Following feedback from fans and consultation with the 23 national A1 Teams, A1GP World Cup of Motorsport has conducted a thorough review of its sporting regulations.
With effect from the A1GP Beijing race, from 10 to 12 November 2006, the grid for the 70-minute Feature race will be determined by the finishing results of the earlier 20-minute Sprint race. The winner of the Sprint race will start the Feature race in pole position as in the 2005/06 season, simplifying the qualifying system and making the results more immediate to the fans in the grandstand.
Also in effect from Beijing will be a change to the eligibility of Rookie drivers and the Friday format. The Rookie session, to be held between 11.00 and 12.00 with a ten minute break midway, will now be open to drivers under the age of 28 or any driver from a developing motorsport nation.
The new regulations will allow drivers and countries with little motorsport experience to come to terms with the powerful 550-bhp A1GP cars and challenging tracks, while the move to an earlier slot will allow teams more time to analyse performance in the sessions and optimise race set-up. The Rookie session will be followed by the second official practice session open to all teams and drivers between 14.00 and 15.00.
A1GP
DailyF1News.com
