2007–08 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Australia

2007-08 A1GP of Australia
Race Details
Race 6 of 10 in the 2007-08 A1GP season.
Date	3 February 2008
Location	Eastern Creek Raceway Eastern Creek, New South Wales, Australia
Weather	variable (dry and wet)
Sprint race
Qualifying
Pole	France (Loïc Duval)
Time	1'18.149
Podium
1st	France (Loïc Duval)
2nd	New Zealand (Johnny Reid)
3rd	Canada (Robert Wickens)
Fastest Lap
FL	France (Loïc Duval)
Time	1'19.350, (Lap 2)
Feature race
Qualifying
Pole	New Zealand (Jonny Reid)
Time	1'18.578
Podium
1st	South Africa (Adrian Zaugg)
2nd	Switzerland (Neel Jani)
3rd	Great Britain (Robbie Kerr)
Fastest Lap
FL	South Africa (Adrian Zaugg)
Time	1'39.034, (Lap 33)
Official Classifications
PDF Booklet

The 2007–08 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Australia is an A1 Grand Prix race, to be held on 3 February 2008 at the Eastern Creek Raceway, New South Wales, Australia. This will be the sixth meeting in the 2007-08 A1 Grand Prix season.

Pre-race

Fairuz Fauzy who drive in the inaugural 2005-06 season replace this weekend Alex Yoong in the A1 Team Malaysia car.^[1] Alex Yoong realise the longest run of consecutive starts with 45 successive starts.

For his home race, A1 Team Australia rename is car Jackaroo.^[2] The name was chosen between the Australian symbole propositions done by fan in the official team site.

Since Taupo round, A1GP cars use a 30 per cent biofuel mix. A1 Grand Prix continue its environmental campaign in Australia using electric generators for all the paddock’s temporary and ancillary structures provided by Active Power Management and initiate by THINK Greener Racing.^[3]

Qualifications

Once again, the practice sessions were dominated by France in Friday wet and Saturday humid weather conditions.^[4][5]

On Friday night, Portugal practice their pit stops and a tyre gun hose that became disconnected hit accidentally the leg of James Goodfield, the race engeener of the next door garage, Great Britain.^[6] James Goodfield sustain a broken leg and was carry up to the hospital.

Chris Alajajian, driver of the Lebanon, made a mistake on his first out lap for Sprint race qualifying spinning and hitting the tyre barriers at Turn 5.^[7] The car was too much damaged to complete a flying lap during qualifying sessions. Lebanon after hard work to repair the car during the night, start the both Sunday races from the last grid position.

Canada was penalised because its driver, Robert Wickens, did not respect blue flags during the feature race qualifying hamping Sérgio Jimenez (Brazil).^[8] Robert Wickens lost his 8th qualifying position to 21st.

Sprint race qualifications Pos Team Time Gap 1 France 1'18.149 - 2 Switzerland 1'18.218 +0.069 3 South Africa 1'18.243 +0.094 4 New Zealand 1'18.368 +0.219 5 China 1'18.370 +0.221 6 USA 1'18.464 +0.315 7 Germany 1'18.632 +0.483 8 Great Britain 1'18.649 +0.500 9 Australia 1'18.690 +0.541 10 Netherlands 1'18.804 +0.655 11 Brazil 1'18.811 +0.662 12 Ireland 1'18.929 +0.780 13 India 1'19.004 +0.855 14 Czech Republic 1'19.099 +0.950 15 Canada 1'19.197 +1.048 16 Malaysia 1'19.384 +1.235 17 Portugal 1'19.492 +1.343 18 Pakistan 1'19.623 +1.474 19 Mexico 1'19.785 +1.636 20 Italy 1'19.975 +1.826 21 Indonesia 1'20.154 +2.005 22 Lebanon (1) no time -

Main race qualifications Pos Team Time Gap 1 New Zealand 1'18.578 - 2 Switzerland 1'18.590 +0.012 3 Great Britain 1'18.720 +0.142 4 China 1'18.825 +0.247 5 France 1'18.829 +0.251 6 South Africa 1'18.922 +0.344 7 USA 1'18.976 +0.398 8 Czech Republic 1'19.232 +0.654 9 Brazil 1'19.235 +0.657 10 Malaysia 1'19.252 +0.674 11 Netherlands 1'19.487 +0.909 12 Germany 1'19.516 +0.938 13 Mexico 1'19.529 +0.951 14 Australia 1'19.611 +1.033 15 Ireland 1'19.706 +1.128 16 Portugal 1'19.733 +1.155 17 Pakistan 1'19.852 +1.274 18 India 1'19.878 +1.300 19 Italy 1'20.051 +1.473 20 Indonesia 1'20.133 +1.555 21 Canada (2) 1'19.199 +0.621 22 Lebanon (1) no time -

• (1) = No time for A1 Team Lebanon due to crash during Sprint qualifying.
• (2) = A1 Team Canada was penalised for blue flag disrecpet, losing its 8th position.

