Full Throttle

“The once-mighty 11-round series has staggered, lurched, stumbled and fizzled to a dismal seven-round event fraught with money worries and impounded cars.” - Eric Thompson of the New Zealand Herald.

OUCH! That’s going to leave a mark!

Of course, as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words.

A1GP chairman Tony Teixeira’s expensive toy has had a just completed season that at times saw more action, or lack thereof, off the track as on.

Delaying a series season opener, and changing the venue, isn’t the stuff normally listed under the heading of “confidence builders.”

To say nothing of the delayed start having such a huge impact on the starting grid (14 cars of 22 possible) at Zandvoort. Or transport difficulties between events, something Thompson suggests was only solved via A1 Team New Zealand’s seat-holder Colin Giltrap’s efforts at securing enough cash to get the cars out of Malaysia and into Auckland.

In addition to the early season schedule problems, Indonesia was chopped off the calender, and the Mexico round was a never ending sage of music concerts, shifted dates (twice) and finally getting the axe because of the swine flu.

The former CEO of A1 Team NZ Bob McMurray had this to say about the series and the Mexico round:

“I don’t think it’s the death knell of A1 strangely enough just yet,” said McMurray. “The cancellation of the Mexico round is convenient - albeit valid in its convenience, so tospeak.

“The A1 people can now save themselves a lot of money by not shipping all the cars halfway around the world for one bloody race. And I’m still not sure A1 wouldn’t have found another excuse not to go.

“There’s no major sponsor of the series still after four years and there’s still no real money coming in. Can it continue? I don’t really know. I have my doubts, I have to say, but it seems to continue.”

Meanwhile, A1 Team Australia’s Alan Jones claims Tony Teixeira has “just undertaken a deal that will financially secure A1 the next season and the season after.

“I can guarantee we will be on the grid in Surfers Paradise … otherwise I am moving to Darwin. He has assured me he has secured funding and is very bullish about the future of it (A1GP).”

One would think if that were true someone other than Jones’ inner voice would had heard about it. The season ender at Brands Hatch this past weekend would have been the prefect venue to announce a new two year deal, it never happened and A1GP 2009-10 may not either.

Although for my money I’d guess they will make it into next season but getting past next January is problematical.
We’ll see.