56-585: The Surfers Paradise Street Circuit is a temporary street circuit in Surfers Paradise , in Queensland , Australia . The 2.960 km (1.839 mi) beach-side track has several fast sections and two chicanes , having been shortened from an original 4.470 km (2.778 mi) length in 2010. It is the third of three motor racing circuits that have existed in the Gold Coast region, after
112-470: A Dutch auction . While the A1GP liquidators were apparently selling all intellectual property rights along with cars, it is unclear if a buyer was also expected to assume franchise agreements and financial obligations, or if the series and its necessary operating entities could be bought free and clear of any and all claims by Teixeira, Lyndhurst, and RAB. The liquidators appointed GoIndustry DoveBid to handle
168-468: A 4.5-litre Ferrari/Maserati V8 engine was capable of delivering up to 600 brake horsepower (450 kW) in PowerBoost mode. Michelin took over the tyre contract for the final season. Richard Dorfman was the A1GP's director of broadcasting. All broadcaster information is correct for the 2008–09 season . The first Chinese round of the 2006–07 A1GP took place on the streets of Beijing . However,
224-680: A different way for the Sprint Race: 10 for the winner, counting down 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 point for eighth place. In addition, one point was awarded to the team that set the fastest single lap time in either the Sprint or Main Race. Cash prizes were also awarded. Below is a list of pointscoring systems used to determine the winner of the A1 Grand Prix World Cup of Motorsport since the 2005–06 season . The World Cup of Motorsport
280-471: A group of new investors. The season would constitute 18 countries making up the grid and ten race weekends, spread out either side of Christmas 2011, visiting many of the series' previous venues. The series would also run under a new model, similar to the GP2 Series whereby teams are responsible for finding their own funding. In 2011 rumours surfaced of A1GP's potential return with a new name. The series
336-629: A new five-year deal with A1 Grand Prix to stage a race at Surfers Paradise. The first A1GP race was supposed to take place on 25 October 2009. To accommodate the new link with the A1GP series and subsequent removal of the Indy name (which is a registered trademark of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway), the entire four-day event was called the Nikon SuperGP. However, on 17 October 2009, A1GP Chairman Tony Teixeira announced that
392-576: A notably shorter layout of the circuit. At the Turn 2 chicane, the circuit enters a hairpin to the left and rejoins the original track at the Esses. The then-CEO of V8 Supercars, Tony Cochrane , suggested this layout after the A1 Grand Prix cars dropped out of the 2009 event. This was an effort to reduce the cost of running the event without an international drawcard series. This was achieved by reducing
448-406: A single-seater competition named Formula Acceleration 1 , which was part of Acceleration 2014 . In May 2015 AFRIX Motorsport of South Africa announced that they had purchased the remaining 21 'Powered by Ferrari' A1GP cars – together with their engines and spares, but less engine management electronics and steering wheels – from Delivered on Time, a freight company that had been granted a lien on
504-488: A successful first season of A1GP, it was announced on 29 September 2006 that Maktoum was to sell his position as chairman and director of A1GP. The transfer of his share in the organisation of A1 Grand Prix to RAB Capital was finalized in December 2006. Tony Teixeira took control of the series in 2006, and the series later liquidated after failing to host any races during the 2009–10 season. The nation-based A1GP concept
560-506: A team, the usual format in most formula racing series. As such, it was often promoted as the " World Cup of Motorsport". The series was ratified by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), and races were held in the traditional Formula One off-season, the northern hemisphere winter. The nation-based A1GP concept was founded by Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum of Dubai , initially in 2003. After
616-694: A temporary street circuit capable of facilitating high-speed motor races and hundreds of thousands of people. The circuit construction since 2009 has been project managed by local Gold Coast firm iEDM who specialise in motorsport venue engineering and delivery. In constructing the original circuit, over a two-month construction period, seven bridges were erected, along with 2,515 concrete barriers, 11,500 grandstand seats, more than 140 corporate suites, 10 km (6.2 mi) of debris fencing and 16 km (9.9 mi) of security fencing, as well as many more temporary structures being fitted, and large-scale power and telecommunications systems being activated. The circuit
