A1 Grand Prix a good ’development’ series
Unfortunately the attendance for race day in Sepang wasn't much better. As winner Alexandre Premat takes the checkered flag (right) the grandstands remained largely empty. The best thing Shaikh Maktoum could do given it is now clear the fans are not going to buy tickets for a development series trying to sell itself as a top-level series, is to take what he has established with this team/country concept and merge with Champ Car's efforts to do the same. Between Maktoum's $billions and Kalkhoven's $billions, Bernie Ecclestone will certainly stand up and take notice. A marriage made in heaven? Perhaps.
11/19/05 As the pictures below show from Saturday in Sepang, Malaysia, the A1 Grand Prix Series continues to attract very few paying customers as the grandstands didn't have one soul in them for qualifying. As in most countries, very few fans will pay for a ticket for a development series. After Sheik Maktoum runs through huge amounts of money for a couple of seasons paying the entire cost himself, he will realize he has to call up F1 or Champ Car and ask if he could run as a support series event on their weekends.
Photos courtesy A1 Grand Prix
11/18/05 A1 Grand Prix is having a difficult time developing a following for two reasons 1) The teams change drivers like a revolving door. The drivers must be the heroes, not the teams, hence A1 Grand Prix will never become too popular – no continuity; 2) The lap times today in Sepang were over 20 seconds slower per lap than the F1 cars ran earlier this year, making them on par with a Toyota Atlantic (now Champ Car Atlantic) car in terms of performance, another good 'development' series, but clearly can never be sold as a 'big' standalone event.
With that said, it is giving a lot of drivers some good seat time and exposure to the media, especially some of the young guns who hope that t big-league team will spot their talent and pick them up.