Monegasque racing driver Clivio Piccione will be making his A1GP debut not only behind the wheel of the new car this weekend, but as Seat Holder for the Team.

Clivio Piccione comments on his latest venture: "I am really happy to see the group of people that we have got together. We have a team of extremely professional people, most of them coming from Formula 1, and with the help of Graham Taylor we look very strong on paper. I have been able to see the guys working on the car and think that our work is already very well synchronised and everyone is up for it, so I am very happy about that."

Positioned within the sand dunes in one of Holland's most popular seaside resorts, the Circuit Park Zandvoort has a long history at the highest level of international motorsport. Although a race was held on a street circuit in Zandvoort in 1939, a permanent race track was not built until after the Second World War. Based around access roads built by the occupying German forces in WW2, the historic 4.1km circuit was opened in 1948.

In 1952 the Formula 1 World Championship made its first visit to the circuit for the Dutch Grand Prix, a race that was won by the legendary Alberto Ascari in the Ferrari 500. Formula 1 would visit Zandvoort 30 times, missing races in only 1954 and 1957, with the winners' list reading like a who's who of F1 nobility: Fangio, Moss, Hill, Clark, Stewart, Lauda, Piquet and Prost just some of the names to have stood atop the Dutch podium at Zandvoort. But the track had its detractors too, and following the deaths of both Piers Courage and Roger Williamson it was never viewed in quite the same light in which it once had been by the F1 community.

The final F1 race took place at Zandvoort in 1985, after which the circuit operators went out of business. With half of the land sold to housing developers, what remained of the circuit was salvaged and remodelled into a shortened 2km track. But with government intervention in 1992, the circuit was able to develop a brand new International course, giving the track the layout it holds today, with the full circuit extending to 4.3km.

Between 1991 and 2006, Zandvoort was home to the legendary Marlboro Masters F3 race, a one-off winner takes all event which was been won by the likes of David Coulthard, local hero Jos Verstappen, Takuma Sato and Lewis Hamilton.

In 2006 the circuit confirmed the arrival of A1GP and the start of a new era of excitement and international racing. In the four races held thus far, South Africa's Adrian Zaugg has taken glory in the 2006 and 2007 sprint events, while in the feature race victory has gone to Germany's Nico Hulkenberg (2006) and Britain's Oliver Jarvis (2007).

Clivio has previously raced at Zandvoort and gives his impressions of the circuit: "I have been able to race here once a couple of years ago in Formula 3 Masters. I like the layout; it's a nice, undulating track which you don't see very much nowadays. A good lap around Zandvoort is quite demanding due to the physical effect, but also because it is quite a tricky track as well. There is only one racing line for the perfect lap, and some parts of the track are quite narrow, so it is quite difficult for overtaking. I think that Qualifying will be the key to a good race. Overall, it is a good track and I am really looking forward to the first race."