The first season of the A1 Grand Prix is launching this weekend at Brands Hatch. Finally a new motorsport, similar to F1.

For those who don’t know, A1 is an F1 alternative (often seen as a breakaway, although the organisers deny this, keep trying), which is based using National Teams instead of Non-National ones (i.e. F1 teams). It features identical cars, tyres, engines etc…

For those who do know a bit, what you may not know is that there will be 2 points paying races in an A1 GP race afternoon:

• Sprint Race: Rolling start, 30 minutes approx. Points awarded for possition (1st = 10 points, dropping one point per place until 10th). One additional point awarded to the team with the fastest lap (who could fail to finish… imagine winning a championship like that). Finshing lineup dictates the Feature Race starting grid.
• Feature Race: Standing start, 50 minutes approx. Points awarded for possition (1st = 10 points, dropping one point per place until 10th). One additional point awarded to the team with the fastest lap.

Additionally:

• (I think) Its one driver per team per race. However it could be up to 3… The website states that any driver who wishes to race must complete a practice session.
• Teams have 10 men in the pits.
• Points are awarded to teams alone, there is no drivers or constructors championship.

It starts on Sky Sports 1, 1pm on Sunday. I’ll be watching. I just hope its not the WWE of Motorsport. On the otherhand, I do like to see ridiculously specialised cars that I will likely never drive fly round a track at high speed…

But… retaining my loyalties. After your done watching flick onto ITV1 for the F1 at Interlagos, Brazil!