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#1732787580646672-622: A three-day period, from Friday to Sunday. The teams were given five sets of dry weather slick tires , and two sets of wet weather treaded tires per weekend. However, if the weather was extreme, the team could be given more wet weather tires at the expense of the slick tires. The race weekend started with two one-hour practice sessions held on the Friday, and then another on the Saturday morning. A two-hour qualifying session took place on Saturday afternoon, and two races took place on Sunday. Primarily,
728-558: A total of 55 minutes for qualifying. The grid for the Sprint Race was set based on the cars' fastest time from either the first or the second session. The grid for the Feature Race was determined the same way, but using sessions three and four. However, if there was a red flag due to an accident on the circuit, the timing to the end of qualifying continued to run. The Sprint Race used the grid determined in sessions one and two of
784-474: Is a motorsport racing circuit composed of temporarily closed-off public roads of a city , town or village , used in motor races . Airport runways and taxiways are also sometimes part of street circuits. Facilities such as the paddock, pit boxes, fences and grandstands are usually installed temporarily and removed soon after the race is over but in modern times the pits, garages, race control and main grandstands are sometimes permanently constructed in
840-669: Is also an international leader in motor racing safety standards applauded by the Confederation of Australian Motorsport and the FIA (the international governing body of motorsport). One of the major advancements over the later years of the Champ Car era was the installation of double height debris fencing, including an additional 610 panels in high impact areas in 2005. Since 2010, the Supercars Championship has run
896-568: The Southport Road Circuit (1954–1955) and Surfers Paradise International Raceway (1966–1987). From 1991 to 2008, the circuit hosted an American Championship car racing event, the Gold Coast Indy 300 . The circuit has also hosted touring car races since 1994, with the Supercars Championship currently contesting the annual Gold Coast 500 at the circuit. Ron Dickson, the president of D3 Motorsport Development held
952-401: The "Powered by Ferrari" A1GP car was used. According to 2007–08 champion Neel Jani, 90% of teams in the paddock warned Teixeira ahead of time that this car change was untimely and an inefficient use of funds. Rule changes included shorter qualifying sessions, a pit-stop during the now longer Sprint Race, removal of limits on Friday test drivers, and reduced Sprint Race points scoring. Throughout
1008-508: The A1GP investment had been written down for a third time. A1 Team Australia boss Alan Jones later suggested that "it is common knowledge that Mr Teixeira bought RAB Capital out from A1GP" before the current season, yet A1GP prominently displayed RAB Capital branding until A1GP discontinued racing operations in 2009. Following doubts that the fifth season would go ahead due to financial constraints and reports that engine suppliers Ferrari would pull out over non-payments, Teixeira announced that
1064-413: The Feature Race. Each team had to complete three compulsory pit stops over the course of the race weekend – one during the Sprint Race, and two during the Feature Race. During the pit stop, all four tyres on the car had to be changed. A total of eight mechanics could be used during the stop, however, only four were allowed to 'touch the car', none of which (save the so-called "lollipop man" that directed
1120-474: The Saturday of the race weekend, to determine the grid lineup for Sunday's races, the Sprint Race and the Main Race. The qualifying period was split into four, ten-minute sessions. Each car was permitted three laps per session, including the laps required for leaving the pits, and for re-entering it. This allowed one lap to set a competitive time. There was a five-minute break between sessions, which added up to
1176-508: The Surfers Paradise area. Preliminary work was carried out in 1988, and the circuit was opened on 15 March 1991 for the 1991 Gold Coast IndyCar Grand Prix . The construction of the circuit has been acclaimed internationally and is used as a benchmark for new temporary street circuits world-wide. Over a full 12-month period plans are laid and then implemented to transform a bustling residential, commercial and holiday destination into
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#17327875806461232-614: The UK operating arm of the series went into liquidation in June. Access to the A1GP cars and the ability to pay its suppliers had been impeded. That caused the cars to be impounded the UK. A1 Grand Prix subsequently failed to arrive and were removed from the program, replaced with additional V8 Supercar races. Since 2002 , the Surfers Paradise race has counted for points in the V8 Supercars championship, now known as Supercars. V8 Supercars and
1288-483: The area. Since the track surface is originally planned for normal speeds, race drivers often find street circuits bumpy and lacking grip. Run-off areas may be non-existent, which makes driving mistakes more expensive than in purpose-built circuits with wider run-off areas. Racing on a street circuit is also called "legal street racing". Local governments sometimes support races held in street circuits to promote tourism . In some cases, short segments or connector roads of
