05/10/2006
NEWS STORY
After a dream-weekend in Zandvoort which ended with victory in the opening race of A1 Grand Prix Series, the Willi Weber managed A1 Team Germany starts as championship leaders at the second round in Brno. The team relies on the skills of Nico Hülkenberg from Emmerich to race the car again.
The 19-year old 'star of tomorrow' celebrated his maiden victory following his first start in the Motorsport World Cup of Nations last weekend in front of 75,000 spectators, before receiving the trophy from the hands of the Dutch Prime Minister Jan-Peter Balkenende. With a total of 13 points, the German A1 team is two points ahead of South Africa at the top of the championship table. The race series is contested by 23 nations.
The 5.403 kilometre traditional circuit in Brno, with its 73 metre elevation change, is considered by the drivers to be a demanding rollercoaster drive which also demands respect. "I drove there last year in Formula BMW”, explains Nico Hülkenberg, who claimed third and fourth places at that time in the two races. "It is a genuinely flowing natural circuit. Because there are a lot of switchback combinations it's necessary to sacrifice the first corner to get a good line for the second.” Qualifying for the powerful 520 hp formula cars will once again be held in the well-known four-part system. Only one fast lap in each 15-minute long session is allowed. The two fastest laps of each nation are added together to form the starting grid for the first of the two races on Sunday. "I still have a few things to learn for qualifying", analyses the youngster. "I noticed just how important it is to go to the limit on every one of the four laps. A good starting position is very important in this series since there were virtually no overtaking manoeuvres in the sprint race. However, I believe that things will be different next weekend in Brno due to the circuit characteristics."
Willi Weber has set his A1 Team Germany clear goals for the second race: "I'm very proud of the performance. There are currently very few fast drivers in Germany – Nico is one of these. After winning last weekend we would like to celebrate a top result again, even though we know just how difficult it is in this series with identical cars."