, country and population.
An A1GP event is a fast, exciting, adrenaline fueled weekend set in a glamorous and exclusive environment, yet affordable and accessible to all.
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.
Taking in a mix of established world-famous venues, exciting new state-of-the-art facilities and tight twisty street circuits, A1GP promises to deliver high-speed action at every turn.
RACE WEEKEND FORMAT
Practice Sessions - Friday
Two rookie sessions are held between 11.00 – 11.25 and 11.35-12.00 each Friday during race weekends to allow drivers under 28 or from developing nations to get to grips with the powerful 550-bhp A1GP cars and challenging race tracks.
Two one-hour general practice sessions are held for all other A1GP drivers from 14.00 to 15.00 on Friday and 11.00 to 12.00 on Saturday.
Qualifying – Saturday
Qualifying for the Sprint Race takes place on Saturday afternoon across four 15-minute sessions, between 14.15 and 15.30.
Each A1GP Team is limited to one ‘flying lap’ per session and at the end of qualifying the teams two fastest lap times are added together to set an aggregate qualifying time, which sets their start position for the Sprint Race.
Sprint Race and Feature Race – Sunday
The A1GP race weekend consists of two separate races.
Sprint Race
The Sprint Race runs from 11.00 local time on the Sunday morning for a maximum of 20 minutes with a rolling start.
Points are awarded to the top six finishers as follows.
1st Place – 6 Points
2nd Place – 5 Points
3rd Place – 4 Points
4th Place – 3 Points
5th Place – 2 Points
6th Place – 1 Point
The results of the Sprint Race determines the grid for the Feature Race.
Feature Race
The Feature race is a maximum of 70 minutes in duration with standing start and a mandatory pit stop. The Feature Race runs from 15.00 to 16.10 local time on the Sunday afternoon. Points are awarded to the top ten finishers for the Feature race as follows.
1st Place – 10 Points
2nd Place – 9 Points
3rd Place – 8 Points
4th Place - 7 Points
5th Place - 6 Points
6th Place – 5 Points
7th Place – 4 Points
8th Place – 3 Points
9th Place – 2 Points
10th Place – 1 Point
A bonus point is awarded to the fastest lap achieved by a team during the Sprint Race or Feature Race.
All points are allocated to the winning Nation and there are no driver points. A1GP is a team effort and a team sport. The Winner is the driver, team and most importantly the Nation.
Drivers
Only drivers who take part in at least one of the three practice sessions can take part in the races. Therefore a maximum of three drivers can take part at a race weekend.
Teams
The Nation’s technical team who work in the pits cannot exceed more than 10 people to maintain the level playing field concept across all participating teams.
Location: 800m from Durban town centre and 300m from the North Beach coastline, close to the Suncoast Casino and Entertainment World
Track length: 3.28 km / 2.04 miles
No. turns: 11
Direction: Clockwise
Lap record: 1:18.178, recorded by Nelson Piquet Jr, A1 Team Brazil in 2006
Address:
Brickhill road,
Durban,
Kwazulu-Natal,
South Africa
Providing the back drop to one of the most exciting races of the first season, Durban is bound to put on a great show for its second A1GP event.
A1 Team Netherlands’ Jos Vertappen was the hero of the race in 2006, demonstrating the dangers and the glory of racing on such a narrow circuit, crashing out of the Sprint race, and winning the Feature race with an impressive overtaking maneuver on the last lap.
A1GP’s first race in Durban was a maximum capacity event, with over 100,000 fans watching the action over the course of the race weekend. The enthusiastic and patriotic fans were the most vocal of the season, cheering on the local star, A1 Team South Africa driver, Stephen Simpson in his ‘Vulindlela’ car.
The ‘Golden Mile’, which lies alongside the A1GP circuit, attracts many swimmers and surfers who enjoy the warm Indian Ocean. For those wishing to get a bit closer to the marine wildlife, uShaka Marine World, situated near the centre of Durban, provides the opportunity to get a closer look at fishes and sharks, as the A1GP drivers discovered when they visited in January 2006.
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