18/10/2005
NEWS STORY
A1 Team Lebanon will be moving on to Estoril this week for the third of the European rounds of the new A1 Grand Prix Series, before heading east for two events in Australia and Malaysia. Former Formula One World Championship circuit, Circuito Estoril, plays host to the 25 national teams competing in A1 Grand Prix and A1 Team Lebanon expects to be welcomed by the Arab community within the country, as they cheer on the Cedar tree-liveried A1 racing car of the team.
The team's two Lebanese drivers, Khalil Beschir and Basil Shaaban, returned to the UK after the German round of the Series to continue their fitness programme and undertake a number of PR duties including interviews with Sharq magazine and Arab News Broadcast (ANB). Beschir, who has quickly achieved fame around the world after a spectacular airborne accident at the opening event in the UK, drove a new car in Germany, with time being used to prepare the new chassis and engine for the race, before he battled bravely with severe handling problems, which resulted from the earlier Sprint race accident, to finish the main Feature race in 18th place. Beschir shares driving duties with team mate Basil Shaaban, who is expected to be in the cockpit at Estoril.
Basil Shaaban: "I hope that Estoril will be a strong race for us. Despite being competitive, we've had our share of bad luck so far, so now it's time we reversed our fortunes, and we'll be working hard as a team to do the best we can. Both Khalil and I have driven at the circuit earlier in the year, so we go to Portugal with some circuit knowledge. I think the track will suit A1GP as there are plenty of passing places, which should produce good racing for spectators in Portugal and for the millions more around the world watching on television."
A 4.19 kilometre circuit with 13 turns, Estoril is an undulating track which combines several very long, constant radius corners, with heavy braking zones, some bumpy straights, challenging chicanes and a high-speed corner leading onto the start/finish straight. The circuit's location on the Atlantic coast on the Western edge of Europe gives rise to changeable weather conditions, adding to the excitement of the racing.