09/03/2006
NEWS STORY
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A1 Team Great Britain has secured Darren Manning as driver for the final A1 Grand Prix of Nations at the Shanghai International Circuit in China on 1st and 2nd April. Regular driver Robbie Kerr has driven in all of the events to date and will drive in the tenth A1 Grand Prix this weekend in Laguna Seca, USA. Robbie will be driving in the World Series by Renault in 2006 for the KTR team and the testing programme gets underway at Le Mans over the weekend of the China event.
Darren, 30 from Yorkshire, England, has a wealth of international race experience and success to bring to the team which includes British and Japanese F3, test driver for BAR/Honda F1, F3000, CART and IRL. His two seasons in F3000 were with Arden, the team running the A1Team.GBR car. Darren will be at the Laguna Seca track this weekend for the A1 Grand Prix to become acquainted with the A1 team.
A1Team.GBR currently lies third in the Series standings but the pressure is on from A1 Teams Brazil, Netherlands and New Zealand, all theoretically within easy reach so the last round in China will be critical to the final result for the 2005/6 season.
John Surtees: "With the fight on for third place in the championship it is important for the team to have a driver with as much relevant experience as possible with only three practice sessions available. Unfortunately the rules didn't go the way we had hoped so reserve driver Alex Lloyd hasn't had the running opportunities we would have liked and Arden expressed their preference for a driver with extensive F3000 experience for this highly pressurized occasion. We are doing our best to help Alex find a seat in either a premier European race series or in the revitalized Champ Car Atlantic Championship in the USA to get his experience level up.
"Darren is one of the drivers originally put forward by the Arden Management team following their successful relationship in F3000. He brings extensive experience to the team, and his previous relationship with Arden will hopefully be of benefit. He's going to have a tough job given that Robbie has driven so well for us throughout the season but Darren's experience and speed in a wide range of cars together with his motivation augers well for China."
Darren Manning: "I've been watching the A1 Grand Prix Series growing. The number of cars on the grid and the racing have really good so to be asked to drive for my country is not just an honour but a brilliant racing opportunity as well. It will be great to meet up with the team again this weekend, renew relationships and get to grips with the A1 series which will give us a head start for the China race."