2007–08 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Australia

The 2007–08 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Australia is an A1 Grand Prix race held on 3 February 2008 at the Eastern Creek Raceway in Sydney, Australia. This was the sixth race in the 2007–08 A1 Grand Prix season.

2007–08 A1GP of Australia
Race Details
Race 6 of 10 in the 2007–08 A1 Grand Prix season
Date3 February 2008
LocationEastern Creek Raceway
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Weathervariable (dry and wet)
Sprint race
Qualifying
Pole France (Loïc Duval)
Time1'18.149
Podium
1st France (Loïc Duval)
2nd New Zealand (Johnny Reid)
3rd Canada (Robert Wickens)
Fastest Lap
FL France (Loïc Duval)
Time1'19.350, (Lap 2)
Feature race
Qualifying
Pole New Zealand (Jonny Reid)
Time1'18.578
Podium
1st South Africa (Adrian Zaugg)
2nd Switzerland (Neel Jani)
3rd Great Britain (Robbie Kerr)
Fastest Lap
FL South Africa (Adrian Zaugg)
Time1'39.034, (Lap 33)
Official Classifications
PDF Booklet

Pre-race

Fairuz Fauzy who drove in the inaugural 2005–06 season replace this weekend Alex Yoong in the A1 Team Malaysia car.[1] Yoong had the longest run of consecutive starts with 45 successive starts.

For his home race, A1 Team Australia renamed its cars as Jackaroo.[2] The name was chosen between the Australian symbol propositions done by fan in the official team site.

Since Taupo round, A1GP cars used a 30 per cent biofuel mix. A1 Grand Prix continued its environmental campaign in Australia using electric generators for all the paddock's temporary and ancillary structures provided by Active Power Management and initiated by THINK Greener Racing.[3]

Qualifications

Once again, the practice sessions were dominated by France in Friday wet and Saturday humid weather conditions.[4][5]

On Friday night, Portugal practice their pit stops and a tyre gun hose that became disconnected hit accidentally the leg of James Goodfield, the race engeener of the next door garage, Great Britain.[6] James Goodfield sustain a broken leg and was carry up to the hospital.

Chris Alajajian, driver of the Lebanon, made a mistake on his first out lap for Sprint race qualifying spinning and hitting the tyre barriers at Turn 5.[7] The car was too much damaged to complete a flying lap during qualifying sessions. Lebanon after hard work to repair the car during the night, start the both Sunday races from the last grid position.

Canada was penalised because its driver, Robert Wickens, did not respect blue flags during the feature race qualifying hamping Sérgio Jimenez (Brazil).[8] Robert Wickens lost his 8th qualifying position to 21st.

Sprint race qualifications
Pos Team Time Gap
1 France 1'18.149 -
2 Switzerland 1'18.218 +0.069
3 South Africa 1'18.243 +0.094
4 New Zealand 1'18.368 +0.219
5 China 1'18.370 +0.221
6 USA 1'18.464 +0.315
7 Germany 1'18.632 +0.483
8 Great Britain 1'18.649 +0.500
9 Australia 1'18.690 +0.541
10 Netherlands 1'18.804 +0.655
11 Brazil 1'18.811 +0.662
12 Ireland 1'18.929 +0.780
13 India 1'19.004 +0.855
14 Czech Republic 1'19.099 +0.950
15 Canada 1'19.197 +1.048
16 Malaysia 1'19.384 +1.235
17 Portugal 1'19.492 +1.343
18 Pakistan 1'19.623 +1.474
19 Mexico 1'19.785 +1.636
20 Italy 1'19.975 +1.826
21 Indonesia 1'20.154 +2.005
22 Lebanon (1) no time -
Main race qualifications
Pos Team Time Gap
1 New Zealand 1'18.578 -
2 Switzerland 1'18.590 +0.012
3 Great Britain 1'18.720 +0.142
4 China 1'18.825 +0.247
5 France 1'18.829 +0.251
6 South Africa 1'18.922 +0.344
7 USA 1'18.976 +0.398
8 Czech Republic 1'19.232 +0.654
9 Brazil 1'19.235 +0.657
10 Malaysia 1'19.252 +0.674
11 Netherlands 1'19.487 +0.909
12 Germany 1'19.516 +0.938
13 Mexico 1'19.529 +0.951
14 Australia 1'19.611 +1.033
15 Ireland 1'19.706 +1.128
16 Portugal 1'19.733 +1.155
17 Pakistan 1'19.852 +1.274
18 India 1'19.878 +1.300
19 Italy 1'20.051 +1.473
20 Indonesia 1'20.133 +1.555
21 Canada (2) 1'19.199 +0.621
22 Lebanon (1) no time -
  • (1) = No time for A1 Team Lebanon due to crash during Sprint qualifying.
  • (2) = A1 Team Canada was penalised for blue flag disrecpet, losing its 8th position.

