The 2007–08 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Mexico is an A1 Grand Prix race, held on March 16, 2008, at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Mexico City, Mexico. This is the eighth meeting in the 2007-08 A1 Grand Prix season.
Pre-race David Martínez (Mexico) who race two venues in the 2005-06 season was recalled to drive Rookie sessions due to ineligibility of current main driver David Garza Perez.Mexico confirms home team a1gp.com (March 05, 2008) Josef Král (Czech Republic) was replaced by Filip Salaquarda for the last three meetings.Salaquarda in shock Czech recall a1gp.com (March 05, 2008) This Czech driver race in one round in 2006-07. Initially, Josef Král was called for race all four rounds but its results in the last South African venue (18th and 16th) weren't enough for its team.
Qualifications In Rookie sessions, David Rigon (Italy) top the classification for its first A1GP appearance.Rigon achieves rare rookie feat a1gp.com (March 15, 2008) This performance was only achieved before by Jonathan Summerton (USA) in 2006-07, Australia.
Mexico and France made disappointing qualifying sessions.Canada and South Africa grab poles a1gp.com (March 15, 2008) David Garza Perez (Mexico) spin and hit the wall in the Peraltada corner in its last hot lap, he start from last row of the grid in each races. Jonathan Cochet line up on 16th and 14th position for his first race weekend replacing Loïc Duval for French team who is second in the standings before Mexican rounds.
Robert Wickens (Canada) make the Feature race pole position under yellow flag during the last qualifying session when David Garza Perez (Mexico) spin off. These circumstances are controversial according to several drivers, like Neel Jani who realize the second time, but the race stewards take no action against the Canadian team.Controversial Feature pole for Canada autosport.com (March 15, 2008)
Sprint race qualificationsPosTeamTimeGap1 South Africa1'20.315 -2 New Zealand1'20.397 +0.0823 USA1'20.426 +0.1114 Switzerland1'20.518 +0.2035 Great Britain1'20.556 +0.2416 Canada1'20.621 +0.3067 Ireland1'20.769 +0.4548 Brazil1'20.842 +0.5279 Portugal1'20.940 +0.62510 Italy1'20.961 +0.64611 Netherlands1'21.005 +0.69012 China1'21.028 +0.71313 Germany1'21.054 +0.73914 Malaysia1'21.099 +0.78415 Pakistan1'21.176 +0.86116 France1'21.417 +1.10217 Australia1'21.789 +1.47418 India1'21.799 +1.48419 Lebanon1'22.012 +1.69720 Indonesia1'22.044 +1.72921 Mexico1'22.370 +2.05522 Czech Republic1'22.373 +2.058Main race qualificationsPosTeamTimeGap1 Canada1'20.278 -2 Switzerland1'20.320 +0.0423 Germany1'20.646 +0.3684 Great Britain1'20.705 +0.4275 Ireland1'20.708 +0.4306 New Zealand1'20.743 +0.4657 USA1'20.783 +0.5058 Portugal1'20.825 +0.5479 China1'20.859 +0.58110 South Africa1'20.870 +0.59211 Malaysia1'20.939 +0.66112 Italy1'20.953 +0.67513 Netherlands1'21.263 +0.98514 France1'21.310 +1.03215 Australia1'21.358 +1.08016 Lebanon1'21.441 +1.16317 Pakistan1'21.484 +1.20618 Brazil1'21.675 +1.39719 Indonesia1'21.788 +1.51020 India1'21.909 +1.63121 Czech Republic1'22.333 +2.05522 Mexico1'22.371 +2.093
Sprint race It is 28 °C for the sprint race and a near 50 °C for the track temperature.Mexico Sprint race: lap-by-lap a1gp.com (March 16, 2008) A second start was planned because of multiple crash in the first. Oliver Jarvis (Great Britain) hit the back of Neel Jani (Switzerland) car's. Pakistan and then Australia hit Germany. Ireland and Brazil went off the track. Red flag is brandished and a new start is scheduled 20 minutes later. All teams had time to repair damages and line up in their qualifying position except Germany who cannot take part in the second start.
The start is properly done this time and South Africa take the lead but only for two laps to have sustained a puncture. New Zealand lead Great Britain, Switzerland and Ireland. Australia is out since Lap 1, hitting Pakistan. Jonathan Cochet (France passes Narain Karthikeyan (India) in Lap 4 for 13th. The Safety car is out in Lap 6 when Filip Salaquarda (Czech Republic) spin in the chicane.
After the safety car comes on in Lap 9, Great Britain, Switzerland and Ireland are close together using PowerBoosts to make the difference but all preserve their own position. In Lap 10, Cong Fu Cheng (China) hit David Garza Perez (Brazil) and go to the pits. China make the fastest lap on Lap 13. Jonny Reid (New Zealand) take its fourth win of the season behind Great Britain, Switzerland, Ireland, USA, Portugal, Canada, Netherlands, Malaysia and Brazil finished 10th.