1344-473: The cancellation of a race scheduled for Curitiba , Brazil in January 2006 reduced this number to 11. Nelson Piquet Jr. won the inaugural race of the series for A1 Team Brazil . Their winning form was not to continue. Wins at Estoril and Malaysia saw A1 Team France build up a sizeable gap. By the start of the winter break, France had run away with the lead with A1 Team Switzerland 28 points behind. At
1400-523: The car into its pit) could be present in the pit lane before the car came to a complete halt. Refuelling was also not permitted; infringements of these rules or of the pit-lane speed limit resulted in the imposition of a drive-through penalty. At the end of Season 3, A1GP released the results of the season's pit stop times. Although having never won a race, A1 Team Australia had the fastest pit crew of all teams. Unlike almost all other forms of auto racing, drivers did not score points individually; instead
1456-443: The case with A1 Holdings. The assets were awarded to A1 Grand Prix Operations, and therefore Bramston became their administrator. Bramston said he was trying to secure the best price in liquidation and would not rule out a sale to an entity controlled by Teixeira. RAB Capital's Special Situations fund missed out on the market recovery of 2009 and its shareholders forced manager RAB to allow the entire fund to be put up for sale through
1512-448: The circuit are purpose-built for the racecourse, and remain in place year-round, but are not otherwise utilized by public traffic. active circuits in bold A1 Grand Prix A1 Grand Prix Operations Ltd. operated as A1 Grand Prix ( A1GP ) was a "single-make" open-wheel auto racing series that ran from 2005 until 2009. It was unique in its field in that competitors solely represented their nation as opposed to themselves or
1568-593: The construction time, amount of materials needed and also limits the impact on local residents and tourists. It is no longer possible to use the full circuit with the G:link light rail line having been built over it. An annual event had been held here beginning with the opening round of the 1991 IndyCar season . Following the merger of the Indy Racing League and Champ Car World Series in February 2008 ,
1624-404: The corner being wider and had to avoid the pitlane entry barrier. It had to suffice, though, as otherwise the race would have been cancelled. However, another problem arose in qualifying when manhole covers on the roads were coming undone due to the racing cars' high downforce and low ride height. Grid positions were decided based on practice times. Some advertising banners also came loose around
1680-1102: The country. The team owner, principal and crew, however, did not need to have the same nationality as the team. Twenty-nine nations started one race in A1GP – as in the table below: [REDACTED] South Africa [REDACTED] Brazil [REDACTED] Canada [REDACTED] Mexico [REDACTED] USA [REDACTED] China [REDACTED] India [REDACTED] Indonesia [REDACTED] Japan [REDACTED] Korea [REDACTED] Lebanon [REDACTED] Malaysia [REDACTED] Pakistan [REDACTED] Singapore [REDACTED] Austria [REDACTED] Czech Republic [REDACTED] France [REDACTED] Germany [REDACTED] Great Britain [REDACTED] Greece [REDACTED] Ireland [REDACTED] Italy [REDACTED] Monaco [REDACTED] Netherlands [REDACTED] Portugal [REDACTED] Russia [REDACTED] Switzerland [REDACTED] Australia [REDACTED] New Zealand A1 Grands Prix of Nations took place over
1736-495: The final race of the season in Shanghai , A1 Team France were crowned the first-ever A1 Grand Prix world champions with 172 points. Switzerland were second with 121 points and A1 Team Great Britain third with 97 points. Katherine Legge was the first woman to drive A1 Grand Prix cars during test session in December 2005 on Dubai Autodrome . Changes were made for the 2006–07 season to race durations and distances to improve
Surfers Paradise Street Circuit - Misplaced Pages Continue
1792-531: The future of race had originally been secured until 2013 as an IRL IndyCar Series event, however the race was dropped from the calendar after the first demonstration race, and the A1 Grand Prix was signed up as a replacement, severing its eighteen-year history with American open wheel racing. On 11 November 2008 after extensive negotiations with the IRL broke down, the Queensland Government reached
1848-492: The major category at the event. For 2010 the format was changed to consist of a single 300-kilometre (190 mi) race on each day, with two drivers per car. In 2011 Sébastien Bourdais became the first and only driver to win at Surfers Paradise in both a Champ Car (in 2005 and 2007) and a V8 Supercar (in 2011, and then again in 2012). As of October 2024, the official race lap records at Surfers Paradise Street Circuit are listed as: Street circuit A street circuit
1904-483: The organisation was confirmed in December. The 2007–08 season was the final season that used the Lola-Zytek A1GP car, with rule changes including two mandatory pit-stops in the Feature Race and an introduction of E30 biofuel as the cars' fuel. Team Switzerland was the winning team with Neel Jani behind the wheel. In what proved to be the series' final season, the 2008–09 season was the only season in which
