04/08/2005
NEWS STORY
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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.
There was a wonderful moment at the very start of the session when one hapless driver - who we wont identify - sat in his car proudly waiting for the moment when he could fire up and make a little bit of national history. Pulling down his visor, he pressed the 'fire' button. "Err… that's the fire extinguisher button," said a mechanic. Sure enough the youngster had to climb out of the car while the extinguisher was turned off. Absolutely mortified, he kept his visor down, in order to spare his blushes. Moments later we witness former F1 driver Martin Donnelly helping the youngster wipe the foamy mess from his (previously) pristine overalls.
In A1 GP it's all part of the game, an unfortunate, yet minor, mistake as everyone comes to terms with something brand new. If this were F1, depending on the team, they'd be having de-briefings for the next week.
As ever, the drivers were the stars of the show, with Jos Verstappen and Nelson Piquet Junior attracting much of the attention, as was Britain's Robbie Kerr. However, unlike F1 this isn't about the cult of personality, Kerr wasn't quickest yesterday, just as Piquet wasn't second quickest. The monitors simply declare that Britain out-paced Brazil, because that's what all this is about, country versus country.
Seeing the dream become reality, especially when some are still saying that A1 will not succeed, one has to ask if those behind the series feel that it has gone too smoothly, that there could be problems around the corner, especially with the first race just fifty days away.
"The unknown," was Teixeira's reply, when Pitpass editor Chris Balfe asked him if there was anything about A1 that he had any doubts about. "No matter how hard you plan, no matter how convinced you are that you're got it right, there's almost always something," he added. "And usually it's a little thing".
Last weekend, at the launch of the Indian team, three new teams were revealed - USA, France and Switzerland - all of which were in action on Wednesday. With fifty days before the inaugural race at Brands Hatch, and nineteen confirmed franchises (countries) we asked Teixeira if we would be seeing a full grid of 25 cars.
"Let me tell you, at present, we're almost fighting countries off," he replies, "it's going crazy, there's so much interest.
"At present we're oversubscribed, we've got twelve more countries than we want".
He reveals that four more countries are to be announced in the next few days, with one of them sure to make Bernard Charles Ecclestone more than a little envious. He also reveals that there are further surprises when it comes to some of the drivers who will represent their countries.
"If I told you some of the names you wouldn't believe me," he says. As it happens, he does tell and I do.
"These guys see what's happening and they're getting they're mangers to call me up, or they call me up personally, and say 'how do I get to drive'"
Although it's about countries and not drivers, getting Jos Verstappen on-board was a great move. "Our website went crazy that day, it's the busiest the site has ever been.
Have you been down the pitlane, have you seen some of the guys involved here, Surtees, Jones and Fittipaldi, they're having the time of their lives, they come up to me and say, 'Tony, this is like the old days'"
Having learned that Teixeira fears the 'unknown' we asked Marketing and Communications Manager, Guy Nicholls, if there are any problems that he foresees.
"We'd be kidding ourselves if we thought that Brands Hatch is going to run like clockwork," he admits, "you cannot have perfection, not from the outset, yet that is what we're striving for."
Reminded that it is just fifty days away, he sighs: "It's been crazy," he admits. "But we're getting there. Look at this," he says gesturing at the pitlane, "doesn't is look superb? The schedule has been hectic but we're getting there. Yes, we will almost certainly get a few things wrong, but this is a brand new concept, the whole thing's been built from scratch in just over a year, I think we've done a magnificent job so far."
Along with the smiles and the accessibility, the other most impressive thing is the enthusiasm, yes the passion, of all those involved. Sheikh Maktoum has assembled a superb crew, whose eagerness to see this work, whose enthusiasm and dedication is truly infectious. The PR team, led by the esteemed Ann Bradshaw - who has forgotten more about motorsport, particularly F1, than most of us will ever know - and the ever-patient Nikki Rooke cannot do enough to help. In just seventeen months, they have seen A1 GP develop from a series that attracted media interest mainly for its novelty factor, and the quality of its goody bags, to a World Championship that is attracting press coverage on a global scale.
No doubt, some will remain unconvinced, while others will naively continue to compare A1 to F1, however, for those that are willing to accept A1 GP as a brand new concept, a World Cup of Motorsport, we are utterly convinced that you will not be disappointed.
Sheikh Maktoum describes A1 GP as the dream of a madman that became a reality. However, a couple of weeks back he came out with an even better quote: "When I first talked about the concept of A1, they called me a dreamer. Now they call me a visionary".
The vision has become reality.