The 2007–08 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, New Zealand is an A1 Grand Prix race, which was held on 20 January 2008 at the Taupo Motorsport Park, New Zealand. This will be the fifth meeting in the 2007–08 A1 Grand Prix season.
Pre-race The Taupo circuit changes one of the circuit's corners.Taupo changes to 'improve passing' a1gp.com (28 November 2007) The turn 12 at the end of the longest straight will be much slower with a 90-degree left-hander. A1GP will inaugurate the new changes.
It was announced that the Taupo round switch to a 30 per cent biofuel mix.Biofuel confirmed for Taupo a1gp.com (18 December 2007) This environmental initiative is the first initiative to help reduce its environmental footprint in motorsport series. The new fuel is an ethanol based-product Hiperflo E30 sourced from sugar beet in Europe and produced by Petrochem Carless. The prediction are a CO2 emissions reduction by 21% per car.
A1 Team Indonesia and Performance Racing announce their new partnership.Indonesia's new engineering squad a1gp.com (20 January 2008) The racing team managed by Bobby Issazadhe provide now the technical and race services like it does with A1 Team Pakistan since 2006–07. Dave Luff is the new race engineer and Bagoes Hermanto became the new Team Principal.
To avoid what happen in the last race when safety car was out during feature race, a new light close to the entry of pit lane is introduced this weekend.Safety car pit light introduced a1gp.com (18 January 2008) When the lights are on, drivers can pit but it is not counted as one of the two mandatory stops. Pits are allowed for mechanical work or to be carried out.
Qualifications A1 Team France dominate the two practice sessions Friday afternoonSpins a plenty in Friday practice a1gp.com (18 January 2008) and Saturday morning.France continues practice pace a1gp.com (19 January 2008)
Sprint race qualificationsPosTeamTimeGap1 New Zealand1'15.241 -2 South Africa1'15.522 +0.2813 France1'15.628 +0.3874 Germany1'15.724 +0.4835 Netherlands1'16.036 +0.7956 USA1'16.101 +0.8607 Ireland1'16.182 +0.9418 Canada1'16.201 +0.9609 Malaysia1'16.386 +1.14510 Brazil1'16.408 +1.16711 Switzerland1'16.423 +1.18212 Italy1'16.472 +1.23113 Great Britain1'16.731 +1.49014 Portugal1'17.147 +1.90615 Australia1'17.309 +2.06816 China1'17.340 +2.09917 Lebanon1'17.682 +2.44118 Mexico1'17.809 +2.56819 Czech Republic1'17.811 +2.57020 India1'17.961 +2.72021 Indonesia1'18.421 +3.18022 Pakistan1'18.635 +3.394Main race qualificationsPosTeamTimeGap1 France1'15.296 -2 Germany1'15.331 +0.0353 Switzerland1'15.476 +0.1804 Canada1'15.588 +0.2925 New Zealand1'15.618 +0.3226 Portugal1'15.620 +0.3247 South Africa1'15.651 +0.3558 Netherlands1'15.795 +0.4999 Great Britain1'15.895 +0.59910 USA1'15.898 +0.60211 Brazil1'16.024 +0.72812 Australia1'16.106 +0.81013 Ireland1'16.115 +0.81914 Malaysia1'16.198 +0.90215 Mexico1'16.313 +1.01716 Italy1'16.524 +1.22817 Lebanon1'16.556 +1.26018 China1'16.761 +1.46519 India1'16.791 +1.49520 Czech Republic1'17.526 +2.23021 Pakistan1'17.556 +2.26022 Indonesia1'18.106 +2.810
Sprint race For this sprint race, the time is sunny with a 19 °C but wind made the track dusty.Taupo Sprint: lap-by-lap a1gp.com (20 January 2008) At first turn, a big collision between Malaysia, Switzerland involve also Canadian and Brazilian drivers. Alex Yoong (Malaysia) and Neel Jani (Switzerland) are out of their own cars and renounce the race. Safety car is out until lap 4. Brazil and Canada have reach the tail of the field. New Zealand lead the race ahead of Germany, South Africa and France. Pakistan passed Indonesia for 14th. In lap 6, turn 11, Robbie Kerr (Great Britain) attempt to passes Jonathan Summerton (USA) for seventh but the two cars collide. Great Britain has suspension damage and retires. France passes South Africa for third at turn 12, lap 10. Next lap, Tomáš Enge (Czech Republic) crash into Chris Alajajian (Lebanon) who ran tenth and was able to score the first ever point for the Lebanese team. Robert Wickens is off in lap 13, turn 1. Jonny Reid (New Zealand) won the sprint race as home victory ahead of Germany, France, South Africa, Netherlands, Ireland, USA, Portugal, Australia and India. The extra point for fastest lap is scored by Christian Vietoris for Germany.