1960-518: The other seven were opened to tender for nations that had not been initially targeted. Twenty-five of the franchises were purchased in time for the 2005–06 A1 Grand Prix season , which began on 25 September 2005 with the A1 Grand Prix of Nations Great Britain at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent , United Kingdom. The first season was planned for 12 rounds (24 races, with two each weekend); however
2016-534: The points they earn were ascribed to their national team. This means that teams could change drivers between rounds, which was often necessary because some drivers had commitments in other formulae, and still accumulate points to their score. Points were awarded for the first ten places but the amounts changed during the series' run: 15 for the winner, 12 for second place, 10 for third place, 8 for fourth place, 6 for fifth place, 5 for sixth place, and so on with 4, 3, 2, and one point for tenth place. Points were awarded in
2072-619: The preceding Group 3A touring car category had previously appeared as a support category in 1994 and from 1996 onwards. From 2003 to 2007, the touring cars officially shared top billing with the Champcar World Series, and then with the Indy Racing League in 2008. The 2009 race was amended after the demise of A1GP, moving to a 600-kilometre (370 mi) format of four 150-kilometre (93 mi) races, two on Saturday and two on Sunday. From that year on, Supercars are
2128-421: The previous day's qualifying session, and was held in the early afternoon. The race began from a rolling start , and its duration was a maximum of 24 minutes plus one additional lap. Additionally, each team had to make one mandatory pit stop between laps four and eight. Drivers were permitted four uses of PowerBoost during the Sprint Race. The Feature Race used the grid determined in sessions three and four of
2184-474: The previous day's qualifying session, and was held mid-afternoon. The race began from a standing start , and was a race of approximately 180 kilometres (110 mi), with a maximum time limit of 69 minutes plus one lap. Teams had to make two mandatory pit stops during the Feature Race, one between laps eight and sixteen, and another during a pit window, which was not announced until the first window has closed. Drivers were permitted eight uses of PowerBoost during
2240-410: The rights for CART internationally in the 1980s. Following lobbying from prominent Queensland businessmen, and a brief meeting with State Premier Joh Bjelke-Petersen , the event was confirmed for Queensland, and Surfers Paradise was chosen over Brisbane , the state capital. The original circuit layout was designed by Ron Dickson of D3 Motorsport Development, and was the fourth concept put forward for
2296-528: The sale of the assets, and the liquidators are seeking £10 million for the assets. If a revival plan for the series could not be agreed with interested investment parties then the A1 Grand Prix assets were to be put up for auction. On 5 July 2010 Autosport magazine published in its "rumours & speculation" blog that the series, in one form or another, was to be revived for a new 2011–12 season, citing an unidentified source who claims backing from
Surfers Paradise Street Circuit - Misplaced Pages Continue
2352-729: The season, three rounds (in Italy, Indonesia, and Mexico) were cancelled for various reasons, and a proposed race in Brazil fell through. Team Ireland won the series with Ulsterman Adam Carroll. The opening round of the season, scheduled as part of the already well established Nikon SuperGP race meeting, was cancelled five days before practice was due to begin. With cars and series infrastructure still tied up in London and no comment forthcoming from A1GP, organisers in Australia were forced to announce
2408-531: The second season. However, after securing funding Team Portugal competed in the final four rounds of the second season in South Africa, Mexico, China and Britain. Team Germany won the series with 128 points, 35 points lead ahead of Team New Zealand. On 29 September, Sheikh Maktoum announced he was resigning his position as chairman and chief executive of the series, seeking to have his place taken by increased shareholder interests: I am happy that I have built
2464-599: The series had secured its long-term future, following a financial restructuring. As part of the restructuring, administration had been applied for the previously liquidated A1 Grand Prix Operations Ltd. A dispute over the ownership of the series' cars was heard on 18 January 2010 at the High Court of Justice in London , with a judicial decision on 21 January 2010 ruling that the Administrator, Tim Bramston, had won
2520-713: The series with fans in mind. I feel like I have fulfilled my promise to them by bringing A1GP from concept to reality and am confident that the World Cup of Motorsport will go from strength to strength. Having devoted all my efforts to making A1GP the success it is today, this transaction will allow me to devote more time to my Dubai International Holding Company which currently manages a substantial portfolio of assets and new ventures and which continues to actively pursue other significant investment opportunities. Maktoum announced his intended resignation in September and his exit from
