03/08/2005
NEWS STORY
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At 9:51 this morning the first A1 Team race car took to the historic Silverstone circuit. A1 Team Great Britain was first on the track, and by the end of the day had recorded the fastest lap time at the first multiple test of A1 Grand Prix.
Commenting on the day, A1 Grand Prix Founder, President and Chairman Sheikh Maktoum said: 'It's been a successful first shakedown for A1 Grand Prix giving an exciting insight into the first World Cup of Motorsport. Fifteen countries were brought together and the competitive spirit of the teams has already begun
to shine through with a friendly rivalry developing between them.
'Most drivers finished within two seconds of each other, proving that the original formula of identical cars with identical engines and tyres is the right solution. The feedback from the drivers has been positive, the seat holders are happy and we're looking forward to a great first race at Brands Hatch.'
Alan Jones, A1 Team Australia Seat Holder said: 'We have been very impressed, the reliability has been brilliant, there hasn't been a single glitch with any of the cars and that is a fantastic result which bodes well for the future. A lot of the cars aren't in their final livery yet but when they are it will look spectacular.'
Robbie Kerr, Driver for A1 Team Great Britain, said: 'Today went well, the team is gelling as a unit and we are working well together. There is a lot still to be gained out of the car and I'm still learning about my driving and how the car performs.' On recording the fastest lap of the day, he commented 'We have to be pleased that we recorded the fastest time today, but today is testing and we have to make sure that we carry this forward to the first race'.
A1 Grand Prix's Global Operations Manager, John Wickham said: 'It is testament to the huge amount of hard work put in by the teams and seat holders over the last couple of weeks that today's test session was such a success. We had 15 cars take to the national circuit and after a morning of technical checking, the cars ran totally reliably in the afternoon, producing very close competitive times. We'll move on tomorrow to another full day of testing when we expect the reliability to continue with some teams introducing new drivers to the Series.