PLANS to re-launch the dormant A1 Grand Prix ‘World Cup of Motorsport’ have been revealed.
The open-wheeler racing series ran from 2005/06 through to May 2009 before it collapsed and featured drivers competing under the banner of various countries.
Sky Business News in the UK revealed on the weekend that the organisation behind the initiative is called the World Cup of Motorsport and is headed by Sir Keith Mills, deputy chairman of the organising committee of the 2012 London Olympic Games and Paralympics.
He founded America’s Cup contender Team Origin and ran Origin Sports Group and it’s understood is working to be securing the funding to revive A1GP.
Former Renault/Alpine F1 executive Marcin Budkowski was also named in the report as part of the team working on the project, as well as long-time F1 figure Mike Gascoyne and Australian David White, the former GM of Sport at Channel 10 and most recently former global president of French media giant Lagardere.
It’s been reported that the group intends to run A1GP races from December to July to avoid Formula 1, with the majority conducted during F1’s off-season.
Plans call for 12 rounds spread across the world, with racing in the Asia-Pacific region expected as part of the series.
It’s understood talks with car and engine manufacturers are underway to be involved with the project with reports of a working prototype already being built.
A1 Grand Prix raced in Australia three times, in November 2005 and February in 2007 and 2008.
The A1 Team Australia line-up featured a range of different drivers throughout the four seasons of racing including Will Power, Will Davison, Ryan Briscoe, John Martin and Marcus Marshall.
The series used a Lola-Zytek chassis/engine combination for its first three seasons before moving to a Ferrari for the fourth and ultimately final season.
