A1 may double up in China
China could become the first country to host two A1 Grand Prix events in a single season, with Macau a possible venue for the other race, the championship's founder said.
'We are already in talks with potential promoters over the possibility of installing a second China GP on the calendar,' said Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum in Shanghai yesterday during the final round of the series' inaugural season. 'The interest has been obvious for an extra A1 event on the ground and we are glad to see that happen as China, with its population and influence, is a key country for our long-term development strategy.'
The sheikh, who started the World Cup of Motorsport from scratch last September, remained tight-lipped over details of the bidders in question but a source close to the A1 Team China revealed that agencies from both Macau and Beijing are involved in the negotiation.
'In fact, Beijing's Golden Port Circuit used to be the initial choice for the A1 China GP, only to be stripped of the hosting right after failing to collect the funds needed for a major renovation in time ... so it's natural that they come back to renew their bid,' said the source, who asked not be named.
'In the case of Macau, I think they just want to add a new piece into their already well-known motor racing portfolio to further promote the city's gambling and tourism industry.'
On the track, despite being roared on by an estimated crowd of 80,000 at Shanghai International Circuit yesterday, A1 Team China's bid for precious championship points faltered once again. Ma Qinghua, the 18-year-old reserve driver, made his debut in the earlier sprint race. He started 15th on the grid and finished 17th. Jiang Tengyi, the regular Chinese speedster, took over for the feature race, which he completed in 16th place.
'To give Ma a taste of A1, the team decided to split the race duties and that made it a bit more difficult for me to find the pace,' said Jiang.
China finished second-last of the scoring teams in the standings with six points.
Alex Yoong, who set the pole on Saturday, continued his scorching run for Malaysia. Yoong led from light to flag in the sprint and came second behind Tomas Enge of the Czech Republic in the feature race with Australian Ryan Briscoe rounding up the podium.
Briton Darren Manning held on to second in the sprint race, finishing just behind Yoong and ahead of Mexico's Salvador Duran.
