22 Nations Gear Up For Title Decider At Brands Hatch
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Apr 25, 2008
A1GP
The initiative is being launched at Brands Hatch and it will host a range of interactive activities, including changing a tyre on a real A1GP car with the fastest time winning the chance to walk the grid just before the start of the Feature race. It will also include displays of race cars, an official A1 Team merchandise shop and a unique atmosphere to eat and drink.
GBR recalls Winslow as rookie: 2007 Formula Renault V6 Champion and Australian F3 racer, James Winslow, who joined GBR earlier in the year as rookie driver for round five and six in New Zealand and Australia, has been recalled to perform rookie duties for the British squad. 27-year-old Winslow, who was born in Witham, Essex, will be in action on track on Friday at Brands Hatch and will provide support to Kerr throughout the weekend.
Hinchcliffe Comeback for Canada: James Hinchcliffe will return to race for A1 Team Canada as previous lead driver Robert Wickens is not available due to other racing commitments. Hinchcliffe has not driven at Brands Hatch before, but has been capped 18 times for Canada in the past two seasons. He also started the 2007/08 season before Wickens took over the race seat. Canada is currently in ninth place in the A1GP standings and is aiming to secure its best ever finish in the series, having finished 11th in the first two seasons. Eighteen-year-old Daniel Morad will again compete in Friday morning’s rookie-only session.
Martinez returns for Mexico: David Martinez will race for A1 Team Mexico for the first time in more than two years at Brands Hatch next weekend. Mexico has chosen to recall the 26-year-old to its squad, and with his last start coming 49 races ago, Martinez will set the record for the largest number of races between caps for a driver in A1GP. Martinez was capped four times for the team in the 2005/06 season, finishing in the points in his maiden race in Germany in 2005. He last raced in Durban, South Africa in January 2006 but he recently returned as the rookie driver for the team’s home event in Mexico City last month. He will drive the full race weekend, using the rookie session to learn the British circuit.
Lola’s Golden Jubilee: The Brands Hatch event will mark the last outing of the Zytec-powered A1GP Lola cars as the British manufacturer celebrates 50 years in motorsport. The Brands Hatch Feature race will mark the 64th and final race outing for Lola in A1GP. From season four onwards Ferrari will consult on the design and manufacture of the A1GP chassis and will manufacture and supply the engines.
Brands Hatch Birthday Boy: A1GP Sky Sports commentator and Formula One race winner, John Watson, will celebrate his 62nd birthday on raceday at Brands Hatch. Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 4 May 1946, Watson made his F1 debut in the British Grand Prix in 1973 and retired from the sport in 1985, having achieved five race wins, 20 podiums and two pole positions.
Emerson Fittipaldi Fights for Peace: Brazilian Formula One legend and Laureus World Sports Academy member Emerson Fittipaldi joined the celebrations at the Laureus-supported Fight for Peace (Luta Pela Paz) project in Rio de Janiero this month as it achieved status as an independent Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO).
Fight for Peace was born in 2000 as a small boxing and education project at Viva Rio for around 25 children and young people in the Complexo da Mare favela (slum) in Rio de Janeiro. It now supports over 500 young people each year. A second Fight for Peace project is to be launched in the East End of London at the end of April.
