This weekend, A1 Team France will race in the sixth round of the 2008-2009 A1GP World Cup of Motorsport Championship, which is taking place on the spanking new Algarve International Autodrome in Portugal, where the first private F1 tests were held last winter.
This beautiful new circuit in the Algarve region in the south of Portugal was inaugurated on 2nd November 2008. It is tucked away in a 300-hectare park and measures 4.692 kms: its aim is to put Portugal back on the international motor racing map. The track is fairly quick with various types of technical challenges: fast curves under load, a long straight and tight corners. The new A1GP car and its Ferrari engine will find themselves on a circuit that will allow them to express their full potential.
Nicolas Prost will be the team’s driver for the third time running, and he will defend the squad’s colours starting with the first rookie sessions on Friday morning. After 5 rounds and 10 races A1 Team France is in fifth place overall with 41 points.
Olivier Panis, sporting director: “We were not very lucky in the last couple of rounds and this weekend our aim is to forget these setbacks. We’ve got everything it takes to put on a good performance: a united and professional team, a competitive car and a talented driver. I think the Portimao circuit should suit us. Its infrastructures are the best there are and its layout poses some interesting challenges. The overall level of the championship has rarely been higher, and that only serves to ratchet up our motivation several notches!”
Nicolas Prost: “The circuit’s really great and I can’t wait to get out there and find my marks in tomorrow’s practice. We haven’t been very lucky in the last few races, but there’s no feeling of pressure in the team. Our aim for this weekend is not to have any technical problems in free practice in order to complete our programme. Then, if we manage to have a good qualifying session, always a tricky challenge, we can have a couple of good races. In these conditions we’re among the quickest in the field.”
AB Motors will show the qualifying session saturday 11th of April at 14h00, and will televise the 1st race at 14h00 on Sunday. Race 2 will be shown at 15h00 on NT1.