Sprint race

This race is known as 'the race of two halves' due to the track being dry in the first half with 27 °C, then become extremely difficult and wet.^[9] In first lap, the order is France, Switzerland, South Africa, New Zealand, Great Britain with a great start from the 8th, China, Germany and USA. Pakistan crash out in the first lap. Loïc Duval (France) made the fastest lap in Lap 2 and is pulling away.
In lap 7, the rain start and Adrian Zaugg (South Africa) is slipping down at Turn 1. Narain Karthikeyan (India) is going off too. reat Britain and Indonesia enter into the pits for wet tyres in lap 9. Cong Fu Cheng (China) spins off in Lap 10, Adam Carroll (Ireland) the next lap.
Robert Wickens (Canada) made an amazing race. He passes Ireland and Netherlands in Lap 11 takink 7th. At Turn 1, next lap, it grabs the 4th position passing four cars including Germany. One lap before the end of the Sprint race, France is leading followed by New Zealand, Switzerland, Canada, Germany, USA, Australia and South Africa.
Neel Jani (Switzerland) spin in the final lap. Loïc Duval (France) in his final round of racing for this A1GP season due to commitments in Japan, converted his pole position with a very comfortable win and breaking the 37-race win-drought, when France was a dominant team in A1GP's debut season. The final standing is France, New Zealand, Canada taking advantage of the rain and took a chance on not switching for wet tyre to climb from 15th, Germany, USA, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, Netherlands and Switzerland in 10th.

Pos	Team	Driver	Laps	Time	Points
1	France	Loïc Duval	14	20'18.536	15+1
2	New Zealand	Jonny Reid	14	+9.198	12
3	Canada	Robert Wickens	14	+11.016	10
4	Germany	Michael Ammermüller	14	+11.929	8
5	USA	Jonathan Summerton	14	+12.604	6
6	Australia	John Martin	14	+14.210	5
7	South Africa	Adrian Zaugg	14	+14.523	4
8	Brazil	Sérgio Jimenez	14	+30.260	3
9	Netherlands	Jeroen Bleekemolen	14	+33.471	2
10	Switzerland	Neel Jani	14	+33.806	1
11	India	Narain Karthikeyan	14	+44.742
12	Portugal	João Urbano	14	+46.131
13	Italy	Edoardo Piscopo	14	+46.196
14	China	Cong Fu Cheng	14	+49.423
15	Ireland	Adam Carroll	14	+50.300
16	Great Britain	Robbie Kerr	14	+56.715
17	Mexico	David Garza Perez	14	+1'02.846
18	Czech Republic	Tomáš Enge	14	+1'03.033
19	Lebanon	Chris Alajajian	14	+1'05.029
20	Malaysia	Fairuz Fauzy	14	+1'20.880
21	Indonesia	Satrio Hermanto	14	+1'22.642
Ret	Pakistan	Adam Langley-Khan	1	+13 laps

Main race

It's 25 °C and soaking wet for the Main race.^[10] Jonny Reid (New Zealand), having qualified pole, halt on track after quitting the stand and must start the race from the pitlane. Loïc Duval (France), qualified fifth, is stuck on the grid at the start of the formation lap and must start the race second to last.
After the first lap, Ireland and India enter in pit to change their slicks tyres to wets. The order is Switzerland, Great Britain, South Africa, Brazil, USA, China, Germany, Czech Republic, Netherlands, and Canada. In the third lap, New Zealand is 19th and France 14th. Robert Wickens (Canada) grab the 9th to Tomáš Enge (Czech Republic) in Lap 3. In lap 7, New Zealand is already 14th and France in points at 10th. During Lap 9, Pakistan run off without damage. In the next lap, João Urbano (Portugal) spin off trying passes Chris Alajajian (Lebanon) who run off too. Pakistan, Czech Republic and China receive a drive-through penalty for making a false start. The pit window is now open in Lap 10.
Switzerland and Great Britain pit at same time and leave the stand in the same order. In Lap 13, South Africa leads France by 21 seconds but neither have made their pit stop. Adrian Zaugg (South Africa) take the lead after a quick pit stop in Lap 15. In the same lap, Robbie Kerr (Great Britain) run wide and lost a few seconds meanwhile Jonathan Summerton (USA) has gone off and Robert Wickens (Canada) passes. Finally, France makes is mandatory pit stop and South Africa set the current fastest lap in Lap 16.
After the pit window close, Canada and USA fight for 6th in Lap 17. Loïc Duval (France) join the battle and try to passes Jonathan Summerton (USA). In Lap 22, France hit USA, who give up, and receive a drive-through penalty for avoidable collision. Two laps before the opening of the pit for the second mandatories stops in Lap 26, John Martin (Australia) passes Robert Wickens (Canada).
Cong Fu Cheng (China) loses is 11th to 13th after spin in Lap 28, Satrio Hermanto spin also at turn 1, 2 laps after that. Switzerland takes the fasted lap. During his pit stop on lap 31, the French car have a clutch failure and Loïc Duval must renounce. Canada passes Germany for 6th and South Africa takes again the fasted lap on Lap 33. Later, Cong Fu Cheng (China) passes Narain Karthikeyan (India) fot 10th.
The 42nd lap is the last and South Africa win 19.560 seconds behind Switzerland, Great Britain, Brazil, Australia, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, New Zealand and China. New Zealand and France are now tied leading the championship with 96 points.

