Why I'm not at the A1 Grand Prix?

You’d think someone who’d trek across the Tasman to the Australian Grand Prix would drive a few hours down the road to the A1 Grand Prix at Taupo. You’d be wrong. For some reason A1 Grand Prix does nothing for me. I’m not knocking the efforts of the Kiwi Team or brilliant contribution from Colin Giltrap and sponsors. It’s just that the series doesn’t excite me.

It certainly doesn’t compare to Formula One. The ultimate expression of both series is “the race”. When you look at what happens on the track they are fairly comparable. A1GP has great drivers, close racing amongst the top teams and, thanks to the power boost, more potential for overtaking.

It’s what happens off the track which makes the difference. Equal cars means A1GP doesn’t have the same design or technology race. The series is also missing most of the glamour, sex, lies and politics which make Formula One so intriguing.

I’d travel around the world to see Formula One but have no real regrets about missing Taupo. A1 Grand Prix is like Formula One with half the Formula One missing.

A1GP ™ : The World Cup of Motorsport - www.a1gp.com/

A1Team.NZL - The official site of the New Zealand A1 GP Team

UPDATE 2008-01-21:Well done to Jonnny & the team

Comments

[Robin Capper]

I saw some of the Taupo event on the box and the racing was good. The fact remains that F1 generates more press in it's off season, just testing and car launches, than A1 does when it's on!
I wonder if Ferrari supporting A1 will help that and you cant deny it's a smart move for them. If, and I reckon it's a massive if, A1 ever gets to match F1 status they have a foot in both camps.
The other aspect of A1 that I don't care much for is the "nationalistic" flavour. They call it "New Zealand" racing when it's really a tiny dedicated team. Most of New Zealand probably doesn't know, or care, A1 exists other than maybe the weekend it shows up in Taupo.

[Logan]

"When you look at what happens on the track they are fairly comparable."

Nonsense - F1 races are a bunch of fast parade laps, displaying company logos on the television screens. And the technology race results in spying and ugly looking cars with too many flaps, winglets and rubbish.

A1GP is about the fans, about on-track action, with 2(!) races on Sunday, to entertain the fans.

You missed a great race in Taupo. I've seen more overtaking actions last weekend than I've seen in a whole season F1.