21/03/2007
NEWS STORY
A1 Team Great Britain arrived in Mexico today ahead of Round 9 of the 2006-07 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport this weekend at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City, 23rd – 25th March. As announced last week, Great Britain's ‘rookie' racer, Cambridgeshire's Oliver Jarvis will lead the team's efforts in Mexico City, the 23-year-old set to make his second A1GP start having made his competition debut last November in China.
Jarvis, despite his rookie status, proved he can carry the weight of his country's expectations as he raced to a second place Feature race podium on the Beijing street course, the first of the season for the British outfit, with the 2005 McLaren Autosport BRDC Young Driver of the Year aiming to go one better this time round with his sights set on securing the team's maiden A1GP victory.
Robbie Kerr lifted team spirits with a rousing drive to second place in Durban last month in Round 8, the team's first top-three finish since the fifth round in Indonesia. Kerr, with an additional podium performance to his credit in Malaysia this season, will also be in attendance in Mexico City, his experience and input of value to the team as it looks to break back into the top-three of the A1GP Nations Standings.
Trailing last season's World Champions, A1 Team France, by just 11 points in fourth, British hopes are pinned on a strong showing at the 2.74-mile Mexico City race track while Germany, winners of all six races to-date in 2007, enjoy a sizeable 30 point advantage over second placed New Zealand.
Having raced in Monterrey, Mexico in the inaugural 2005-06 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport, this year's change of venue to Mexico's capital city effectively ensures a level playing field for the 23-competing nations with just one driver, Brazil's Bruno Junqueira, boasting previous experience at the sweeping circuit thanks to his starts there in the Champ Car World Series. The Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, which lies at 7500 feet above sea level, also hosts the NASCAR Busch Series with Formula One refugee, Juan Pablo Montoya, recently taking his maiden stock car victory at the track.
"It's always intriguing to visit a new circuit," commented Oliver Jarvis ahead of his return to competition for A1 Team Great Britain. "Thanks to my rookie status within A1GP I'll be eligible to take part in all the practice sessions leading up to Saturday's qualifying attempt and Sunday's races so we'll be on par with most other teams. I should pick up the track layout pretty quickly and from a personal point of view it's good to be working on a set-up in the rookie sessions that I'll actually get to use in Sunday's races. I'm excited to see what we can achieve in Mexico!"