Pos	Team	Driver	Laps	Time	Points
1	South Africa	Adrian Zaugg	42	1:12'00.930	15+1
2	Switzerland	Neel Jani	42	+19.560	12
3	Great Britain	Robbie Kerr	42	+25.194	10
4	Brazil	Sérgio Jimenez	42	+42.770	8
5	Australia	John Martin	42	+1'08.647	6
6	Canada	Robert Wickens	42	+1'10.321	5
7	Germany	Christian Vietoris	42	+1'16.299	4
8	Netherlands	Jeroen Bleekemolen	42	+1'17.155	3
9	New Zealand	Jonny Reid	42	+1'22.447	2
10	China	Cong Fu Cheng	42	+1'33.913	1
11	India	Narain Karthikeyan	42	+1'35.414
12	Pakistan	Adam Langley-Khan	42	+1'39.496
13	Ireland	Adam Carroll	41	+1 lap
14	Italy	Edoardo Piscopo	41	+1 lap
15	Czech Republic	Tomáš Enge	41	+1 lap
16	Portugal	João Urbano	41	+1 lap
17	Malaysia	Fairuz Fauzy	41	+1 lap
18	Mexico	David Garza Perez	41	+1 lap
19	Lebanon	Chris Alajajian	40	+2 laps
20	Indonesia	Satrio Hermanto	39	+3 laps
Ret	France	Loïc Duval	31	+11 laps
Ret	USA	Jonathan Summerton	20	+22 laps

After race

Due to commitment to race in Japan (Formula Nippon and Super GT) agreed before the start of the A1GP season, Loïc Duval announced he will not drive for France for the final three rounds of the 2007-08.^[11] His participation for the next South African round on 24 February was only confirmed 22 February.^[12]

Notes

• It was the 28th race weekend (56 starts).
• It was the third venue in Eastern Creek Raceway and in Australia.
• It was the first race weekend for Jonathan Cochet^[13] and Michael Klein.^[13]
• Records :
  • France even up the 6 pole position of Switzerland.
  • France score 10 fastest laps (6 rewarded by points).
  • Lebanon participate on 28 rounds (56 starts) without won points since their first Grand Prix.
  • Neel Jani score 232 points.

References

1. Fauzy replaces Yoong at Malaysia a1gp.com (30 January 2008)
2. Australia names its race car a1gp.com (30 January 2008)
3. Paddock generators go green a1gp.com (2 February 2008)
4. France edges Friday practice a1gp.com (1 February 2008)
5. France on top before qualifying a1gp.com (2 February 2008)
6. GBR suffers race engineer set back a1gp.com (2 February 2008)
7. Alajajian 'gutted' after error a1gp.com (2 February 2008)
8. Canada loses Feature grid slot a1gp.com (2 February 2008)
9. Sprint race: lap-by-lap a1gp.com (2 February 2008)
10. Feature race: lap-by-lap a1gp.com (3 February 2008)
11. France set to change driver a1gp.com (3 February 2008)
12. The Three Musketeers a1gp.com (21 February 2008)
13. Rookies combined results.a1gp.com (1 February 2008)

External links

• France wins Australia Sprint
• Sprint race: lap-by-lap
• Sprint Race Results
• South Africa storms Sydney
• Feature race lap-by-lap
• Feature Race Results

Previous race 2007-08 A1GP, New Zealand

A1 Grand Prix 2007-08 season

Next race 2007-08 A1GP, South Africa

Coordinates: 33°48′21.2″S 150°52′17″E / 33.805889°S 150.87139°E