A1 Grand Prix

by Danny Wirken

Does the sight of burning rubber or the sound of screaming tires get your fancy? The world of motorsport has been in its existence for many years, providing a pastime (if not passion) for people who like the adrenaline rush brought about by the high-octane car races. Due to the emergence of world-renowned competitions such as the Formula One (F1) Racing and NASCAR, motorsport has reached out to millions and millions of fanatics all over the world. Particularly in F1, race legs occur in different circuits around the globe, thus gaining a much larger fan base.However, the business format of these motorsport competitions are just like those of the professional leagues in other sports such as the NBA, MLB, NFL, and countless pro-soccer leagues (EUFA Champions, English Premier, and many more). The participating teams are representatives of private franchises that usually carry particular brands such as Ferrari, McLaren, and Renault, all of F1 fame. On the other hand, NASCAR has individual drivers, instead of teams, competing with each other.Though motorsport has been seeing an increase in popularity these days, it still lacks the presence of a universal tournament format (similar to the Olympics, World Championships, and the World Cup) that would pit the best drivers and racing teams from different countries against each other. That is until the A1 Grand Prix was formed.The World Cup of MotorsportThe A1 Grand Prix is the first and only (as of now) competition that provides a venue for participating countries to battle it out in the arena of motorsports. The spirit of competition offered in this emerging league is far more significant than in other racing venues because teams are not only fighting for the prize money nor the fame that comes with the victory; but also, their competitive fires are driven by their sense of national pride and patriotism.Moreover, a level playing field is ensured in the A1 Grand Prix since identical racing cars, single-seaters built by Lola International, are to be used in the tournament. Aside from providing the tournament cars, the promoters and the Grand Prix committee are also in charge of handling the transportation logistics and media coverage, as they travel to different circuit locations around the globe. This means that only minimal adjustments on the automobiles can be made by all the participating nations’ technical teams (which cannot be consisted of more than ten people for the sake of fair play), relying heavily on the drivers’ skill and expertise to determine the outcome of the races.With this tournament initiated by His Highness Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum of the Ruling Family of Dubai, the A1 Grand Prix is promising to be more than just another motorsport phenomenon. Just imagine, the best of the best of each country slugging it out on the different race tracks around the world. Not to mention the bevy of national and international sponsors for each team that would greatly benefit from the global exposure enjoyed by the tournament. No wonder the tournament prides itself as the motorsport equivalent of football’s World Cup.Tournament DetailsFor its inaugural season, the A1 Grand Prix series is consisted of 12 events, spanning across various race circuits in countries like England, USA, Singapore, China, Mexico, Australia, Malaysia, Dubai, and others. Following the tournament schedule, each event occurs in one three-day race weekend.Practice sessions basically cover the whole Friday schedule, as well as the early part of the Saturday schedule. An important aspect during these practices is that only the drivers who have participated in at least one of the three practice sessions will get to race in the tournament. Thus, one nation/team can use a maximum of three drivers in one tournament event. After the final practice session during Saturday, four 15-minute qualifying rounds will ensue, with the average of the two best times deciding which teams go on to the Sprint Race that is scheduled for the next day. On the Sunday schedule, warm ups and parades give a little window of time for the qualified drivers to prepare for the point-earning races, the Sprint Race and the Feature Race. The Sprint Race normally lasts for 20 to 30 minutes with the first place finisher gaining 10 points, while the second to tenth place finishers will receive corresponding points, ranging from 9 to 1. The results of this race will be the basis for determining the grid of the Feature Race. The Feature Race, on the other hand, is usually 45 to 60 minutes long, but the point system is identical to that of the Sprint Race. Furthermore, an extra point is awarded to the fastest lap achieved by a team during these two point-earning sessions. It should also be noted that the A1 Grand Prix is a sport that focuses on team effort and unity among countrymen. So, points awarded for the races are credited to the winning team/nation, not the driver. Upon the conclusion of the 12th event, all the points earned by the competing nations will be tallied to determine the top ten finishers, who each have a percentage share (depending on their rankings) on the $1 Million prize. Participating CountriesThe 25 countries, which have teams participating in the inaugural season of the A1 Grand Prix, are as follows:•Australia•Austria•Brazil•Canada•China•Czech Republic•England/Great Britain•France•Germany•India•Indonesia•Ireland•Italy•Japan•Lebanon•Malaysia•Mexico•Netherlands•New Zealand•Pakistan•Portugal•Russia•South Africa•Switzerland•USABetting SchemesSince A1 Grand Prix is still in its childhood stages, the betting opportunities are quite simple and limited. So far, the only running odds are those for the A1 Grand Prix Championship Winner, in which you can bet on any nation that you think would win the whole A1 Grand Prix. However, similar to the “Money Line” format, the participating nations have different odds accompanying them, depending on their tournament strength and chances of winning. For powerhouse nations like France and Switzerland, the odds are designed in a way that would give you no-so-great returns (in comparison to the amount of your bet) in case your bet won. For nations with lower chances of winning like Australia and Malaysia, the odds are designed in a way that would give you greater returns (in comparison to the amount of your bet) in case your bet won. So, what would you go for? Scoring high returns on a low-percentage bet or securing lackluster returns on a low-percentage bet?Moreover, A1GP betting odds aren’t as complicated as those of other sports (and even those of other motorsport institutions). Since the general public has yet to be familiar with the tournament’s personalities, format, and details, there are a few (if not none at all) odds that involve on-the-side match-ups like variations of lap results, driver-specific bets, and others. But that doesn’t mean sportsbooks won’t be looking into those in the future, especially when A1GP’s popularity picks up.

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