04/03/2008
NEWS STORY
A1 Team Great Britain has announced Oliver Jarvis for Mexico, Robbie Kerr (right) for Shanghai and Brands Hatch, and a new rookie driver programme.
A1 Team Great Britain is delighted to reveal its driver line-up for the final three races of the 2007/08 A1 GP World Cup of Motorsport. Oliver Jarvis will continue lead driver duties at the next round in Mexico City on 16 March before handing the wheel to Robbie Kerr, who will fill the driving seat for the penultimate round in Shanghai on 13 April and GBR's home race, and the season finale, at Brands Hatch on 4 May. In addition to this, the team is delighted to announce that it will be providing some of Britain's young and highly-rated drivers the opportunity to represent their nation in the forthcoming rookie practice sessions.
After scoring Team GBR's 22nd podium in the Sprint race at the last round in Durban, South Africa, Jarvis will return for duty for round nine of the championship in Mexico City in a fortnight's time. The Mexican venue was the location for GBR's fantastic maiden race win in the Feature event a year ago, with Oliver taking the spoils for the team.
In the hot seat for the final two races will be Robbie Kerr, who will be aiming to emulate his impressive results from last year. In both events at Shanghai, China, and the team's home event at Brands Hatch in the UK, Robbie took the Sprint race wins and followed them up with second-place podium finishes in each Feature race. In taking that Brands Hatch win, Robbie set series records by becoming the first driver to achieve pole position and a race win on home soil.
Over the final three races, A1 Team GBR will be providing the opportunity to some up-and-coming British stars to demonstrate their talents in the A1GP car. It is an initiative designed to identify and nurture talent as the team prepare for an exciting season four of A1GP, with the landmark prospect of the new 2008/09 season cars - powered by Ferrari.
Oliver Jarvis: "I am really looking forward to returning to Mexico, where I won the race last year. I know it will be my last race this season, but I will be supporting the team in the last two events from my DTM races. This has been an exciting season and, as I started off with the win in Zandvoort, I would like to be able to sign off with another win for the team in Mexico."
Robbie Kerr: "To be asked to represent Great Britain at our home event at Brands Hatch again is a fantastic honour. I cannot wait to go out there in front of the British crowd, to right the wrongs of the first season where our battery failed whilst we were in the lead, and to aim to do the same as last season but go one better with a feature race win too."
Katie Clements, Team Principal: "We won a race last season at each of the three remaining venues and, with Oliver and Robbie racing at the circuits they won on last year, we are confident that we can achieve more race wins in the final three rounds. We are particularly looking forward to our home race at Brands Hatch, and will be aiming for that elusive Feature race win. Having a solid foundation for those events has allowed us to extend invitations to some exciting young British talent to join us for the rookie sessions, and I am looking forward to working with them and to planning ahead for next season."