AGR to A1GP?

[BobGarage]

I've posted this over in the A1GP forum ( http://www.motorsportforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=129333 ) but as very few post there and it is also semi relevant to the IRL I thought I'd post it here as well....


On last nights Sky Sports coverage of Chicagoland Christopher Tate, who was an in studio guest, claimed that there is a possibility of AGR taking over the running of Team USA in A1GP this season (starts october) and that they plan to run Marco and Danica in the race seat.

* not saying that the story is true, that is just what he claimed on the TV last night

[NickFalzone]

It's possible, I know Buddy Rice runs a couple A1GP races as well. The A1 calendar is only 9 confirmed races and only 1 or 2 that run into the IndyCar season. Based on 08, Danica and Marco could certainly use more track time.

[Easy Drifter]

Please not Danica. If she runs there we will have DF posting about what a great job she is doing and how she is going to blow off (careful :uhoh: ) all the other drivers. :o hplease:

[JSH]

More experience could do them both some good.

[weeflyonthewall]

More experience could do them both some good.

Unlike the Peter Principle?

[Oli_M]

Might be good - Although not quite sure what is in it for AGR, would have thought they would get better returns for their $$$ spending it American series (Indycar, ALMS etc).

But if it does mean we get to see Danica up against some of the upper level European single seat racers, I'm for it!

[BobGarage]

It's possible, I know Buddy Rice runs a couple A1GP races as well.

buddy ran 2 rounds (4 races) for Team USA at the start of last year. he failed miserably to perform and was kicked out and replaced by Atlantic driver Jonathon Summerton.

this could backfire on the drivers (if it happens). Some experienced drivers have gone to A1Gp and been embaressed by their young apponants. Buddy Rice, Christian Fittipaldi and Michel Jourdain spring to mind.

Most of the field is made of F3 Euroseries drivers with a sprinkling of GP2 drivers. So its not an experienced field that showed Rice and Jourdain up last year.

[NickFalzone]

buddy ran 2 rounds (4 races) for Team USA at the start of last year. he failed miserably to perform and was kicked out and replaced by Atlantic driver Jonathon Summerton.

this could backfire on the drivers (if it happens). Some experienced drivers have gone to A1Gp and been embaressed by their young apponants. Buddy Rice, Christian Fittipaldi and Michel Jourdain spring to mind.

Most of the field is made of F3 Euroseries drivers with a sprinkling of GP2 drivers. So its not an experienced field that showed Rice and Jourdain up last year.

Rice is a better road course driver than both Danica and Marco. That said, we do not know what type of equipment he was in, and whether he got much track time beforehand. AGR will get their drivers top notch cars and a lot of seat time. Also, I would not assume that Michael is doing this with the expectation that they will perform well in the series. But the feeling now in IndyCar is that the winning drivers need to be really good on road courses. Marco and Danica have a lot to learn in that area. Since the American press barely covers A1GP if at all, I doubt they feel like they're risking much by trying it.

If this in any way suggests F1 aspirations, well then obviously that's crazy. But I doubt very much that it is.

[BobGarage]

Rice is a better road course driver than both Danica and Marco. That said, we do not know what type of equipment he was in, and whether he got much track time beforehand.

yes we do know. Rice took part in both two day pre-season tests at Silverstone before running the first two rounds of the season so he had plenty of seat time.



AGR will get their drivers top notch cars and a lot of seat time.

A1GP have identicle cars. There is no aero development or any mechanical development allowed on the cars, there are truely identicle and spec. Infact the teams do not own the cars, and don't even keep them. The series themselves own and store all cars at their facility in Silverstone. It is the series that ships the cars from Silverstone to the various race tracks around the world. The teams themselves only get their hands on the cars on race weekends and at test sessions. The only differences each team can make to the cars are on basic set-ups.

Michael will not be able to get the team "top notch cars" for the reasons stated above. It is not the same as IndyCar where they can buy cars direct from Dallara and make their aero/mechanical developments. AGR will never see this car in their own shop just on race weekends and will get what they are given by the series which will be the same car as every other team each race weekend.

And testing is restricted/impossible as the teams do not own/keep their carts so AGR's drivers would get no extra seat time over and above what anyone else gets.

