The 'World Cup of Motorsport' is announced
The 'World Cup of Motorsport' is announced
It was a noble idea that involved a few heavy-hitting names in the driver line-up.
On this day in 2004, A1 Grand Prix was announced as the 'World Cup of Motorsport'. Sadly, it was a championship that only lived a short life.
Launched a year before any racing would take place, A1GP saw all teams competing on a level playing field with a spec Lola chassis, powered by Zytek engines.
The championship would only run for four seasons and, in that final year (2008-2009), the cars were changed to be based on the 2004 Ferrari Formula 1 car, with the series adding 'Powered by Ferrari' to its name.
The championship worked on the basis that its team personnel and drivers had to be from the country they were competing for. Despite this restriction and the short-lived nature of the championship, numerous big names competed.
In season one alone you had the likes of Karun Chandhok [Team India], Will Power and Will Davison [Team Australia], Nelson Piquet Jr and Christian Fittipaldi [Team Brazil], Álvaro Parente [Team Portugal], Neel Jani [Team Switzerland], Scott Speed [Team USA], Jos Verstappen [Team Netherlands] and Adrian Sutil [Team Germany].
Sebastian Vettel also tested for Team Germany, while Lauda Motorsport Management ran the Austrian effort, with Mathias Lauda in the driving seat.
Team Germany won in season two, with Nico Hulkenberg at the wheel for the majority of the races, and Sebastian Buemi [Team Switzerland] and Sergio Perez [Team Mexico] joined a roster of drivers that oozed class.
Originally touted as a championship that had the potential to challenge the might of Formula 1, A1GP rapidly fell out of the public eye and hit financial problems, an issue present from day one that eventually killed off the championship.
A1GP Premieres on the World Stage - A Personal View
The maiden weekend at Brands Hatch was a carnival atmosphere that put F1 to shame. Bright colours, Sky Sports - who at this point had little interest in motorsport - and some very fast, very loud cars. Not to mention the circuit was packed so tightly with fans that movement was not an option.
Stood with my family at the iconic Paddock Hill corner, we were treated to some of the best racing the circuit had seen for decades, and then there was the iconic moment where the Team Italy driver, Enrico Toccacelo, hit the Team Lebanon car of Kalil Beschir, sending it barrel-rolling through the gravel.
Both races on that opening weekend were won by Piquet. At that stage, little did we know the 'unique' path his career would follow.
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
Top manufacturer takes HUGE step towards F1 return
- 1 hour ago
McLaren star sets staggering new F1 RECORD
- 2 hours ago
Hamilton relationship 'ENDS' as F1 legend looks for celebrity date
- 3 hours ago
F1 team boss lends support to Alonso amid HUGE backlash
- Today 10:57
Mercedes driver reveals unique BENEFIT to being Verstappen’s team-mate
- Today 09:57
Wolff WARNS Hamilton about Ferrari competitiveness
- Today 09:12
F1 Race Calendar
-
GP BAHRAIN
29 Feb - 2 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP SAUDI ARABIA
7 - 9 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP AUSTRALIA
22 - 24 Mar
Carlos Sainz
- GP JAPAN 5 - 7 Apr
- GP CHINA 19 - 21 Apr
- GP USA 3 - 6 May
- GP ITALY 17 - 19 May
- GP MONACO 24 - 26 May
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860