22/07/2008
NEWS STORY
Senior A1 Team Ireland personnel were present at the Mugello circuit in Italy today for the official unveiling of the new A1GP Powered by Ferrari car. The day marked the first public outing for the stunning racer which will make its race debut in Irish colours on September 21st.
Team Principal Mark Gallagher is confident that the new partnership will herald an exciting new era for the World Cup of Motorsport, now entering its fourth season.
"The new car looks stunning" said Gallagher. "It's very contemporary and the levels of design and engineering are superb. The attention to detail is fantastic and meets the level we expected from the collaboration between A1GP and Ferrari. After three years of A1GP this new car represents a new benchmark in terms of performance, image and technical complexity as we move into what I'm sure will be the most competitive and exciting season of A1GP to date.
"Our senior team personnel all have experience of working in F1 and this will play a significant part in ensuring we are capable of taking on the challenge of working with this new car. For sponsors and commercial partners of Team Ireland this is a dramatic way to be affiliated with the most famous and iconic name in motor racing. The calibre of competition looks set to be even more spectacular that before, the new car will undoubtedly be quicker than the previous one and the partnerships with both Ferrari, and Michelin on the tyre front, are central to delivering this extra performance."
Adam Carroll, who delivered the teams first A1GP victory in the season three Mexico Feature Race and is also in discussions to represent the squad in season four, was also present at the launch.
"The car looks fantastic" said Carroll. "This is the first chance I've had to see it in the flesh and from a drivers point of view it's an extremely exciting looking car. Having driven both GP2 and F1 cars in the past I'm hugely impressed with what has been achieved here in terms of the technology and sophistication, I'm positive it will surprise a lot of people when it takes to the track as it is a big powerful car. I'm sure that it will be very rewarding to drive and I can't wait to get behind the wheel."
The launch was hosted by A1GP Chairman Tony Teixeira and attended by Scuderia Ferrari Operations Director Mario Almondo. The event also saw the unveiling of the new A1GP Powered by Ferrari logo which will be present on the Team Ireland car. The squad is now preparing to build and test its new challenger in preparation for a return to Mugello for the September 21st season opener.