Buddy Rice ran last year at the back of the field in 4 races. Jonathon Summerton took over from him and in the exact same car with the same team he ran up front and won races.

[-Helix-]

If they do, I hope Versus picks up A1GP again. It would be good off-season promotion for the ICS and American fans would probably feel a better connection with Marco and Danica than they do a Jon Summerton thus creating more interest here in the States.

[Civic]

Is AGR in ALMS next year? They weren't mentioned in the Acura LMP1 press release.

[NickFalzone]

yes we do know. Rice took part in both two day pre-season tests at Silverstone before running the first two rounds of the season so he had plenty of seat time.




A1GP have identicle cars. There is no aero development or any mechanical development allowed on the cars, there are truely identicle and spec. Infact the teams do not own the cars, and don't even keep them. The series themselves own and store all cars at their facility in Silverstone. It is the series that ships the cars from Silverstone to the various race tracks around the world. The teams themselves only get their hands on the cars on race weekends and at test sessions. The only differences each team can make to the cars are on basic set-ups.

Michael will not be able to get the team "top notch cars" for the reasons stated above. It is not the same as IndyCar where they can buy cars direct from Dallara and make their aero/mechanical developments. AGR will never see this car in their own shop just on race weekends and will get what they are given by the series which will be the same car as every other team each race weekend.

And testing is restricted/impossible as the teams do not own/keep their carts so AGR's drivers would get no extra seat time over and above what anyone else gets.

Buddy Rice ran last year at the back of the field in 4 races. Jonathon Summerton took over from him and in the exact same car with the same team he ran up front and won races.

So long story short, Buddy Rice is not as good in A1GP cars as Jon Summerton. Your point? I doubt if you put Summerton in an IndyCar he'd be running top 10 at Indy. I don't know enough about the cars or the drivers to comment on their skill level. But to say Rice is representative of a terrible American road racing contingent, or that A1GP drivers are clearly more talented than IndyCar drivers is a ridiculous argument. I'm not going to disagree that Danica and Marco will be in way over their heads in the series, but I do not see that as a bad thing in any way. The last thing those 2 need is fast rides that make them think they're better drivers than they are.

[BobGarage]

So long story short, Buddy Rice is not as good in A1GP cars as Jon Summerton. Your point? I doubt if you put Summerton in an IndyCar he'd be running top 10 at Indy. I don't know enough about the cars or the drivers to comment on their skill level. But to say Rice is representative of a terrible American road racing contingent, or that A1GP drivers are clearly more talented than IndyCar drivers is a ridiculous argument. I'm not going to disagree that Danica and Marco will be in way over their heads in the series, but I do not see that as a bad thing in any way. The last thing those 2 need is fast rides that make them think they're better drivers than they are.

i wasn't trying to say Buddy is a bad driver. My point was that the factors in A1GP can lead to top level drivers being shown up by the youngsters. As per the Rice/Summerton showing of last year and poor showings of other "top level" drivers in recent years against the young upstarts from F3 and GP2.

The fact that AGR won't be able to buy a "top notch car", won't get enough time to get up to speed with set-ups etc and with no extra testing time available the drivers won't get any more seat time before a race weekend. With all that the likely hood is that Danica and Marco could end up as just more names on the top level drivers list that have been overshadowed by the young upstarts in this series.

[JSH]

Unlike the Peter Principle?

Well, we could just sack them both then..... ;)

[call_me_andrew]

Is AGR in ALMS next year? They weren't mentioned in the Acura LMP1 press release.

1. I think you mean LMP2.
2. Acura wants Fernandez to take over the whole program. So AGR is out of ALMS.

[anthonyvop]

It's possible, I know Buddy Rice runs a couple A1GP races as well. The A1 calendar is only 9 confirmed races and only 1 or 2 that run into the IndyCar season. Based on 08, Danica and Marco could certainly use more track time.


You realize this will mean the AGR is moving UP to A1GP!

The new A1GP cars are significantly quicker than an ICS Dallara.

[Civic]

I meant LMP1...there was a press release that was primarily about Acura's LMP1 program, but at the end they mentioned LMP2 but nothing about AGR. I figured with the driver swaps and lack or results Acura wasn't happy with AGR's ALMS program.