They know who they are.

They are the cynics, the doubting Thomases, mainly in the media, but also on message boards, forums and in the grandstands. They are the ones that dismissed A1 Grand Prix as folly, something that would never happen, a rich kid's plaything, another doomed-to-failure race series, much like Premier1.

On Wednesday, a madman's dream came that much closer to reality, when 15 of the countries that will contest the forthcoming inaugural A1 GP series, ran their cars for the first time in a two-day test sessions that makes it crystal clear that A1 GP has arrived.

Slowly, almost grudgingly, motorsport magazines and websites, not to mention the mainstream media, have come to realize that A1 GP is not a pipedream, a life-size Scalextric for the mega-wealthy, but a race series that can, and will, capture the imagination of the public.

Sure, some of the names on the sides of cars are unfamiliar, unpronounceable even, however, it would be fair to say that everyone who took to the Silverstone National Circuit on Wednesday gave a good account of themselves, and the fact that the top nine were covered by less than a second, indicates that this series may be far more competitive than predicted.

Sure, we expected to see the British and Brazilian teams up at the top, but Switzerland and Pakistan?

Let's not forget that Wednesday was 'out of the box' day, virtually none of the drivers had ever driven an A1 GP car before, which makes the performances all the more remarkable. Yes, the day got off to a slow start, with little action before the lunch break, however, by late afternoon we had as many as twelve cars on track at any one time, we had some real action.

The comparison with Formula One is a media driven thing, and A1 GP has always made it clear that it is not out to steal F1's 'thunder', hence the distinction of running (mostly) during the F1 off-season. That said, one couldn't help but make comparisons as one strolled through the paddock and garages on Wednesday - the biggest difference being that (almost) was smiling.

At a brief press conference, the man behind the series, its driving force, Sheikh Maktoum described A1 GP as "the dream of a madman", he smiled as he looked across the media centre, out on to the track where the dream had become a reality.

Beside him, CEO Tony Teixeira, also smiled, the two of them looking like proud parents as their 'new born' took its first tentative steps.

However, as one walked along the pitlane, one couldn't help but pick up on the feeling, that like Maktoum and Teixeira, other members of 'the family', the guys from Lola, (engine manufacturer) Zytek and Avon, who supply the Cooper Tyres, are equally delighted to see their 'baby' up and running.

One couldn't help but smile at the sight of countless franchise holders having forsaken the suit and tie in favour of jeans, open neck shirt and the obligatory A1 GP cap. A short while ago, FIA President Max Mosley referred to their counterparts in F1 as "playing out a fantasy", here in A1 they're having the time of their lives and using their money to create something entirely new.