I well aware of the origin of the A1GP chassis. I’m going on what the drivers have reported about how the car is to drive. They say that it’s heavy and very low on grip compared to F3 and GP2 cars. Remember that F3000 wasn’t very popular with the drivers either and was wound up when F1 teams started ignoring it and picking drivers from major F3 series instead. GP2 might look comparable on stats, but it’s in a completely different league on track.

As for driver selection - I mostly agree with what you say about it being a chance to show off young drivers from a particular country, certainly for smaller nations or those without a history of motorsport like Indonesia. But for European countries that have a multitude of series for young drivers to race in - I don’t see anyone campaigning to get their country’s A1GP seat. And audiences are already on the decline after the newness of Season 1. Whatever the reasons for why A1GP was established, I’m suggesting that it should regard itself as something more than just another feeder series.

HDTV?

DLP? What to hell are you talking about? I’m lucky to get anything in “color.”

I can’t argue with any of it.

GP2 & A1GP chassis are both built to F3000 regs. Dallara tendered for the A1GP contract alongside Lola. Regarding engine output, the Renault sodomo’s kick out 600bhp & the Zytecs 500bhp.The respective weight difference between the two chassis is not that great.

Richard said :- “A1GP is at a massive disadvantage for not being an FIA series (it is sanctioned by them but they have no other involvement other than safety) and failing to differentiate itself from the many FIA supported series would be a big mistake’ Ummm….Richard one of the reasons GP2 is doing so well is that it is NOT a FIA series, it run & owned by a mate of Briatore’s, the FIA have no involvement. The reason the previous F1 support series failed was BECAUSE it was the official FIA F3000 series, Thus it had no real identity or title sponsor or manufacturer involvement.

Richard said :- “The two French drivers that dominated season 1 of A1GP haven

A1GP is nothing like GP2 - the cars are heavy and drive heavy according to the drivers. The tyres are hard and the aero much less. This might be excuses, but it is sighted as the reason why several very experienced drivers have struggled to set a good time in an A1GP car while the most sucessful have been young drivers who have come recently from karting or Formula Ford with perhaps only a little F3 experience.

While we can see that Germany’s Nico Hulkenberg might have a big future ahead of him, it will be due to how he performs in the more ‘establishment’ series he drives in from now on, not on the basis of his season 2 A1GP domination. The two french drivers that dominated season 1 of A1GP haven’t had much sucess since.

If A1GP has a future (and frankly, I’m amazed season 3 is actually happening), it has to become a show that is all about A1GP racing. They should be have known drivers that are paid to race and it should be able somehow to run at a profit rather than being paid for by young drivers buying drives (as happens in every ‘feeder’ series). I don’t know where the money is going to come from - I’m not even sure where it comes from now - but that should be the goal rather than trying to become yet another meaningless feeder series.

A1GP is at a massive dissadvantage for not being an FIA series (it is sanctioned by them but they have no other involvement other than safety) and failing to differentiate itself from the many FIA supported series would be a big mistake.

Of course it’s not all good news, they’re taped delayed until Wednesday.