SEPTEMBER 20, 2005

Former F1 men sign up for A1 Grand Prix

Former World Champions Niki Lauda and Keke Rosberg have joined forces to run the A1 Team Austria operation, which will feature Mathias Lauda as the driver. Rosberg had been negotiating to run a team Dubai and was also linked with a Scandinavian operation but in the end has gone into partnership with his former F1 rival. The choice of driver is a curious choice when former F1 driver Patrick Friesacher is sitting around doing nothing although one must assume that the choice of Lauda Jr is not based entirely on talent.

Italy has scrambled together a team which will be run by another F1 driver from the 1980s Piercarlo Ghinzani, who has been running racing teams since 1992. Matteo Bobbi, Gianmaria Bruni, Daniel La Rosa and Enrico Toccacelo are all in the running for drive.

And Japan has also made it to the startline with ex-F1 man Hideki Noda involved with Carlin Motorsport to create A1 Team Japan. This will be raced at Brands Hatch by Ryo Fukuda.

The announcements mean that A1 Grand Prix will have the planned 25 entries this weekend.