China's racing team comprising two Shanghai natives failed to burn
any rubber on the Shanghai International Circuit at the first
season of the A1 Grand Prix of Nations, which closed on Sunday in
Shanghai.
Team China's dragon-adorned red and yellow car was a major
attraction for the 80,000-strong crowd showing up at the track,
which has also hosted other major racing events including F1,
MotoGP and V8.
Local organizers had hoped that the two Shanghai drivers,
21-year-old Jiang Tengyi and 19-year-old Ma Qinghua, would shine in
front of the home crowd. Anything close to the fifth place Jiang
managed in the Feature Race at the Dubai leg would have had the
crowd cheering. But both drivers could only manage mediocre
performances.
Ma finished 17th in the Sprint Race, while Jiang took 16th place
in the Feature Race.
Thanks to the six points gained by Jiang in Dubai, China escaped
the bottom of the pile. They scraped a 22nd ranking among the 25
participating teams.
France emerged champions with an accumulated 172 points from 11
rounds. Switzerland and the UK were ranked second and third
respectively.
The Czech Republic crossed the line first in the Shanghai
Feature Race. Thomas Enge snatched first place from Sprint Race
winner, Malaysia's Alex Yoong, who still managed to retain second
spot ahead of Australia's Ryan Briscoe who saw his first podium
finish of the season and the third for the team.
Yoong's win in the Sprint Race pushed A1 Team Malaysia from 10th
in the series standings to fifth.
Asked whether F1 was better than the A1 Grand Prix, the former
F1 driver for Minardi said: "You cannot compare F1 and A1GP. They
are completely different. Formula One is the pinnacle of motorsport
in terms of technology. It is about manufacturer against
manufacturer, about engine deals and about money. A1 GP is run by
countries. The cars are identical, so it is an equal playing field.
The aim is to see which is the best team and driver; it is about
the people. I would definitely stay in A1GP. It would have to be a
good deal for me to move to F1. A very good deal!"
The A1 Grand Prix of Nations in Shanghai was the last race in A1
Grand Prix's inaugural season. The first race of the second season
will take place in the Netherlands in September.
(China Daily April 4, 2006)