Sprint race

This race is known as 'the race of two-halves' due to the track being dry in the first half with 27 °C, then become extremely difficult and wet.[9] In first lap, the order is France, Switzerland, South Africa, New Zealand, Great Britain with a great start from the 8th, China, Germany and USA. Pakistan crash out in the first lap. Loïc Duval (France) made the fastest lap in Lap 2 and is pulling away.
In lap 7, the rain start and Adrian Zaugg (South Africa) is slipping down at Turn 1. Narain Karthikeyan (India) is going off too. Great Britain and Indonesia enter into the pits for wet tyres in lap 9. Cong Fu Cheng (China) spins off in Lap 10, Adam Carroll (Ireland) the next lap.
Robert Wickens (Canada) made an amazing race. He passes Ireland and Netherlands in Lap 11 takink 7th. At Turn 1, next lap, it grabs the 4th position passing four cars including Germany. One lap before the end of the Sprint race, France is leading followed by New Zealand, Switzerland, Canada, Germany, USA, Australia and South Africa.
Neel Jani (Switzerland) spin in the final lap. Loïc Duval (France) in his final round of racing for this A1GP season due to commitments in Japan, converted his pole position with a very comfortable win and breaking the 37-race win-drought, when France was a dominant team in A1GP's debut season. The final standing is France, New Zealand, Canada taking advantage of the rain and took a chance on not switching for wet tyre to climb from 15th, Germany, USA, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Netherlands and Switzerland in 10th.

Pos Team Driver Laps Time Points
1 France Loïc Duval 14 20'18.536 15+1
2 New Zealand Jonny Reid 14 +9.198 12
3 Canada Robert Wickens 14 +11.016 10
4 Germany Michael Ammermüller 14 +11.929 8
5 USA Jonathan Summerton 14 +12.604 6
6 Australia John Martin 14 +14.210 5
7 South Africa Adrian Zaugg 14 +14.523 4
8 Brazil Sérgio Jimenez 14 +30.260 3
9 Netherlands Jeroen Bleekemolen 14 +33.471 2
10 Switzerland Neel Jani 14 +33.806 1
11 India Narain Karthikeyan 14 +44.742
12 Portugal João Urbano 14 +46.131
13 Italy Edoardo Piscopo 14 +46.196
14 China Cong Fu Cheng 14 +49.423
15 Ireland Adam Carroll 14 +50.300
16 Great Britain Robbie Kerr 14 +56.715
17 Mexico David Garza Perez 14 +1'02.846
18 Czech Republic Tomáš Enge 14 +1'03.033
19 Lebanon Chris Alajajian 14 +1'05.029
20 Malaysia Fairuz Fauzy 14 +1'20.880
21 Indonesia Satrio Hermanto 14 +1'22.642
Ret Pakistan Adam Langley-Khan 1 +13 laps