PosTeamDriverLapsTimePoints1 New ZealandJonny Reid1420'59.462152 Great BritainOliver Jarvis14 +2.697123 SwitzerlandNeel Jani14 +3.745104 IrelandAdam Carroll14 +4.29185 USAJonathan Summerton14 +4.72166 PortugalFilipe Albuquerque14 +7.12557 CanadaRobert Wickens14 +7.78748 NetherlandsJeroen Bleekemolen14 +8.59739 MalaysiaAlex Yoong14 +9.599210 BrazilBruno Junqueira14 +10.952111 ItalyEdoardo Piscopo14 +11.53812 FranceJonathan Cochet14 +12.48313 IndiaNarain Karthikeyan14 +14.85914 IndonesiaSatrio Hermanto14 +15.60015 LebanonJimmy Auby14 +16.97016 MexicoDavid Garza Perez14 +18.36317 ChinaCong Fu Cheng11 +1 lap +1Ret Czech RepublicFilip Salaquarda4 Spun OffRet PakistanAdam Langley-Khan4 +10 lapsRet South AfricaAdrian Zaugg2 PunctureRet AustraliaJohn Martin0 CollisionDNS GermanyMichael Ammermüller - -
Main race The start was aborted because Brazil was way out of its position.Mexico Feature race: lap-by-lap a1gp.com (March 16, 2008) At 15:15 the race was restarted and Canada took the lead behind Switzerland, Great Britain, New Zealand, Ireland, Germany, USA, Portugal, Malaysia, South Africa. Australia and Italy get in the pits but Edoardo Piscopo (Italy) retire. In Lap 4, China passes Malaysia for 10th. In Lap 7, Neel Jani (Switzerland) grabb the lead to Robert Wickens (Canada). Australia receive a drive-through penalty. The first window to mandatory pit stops is open on Lap 10. New Zealand loses some positions with its bad pit stop. Switzerland made the festest lap just after pitting. France then Indonesia, for the first time in A1GP history, lead the race due to late stops. After the first mandatory stops, in Lap 16, Switzerland take the lead behind Ireland, Canada, Great Britain, Germany, USA, New Zealand, South Africa, Netherlands and China. In the next lap, Oliver Jarvis (Great Britain) passes Robert Wickens (Canada) for 3rd. During the next laps, Switzerland increase its advance to 6 secondes, Michael Ammermüller (Germany) come near to Canada and try to passes without success and Jonathan Summerton (USA) close to Germany. In Lap 27, Jonny Reid (New Zealand) hit the kerb in the chicane and finish in the tire wall. The Safety car is out until lap 29. New Zealand is still in the race but in 20th. In Lap 32, USA passes Canada by way of its Power-to-Pass. Malaysia who were 10th, loses two positions in the same Lap 33. Portugal passes at Turn 2 and Brazil on a side-by-side overtake in Turns 4 and 5. Next lap, Germany and Canada hits each other and Michael Ammermüller (Germany) should change its car's nose. It's the second mandatory pit stops. Switzerland, Ireland, Great Britain and USA pit immediately. Switzerland and Ireland exit side-by-side gratefully to the Ireland pits team. Adam Carroll (Ireland) take the lead at the end of the pit lane. Switzerland its second behind Great Britain, USA, Netherlands, Canada, South Africa, Portugal, Brazil and Malaysia. New Zealand and France are fighting but for 16th. Czech Republic and Switzerland receive a drive-through penalty in Lap 41 when Great Britain made the fastest lap. In Lap 44, Neel Jani (Switzerland) is 11th behind Pakistan. Jonathan Summerton (USA) is close to Oliver Jarvis (Great Britain) and try to passes during the last laps of the race. The final order is Ireland, the 15th team to win a race in A1GP behind Great Britain, USA, Netherlands, Canada, South Africa, Portugal, Brazil, India and China. The championship leader finish 12th for New Zealand, 13th for France and 19th for Switzerland. Switzerland lead the series by 15 points behindNew Zealand and 20 points behind France who not score any points this weekend.
PosTeamDriverLapsTimePoints1 IrelandAdam Carroll471:07'47.858152 Great BritainOliver Jarvis47 +3.35512+13 USAJonathan Summerton47 +4.104104 NetherlandsJeroen Bleekemolen47 +13.65385 CanadaRobert Wickens47 +15.17566 South AfricaAdrian Zaugg47 +16.19557 PortugalFilipe Albuquerque47 +16.54248 BrazilBruno Junqueira47 +17.25339 IndiaNarain Karthikeyan47 +26.504210 ChinaCong Fu Cheng47 +30.671111 IndonesiaSatrio Hermanto47 +35.53612 New ZealandJonny Reid47 +36.05113 FranceJonathan Cochet47 +39.46414 MexicoDavid Garza Perez47 +49.08215 MalaysiaAlex Yoong47 +53.86016 Czech RepublicFilip Salaquarda47 +1'06.15317 LebanonJimmy Auby47 +1'24.77118 PakistanAdam Langley-Khan46 +1 lap19 SwitzerlandNeel Jani46 +1 lap20 GermanyMichael Ammermüller46 +1 lap21 AustraliaJohn Martin46 +1 lapRet ItalyEdoardo Piscopo2 +45 laps
Notes It was the 30th race weekend (60 starts). It was the 2nd venue in Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez and the 3rd in Mexico. It was the first race for Jimmy AubyAuby to make Lebanese debut a1gp.com (February 29, 2008) (Lebanon), Jonathan CochetFrance call up veteran Cochet autosport.com (March 13, 2008) (France). It was the first race weekend as Rookie driver for Jimmy Auby (Lebanon), Felipe GuimarãesTeam Brazil to run rookie Guimaraes autosport.com (March 8, 2008) (Brazil), Davide RigonItaly leads the way in Mexico City a1gp.com (March 14, 2008) (Italy), Bruno Serra (Portugal), Duncan TappyTappy to make Team GBR debut autosport.com (March 7, 2008) (Great Britain). Records : Ireland and Adam Carroll win their first race. Lebanon participate on 30 rounds (60 starts) without won points since their first Grand Prix. Neel Jani score 267 points. Alex Yoong participate on 27 races (52 starts).
References
External links New Zealand wins Mexican Sprint Sprint race: lap-by-lap Sprint race results The Irish eyes are smiling Feature race: lap-by-lap Feature race results