Sport: A1 Grand Prix - Formula 1 better get their act together

Well, just when I thought the whole universe revolved around Bernie Ecklestone's corporate creation, along comes something which smacks of the Formula 1 of old, real driver versus driver racing... bring on the new kid on the block:



You may be forgiven for wondering why a South African flag flies on this logo. The answer lies in the fact that A1 Grand Prix is something totally new: a world cup of open-wheel racing! Pitting nation against nation, this form of motorsport takes the best aspects from F1, IndyCar, and Go-Carting (as well as a pinch of Touring Car regulations), creating what can only be called a world first.



The new Lola A1 GP car is standard, making this a true test of one driver's skill against another's. Compared to Formula 1, these teams operate on a shoestring budget, but if Sunday's inaugural race at Brand's Hatch is anything to go by, all I can say is: "Formula One Beware!"

A good weekend for Brazil saw Nelson Piquet Jr take maximum points - but there are still 11 rounds to go in the series, which will resume on October 9th at the EuroSpeedway in Lausitz, Germany. It's all about this...



the A1 Grand Prix trophy. May the best nation win.