PosTeamDriverLapsTimeGridPoints1 New ZealandJonny Reid1419'25.4081152 GermanyChristian Vietoris14 +3.192412+13 FranceLoïc Duval14 +4.8993104 South AfricaAdrian Zaugg14 +7.823285 NetherlandsJeroen Bleekemolen14 +9.581566 IrelandAdam Carroll14 +10.912757 USAJonathan Summerton14 +11.417648 PortugalJoão Urbano14 +13.3151439 AustraliaJohn Martin14 +15.58015210 IndiaNarain Karthikeyan14 +22.96820111 PakistanAdam Langley-Khan14 +25.7732212 ItalyEdoardo Piscopo14 +26.0481213 BrazilSérgio Jimenez14 +26.5411014 ChinaCong Fu Cheng14 +26.7731615 LebanonChris Alajajian14 +29.4831716 IndonesiaSatrio Hermanto14 +31.1072117 MexicoDavid Garza Perez14 +31.34918Ret CanadaRobert Wickens11 Spun off8Ret Czech RepublicTomáš Enge10 Collision19Ret Great BritainRobbie Kerr9 Damage13Ret MalaysiaAlex Yoong0 Collision9Ret SwitzerlandNeel Jani0 Collision11
Main race Weather is still sunny for the main race and the mandatory pit is announced between laps 34 to 42 (the first pit stop is always included between laps 8 and 16).Taupo Feature: lap-by-lap a1gp.com (20 January 2008) New Zealand make a bad start and loses several places meanwhile Switzerland take the lead but have jumped the start. In the first lap, Safety car is out because of an accident involving India at turn 7. Safety car is back in on lap 3 and Canada passes South Africa for sixth. Next lap, Chris Alajajian (Lebanon) and Edoardo Piscopo (Italy) collide and retire, Safety car is again in track. USA and Ireland take advantage to enter in pit to repair some aerodynamics damages. Switzerland receive a drive-through penalty for Neel Jani jump-start. Robbie Kerr (Great Britain) retire in garage for mechanical problems. Safety car is in on lap 7. The first mandatory pit stops are now available and Germany passes France in pits. In lap 16, Switzerland break its front wing moving around the outside of Pakistan, and running into the grass. Next lap, USA makes its pit stop but the mandatory window is already closed. The current order is now Germany, France, Netherlands, Canada, Portugal, South Africa, New Zealand, Brazil, China and USA. Some laps later, in lap 22, oil is in the track in turn 7 and Indonesia, Australia and Netherlands spin off resulting Safety car back out for the third time on this race. Indonesia retire and Netherlands loses two places and is now fifth. Safety car is on lap 27. Jonny Reid (New Zealand) passes Adrian Zaugg (South Africa) on turn 11, lap 28 and press now Jeroen Bleekemolen (Netherlands). For overtaking behind the Safety car, Switzerland receive a second drive-through penalty. Adam Carroll (Ireland) take the tenth after Jonathan Summerton (USA) runs wide in lap 34. Same lap, the second window for mandatory stops is open. Portugal is given a drive-through penalty for crossing the white line on entering the pit lane. On lap 39, Brazil passes South Africa for seventh. After mandatory pit stop, Germany lead Canada, France, New Zealand, Ireland, Brazil, South Africa, China, USA and Netherlands. Malaysia and Pakistan collide in lap 41, turn 12. Alex Yoong (Malaysia) retire in pits. In lap 43, Cong Fu Cheng (China) spin off and stop its race. In lap 49, Switzerland take the fastest lap of the race and the bonus point. Germany win front of Canada, only 1.180 seconds behind, followed by France, New Zealand, Ireland, Brazil, South Africa, USA, Netherlands, Mexico and Pakistan in eleventh.
