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Bathurst Report by Chris OShea

A1GRAND PRIX: DRIVERS NOMINATED FOR QUALIFYING  !!

    - Words and pics: A1GP

                                                                                                                                 


 

 

 

 

Eastern Creek, Australia - A1 Team Australia has solved its set up problems of yesterday, making good headway towards a strong home performance in the last official practice session for the A1GP Sydney, Australia. The team moved up from twelfth place on the timing sheet yesterday to sixth place this morning, despite an earlier hiccup when refuelling which saw the nozzle burst and driver, Karl Reindler sprayed with fuel.

A1 Team Germany took over from New Zealand at the top of the time sheets with Great Britain slotting into second place ahead of New Zealand. A1 Team Great Britain were delighted with this result having made suspension changes over night which seemed to do the trick, giving them the biggest jump up the time sheets from 13th place yesterday afternoon to second today.

The same could not be said for Italy and Malaysia as they dropped down to 20th and 21st respectively. A1 Team Malaysia's driver, Alex Yoong, was very frustrated saying that the car seemed to have the wrong set up for the track. On top of this, the master switch failed and the electronics cut out.

With the A1GP engines having reached the 250,000 kilometre mark this weekend after 18 months of racing, many of the teams are changing them. New Zealand was due to change their engine at the end of this race meeting but in fact changed it over night. Canada also has a new engine this weekend, but installed it before the start of yesterday's practice sessions. The life of an A1GP engine is 3,500km, so the teams make this change once a year - usually mid-season.

The teams now have to decide on their final set up before qualifying for the Sprint race begins at 14.15 this afternoon. Qualifying consists of four 15 minute sessions with a five minute break between each. Only one driver per A1 Team is allowed to take part in Qualifying and that driver must have completed at least three timed laps in an Official Practice session. Each driver is limited to three laps - effectively one "flying lap" - per session and must record at least two times, an aggregate of which will determine that A1 Team's position on the grid for Sunday's Sprint race. The grid for the Feature race will be determined by the outcome of the Sprint race.


Official Practice Session 3 (11.00 - 12.00)

 

A1 Team

Driver

Time

Laps

1

Germany

Nico Hulkenberg

1.21.080

19

2

Great Britain

Robbie Kerr

1.21.284

23

3

New Zealand

Jonny Reid

1.21.293

23

4

France

Loic Duval

1.21.343

22

5

Mexico

Salvador Duran

1.21.480

24

6

Australia

Karl Reindler

1.21.590

25

7

South Africa

Alan van der Merwe

1.21.593

25

8

Switzerland

Sebastien Buemi

1.21.706

23

9

Netherlands

Jeroen Bleekemolen

1.21.764

22

10

Singapore

Christian Murchison

1.21.892

25

11

USA

Phil Giebler

1.21.895

23

12

Canada

James Hinchcliffe

1.22.023

22

13

Czech Republic

Tomas Enge

1.22.069

21

14

Brazil

Tuka Rocha

1.22.116

18

15

Ireland

Richard Lyons

1.22.153

22

16

India

Parthiva Sureshwaren

1.22.162

23

17

Lebanon

Alex Khateeb

1.22.206

21

18

China

Ho-Pin Tung

1.22.249

27

19

Indonesia

Ananda Mikola

1.22.413

24

20

Italy

Enrico Toccacelo

1.22.899

21

21

Malaysia

Alex Yoong

1.23.061

14

22

Pakistan

Nur Ali

1.23.756

18


Nominated drivers for Qualifying - A1GP Sydney, Australia

A1 Team

Driver

Australia

Karl Reindler

Brazil

Tuka Rocha

Canada

James Hinchcliffe

China

Ho-Pin Tung

Czech Republic

Tomas Enge

France

Loic Duval

Germany

Nico Hulkenberg

Great Britain

Robbie Kerr

India

Parthiva Sureshwaren

Indonesia

Ananda Mikola

Ireland

Richard Lyons

Italy

Enrico Toccacelo

Lebanon

Alex Khateeb

Malaysia

Alex Yoong

Mexico

Salvador Duran

Netherlands

Jeroen Bleekemolen

New Zealand

Jonny Reid

Pakistan

Nur Ali

Singapore

Christian Murchison

South Africa

Alan van der Werwe

Switzerland

Sebastien Buemi

USA

Phil Giebler

 


 


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