12/12/2007
NEWS STORY
The A1GP World Cup of Motorsport will make the first of two visits of the 2007/08 season to China this weekend (December 14, 15, 16), when the 22 nations contesting this unique series take on the Zhuhai International Circuit for the first time.
South Africa, currently lying fifth in the championship with 37 points after three rounds (six races), will be looking to lead driver Adrian Zaugg (right), 21, and rookie driver Wesleigh Orr, 19, to fly the South African flag with distinction.
Orr will be behind the wheel of South Africa's distinctively liveried Vulindlela for the first practice session on Friday morning (reserved for rookie drivers), with Zaugg taking over driving duties for the practice sessions on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning. As the team's designated driver, Zaugg will qualify Vulindlela on Saturday afternoon and carry the hopes of his nation in Sunday's 20-minute Sprint race and 70-minute Feature race.
There have been four winners of the six races run since the third season of A1GP started in the Netherlands in September. Zaugg scored South Africa's second A1GP win in the season-opening Sprint race at Zandvoort (he won the same race at the start of the previous season) and has been on the podium twice.
Switzerland tops the championship standings with 61 points, followed by France (53), New Zealand (46), the Netherlands (39) and South Africa (37). The top 10 is made up of Great Britain (36), Ireland (31), Brazil (22), Mexico (17) and China (16).
Zhuhai is situated on the south coast of China and borders the special administrative region of Macau, a short ferry ride from Hong Kong. It is a garden-like seaside tourist city, where flowers blossom all year round. In 1999 it was granted an international award for best practices in improving the living environment by the United Nations Centre for Human Development.
The Zhuhai International Circuit is 4,3 km long, has 13 turns and travels in a clockwise direction. It features lots of potential for overtaking with two straights of 900 and 500 metres. The pit straight is 14 metres wide at its widest, which should allow plenty of room for typical wheel-to-wheel A1GP action.