USA has been penalised 70 seconds for making its mandatory pit stop outside of the proper window.USA penalised for Feature pit stop a1gp.com (20 January 2008) The team loses is 8th final positions and was classified 14th. Therefore, Pakistan score its first point of the season.
PosTeamDriverLapsTimePoints1 GermanyChristian Vietoris501:10'40.168152 CanadaRobert Wickens50 +1.180123 FranceLoïc Duval50 +2.025104 New ZealandJonny Reid50 +3.03185 IrelandAdam Carroll50 +4.08866 BrazilSérgio Jimenez50 +5.11757 South AfricaAdrian Zaugg50 +10.10748 NetherlandsJeroen Bleekemolen50 +11.17539 MexicoDavid Garza Perez50 +19.478210 PakistanAdam Langley-Khan50 +25.559111 Czech RepublicTomáš Enge50 +26.50612 PortugalJoão Urbano50 +29.84813 SwitzerlandNeel Jani50 +34.451 +114 USAJonathan Summerton49 +1 lapRet ChinaCong Fu Cheng43 Spun off Ret MalaysiaAlex Yoong38 Colision Ret AustraliaJohn Martin37 +13 lapsRet IndonesiaSatrio Hermanto21 Spun off Ret Great BritainRobbie Kerr4 Mechanical Ret ItalyEdoardo Piscopo3 Collision Ret LebanonChris Alajajian3 Collision Ret IndiaNarain Karthikeyan1 Accident
After race Neel Jani announce he's available for the rest of the season for Switzerland.Jani: 'A1GP is my priority' a1gp.com (23 January 2008) Its priority is won the A1GP championship and don't want to return in Champ Car World Series this year.
Tony Teixeira, A1GP chairman, congratulate Alex Yoong with a cake to mark his 50th race in the series.Alex Yoong's half-century a1gp.com (25 January 2008)
Notes It was the 27th race weekend (54 starts). It was the second venue in Taupo Motorsport Park, and second in New Zealand. It was the first race for John Martin.Sprint Race, Qualifying 1 results.a1gp.com (19 January 2008) It was the first race weekend for Tom Dillmann,Swiss call up rookie Dillmann a1gp.com (29 December 2007) Frederico Duarte,Rookies combined results.a1gp.com (18 January 2008) Clemente Faria, Brendon Hartley,New Zealand picks rookie Hartley a1gp.com (10 January 2008) James Winslow.Winslow to join Great Britain at Taupo autosport.com (15 January 2008) Records : Alex Yoong participate on 26 races (50 starts). He start consecutively 45 races.Fauzy replaces Yoong at Malaysia a1gp.com (30 January 2008) Neel Jani won 219 points. Christian Vietoris is the youngest race winner at 18 years, 9 months and 19 days.Record breakers! a1gp.com (21 January 2008) Lebanon participate on 27 rounds (54 starts) without won points since their first Grand Prix. Germany won with 3 different drivers (Michael Ammermüller, Nico Hülkenberg and Christian Vietoris).
References
External links Famous Sprint win for New Zealand Taupo Sprint: lap-by-lap Sprint Race Results Vietoris wins Feature for Germany Taupo Feature: lap-by-lap Feature Race Results