Main race

It's 25 °C and soaking wet for the Main race.[10] Jonny Reid (New Zealand), having qualified pole, halt on track after quitting the stand and must start the race from the pitlane. Loïc Duval (France), qualified fifth, is stuck on the grid at the start of the formation lap and must start the race second to last.
After the first lap, Ireland and India enter in pit to change their slicks tyres to wets. The order is Switzerland, Great Britain, South Africa, Brazil, USA, China, Germany, Czech Republic, Netherlands, and Canada. In the third lap, New Zealand is 19th and France 14th. Robert Wickens (Canada) grab the 9th to Tomáš Enge (Czech Republic) in Lap 3. In lap 7, New Zealand is already 14th and France in points at 10th. During Lap 9, Pakistan run off without damage. In the next lap, João Urbano (Portugal) spin off trying passes Chris Alajajian (Lebanon) who run off too. Pakistan, Czech Republic and China receive a drive-through penalty for making a false start. The pit window is now open in Lap 10.
Switzerland and Great Britain pit at same time and leave the stand in the same order. In Lap 13, South Africa leads France by 21 seconds but neither have made their pit stop. Adrian Zaugg (South Africa) take the lead after a quick pit stop in Lap 15. In the same lap, Robbie Kerr (Great Britain) run wide and lost a few seconds meanwhile Jonathan Summerton (USA) has gone off and Robert Wickens (Canada) passes. Finally, France makes is mandatory pit stop and South Africa set the current fastest lap in Lap 16.
After the pit window close, Canada and USA fight for 6th in Lap 17. Loïc Duval (France) join the battle and try to passes Jonathan Summerton (USA). In Lap 22, France hit USA, who give up, and receive a drive-through penalty for avoidable collision. Two laps before the opening of the pit for the second mandatories stops in Lap 26, John Martin (Australia) passes Robert Wickens (Canada).
Cong Fu Cheng (China) loses is 11th to 13th after spin in Lap 28, Satrio Hermanto spin also at turn 1, 2 laps after that. Switzerland takes the fasted lap. During his pit stop on lap 31, the French car have a clutch failure and Loïc Duval must renounce. Canada passes Germany for 6th and South Africa takes again the fasted lap on Lap 33. Later, Cong Fu Cheng (China) passes Narain Karthikeyan (India) fot 10th.
The 42nd lap is the last and South Africa win 19.560 seconds behind Switzerland, Great Britain, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand and China. New Zealand and France are now tied leading the championship with 96 points.

Pos Team Driver Laps Time Points
1 South Africa Adrian Zaugg 42 1:12'00.930 15+1
2 Switzerland Neel Jani 42 +19.560 12
3 Great Britain Robbie Kerr 42 +25.194 10
4 Brazil Sérgio Jimenez 42 +42.770 8
5 Australia John Martin 42 +1'08.647 6
6 Canada Robert Wickens 42 +1'10.321 5
7 Germany Christian Vietoris 42 +1'16.299 4
8 Netherlands Jeroen Bleekemolen 42 +1'17.155 3
9 New Zealand Jonny Reid 42 +1'22.447 2
10 China Cong Fu Cheng 42 +1'33.913 1
11 India Narain Karthikeyan 42 +1'35.414
12 Pakistan Adam Langley-Khan 42 +1'39.496
13 Ireland Adam Carroll 41 +1 lap
14 Italy Edoardo Piscopo 41 +1 lap
15 Czech Republic Tomáš Enge 41 +1 lap
16 Portugal João Urbano 41 +1 lap
17 Malaysia Fairuz Fauzy 41 +1 lap
18 Mexico David Garza Perez 41 +1 lap
19 Lebanon Chris Alajajian 40 +2 laps
20 Indonesia Satrio Hermanto 39 +3 laps
Ret France Loïc Duval 31 +11 laps
Ret USA Jonathan Summerton 20 +22 laps

After race

Due to commitment to race in Japan (Formula Nippon and Super GT) agreed before the start of the A1GP season, Loïc Duval announced he will not drive for France for the final three rounds of the 2007–08.[11] His participation for the next South African round on 24 February was only confirmed 22 February.[12]

Notes

References
  1. Fauzy replaces Yoong at Malaysia a1gp.com (30 January 2008)
  2. Australia names its race car a1gp.com (30 January 2008)
  3. Paddock generators go green a1gp.com (2 February 2008)
  4. France edges Friday practice a1gp.com (1 February 2008)
  5. France on top before qualifying a1gp.com (2 February 2008)
  6. GBR suffers race engineer set back a1gp.com (2 February 2008)
  7. Alajajian 'gutted' after error a1gp.com (2 February 2008)
  8. Canada loses Feature grid slot a1gp.com (2 February 2008)
  9. Sprint race: lap-by-lap a1gp.com (2 February 2008)
  10. Feature race: lap-by-lap a1gp.com (3 February 2008)
  11. France set to change driver a1gp.com (3 February 2008)
  12. The Three Musketeers a1gp.com (21 February 2008)
  13. Rookies combined Archived 7 February 2008 at the Wayback Machine results.a1gp.com (1 February 2008)
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