2576-507: The series would not appear at what had been a high-profile addition to the A1 Grand Prix calendar. The event was underwritten by the Queensland state government , who mentioned the possibility of taking legal recourse against A1 Grand Prix. The series was thrown into further doubt as more races were cancelled, with an announcement made on 5 November 2009 stating that the races in China and Malaysia would not be taking place. The last race that
2632-421: The spectacle for attendees and TV viewers. The 2006–07 schedule was released on 7 July 2006, with the first race at Circuit Park Zandvoort on 1 October 2006, and the last race at Brands Hatch on 29 April 2007. New teams Team Singapore and Team Greece joined the competition but Team Turkey failed to secure funding for the season. Team Austria , Team Japan , Team Portugal and Team Russia did not return for
2688-423: The three practice sessions were for car setup and track familiarisation before the official competition began with Saturday qualifying. Three different drivers could participate in the three practice sessions; the driver elected for qualifying or for one of the races was required to have taken part in at least one such practice session. A1 Grand Prix used a unique qualifying format, which began at 14:00 local time on
2744-414: The tight hairpin at the end of the back straight was too tight for the cars to negotiate safely, as it was a 180 degree left turn. Cars were running wide and stopping mid corner; therefore, the sessions were red flagged. A shorter circuit was created, creating another, less tight hairpin halfway up the straight, bypassing most of the old straight. This corner was still not ideal, as drivers ran wide despite
2800-471: The vehicles in lieu of unpaid bills. AFRIX stated that the cars were to form the basis for a one-make series to be run in South Africa during the southern hemisphere summer. Announced in May 2023, A1GP was planned to make a return with a 100 million dollar funding. Each A1 Grand Prix team represented a nation. Drivers must have the same nationality as the team they drove for. The team car should also represent
2856-420: Was awarded to the A1 Grand Prix team which accumulated the most points over the course of a season. The A1GP formula provided a single "spec" car for each team. Each car was mechanically identical, built with many technical restrictions designed to limit performance, reduce running costs, and prevent any one or number of teams gaining an advantage through better equipment. The Lola A1GP, chassis Lola B05/52,
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#17327875806462912-476: Was founded by Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum of Dubai , initially in 2003. Once the series had received the backing of the FIA, a management structure including new executive directors Brian Menell and Tony Teixeira were appointed to oversee the sale of franchises for the operation of international teams. Thirty franchises were made available; twenty-three of them were restricted to specified nations, while
2968-432: Was intended to ease some of the concerns regarding A1GP's ongoing financial viability, the continued input of existing backers, and the platform's ability to attract sponsors. CEO Pete da Silva reported a loss for the initial season, and yet RAB Capital paid $ 200 million to the exiting Dubai founder for his 80% stake. Before the 2008–09 "Powered by Ferrari" season was to begin, Bloomberg reported that RAB Capital announced that
3024-625: Was to be called the A10 World Series, keeping the A1 from A1GP to signify the continuation of the idea. The series was billed as a Global single seater series with 600BHP V10 engines. A source told Autosport magazine that the A10 World Series would use A1GP's idea of pitting countries against each other. However, the holding company for the series was formally dissolved in early 2012. In 2014 ISRA (International Sport Racing Association) took 2005–08 A1 Grand Prix racing cars (Lola-Zytek) and created
3080-530: Was to be held in the season, the Dutch round, was switched for Superleague Formula . This put an end to the hopes the season would start and also put the future of the series in doubt. Chairman Tony Teixeira announced in October 2007 that Italian manufacturer Ferrari would design and build the engines for six years, and that Ferrari would consult in the design and manufacture of the car. The Ferrari involvement
3136-459: Was used in the first three seasons. These chassis were fitted with 3.4-litre Zytek engines delivering up to 550 brake horsepower (410 kW) in PowerBoost mode, and ran on Cooper tyres. A1GP partnered with Ferrari in the 2008–09 season to run upgraded Ferrari F2004 chassis, with the intention of using the cars for six seasons. The original 3.0L Ferrari V10 engine was replaced with
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