2007–08 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Zhuhai, China

2007-08 A1GP of Zuhai, China
Race Details
Race 4 of 10 in the 2007-08 A1GP season.
Date	December 16, 2007
Location	Zhuhai International Circuit Zhuhai, China
Weather
Sprint race
Qualifying
Pole	Germany (M.Ammermüller)
Time	1'23.203
Podium
1st	Germany (M.Ammermüller)
2nd	Switzerland (Neel Jani)
3rd	China (Cong Fu Cheng)
Fastest Lap
FL	Switzerland (Neel Jani)
Time	1'24.418, (Lap 11)
Feature race
Qualifying
Pole	Switzerland (Neel Jani)
Time	1'23.465
Podium
1st	India (Narain Karthikeyan)
2nd	New Zealand (Jonny Reid)
3rd	South Africa (Adrian Zaugg)
Fastest Lap
FL	Great Britain (Oliver Jarvis)
Time	1'24.703, (Lap 29)
Official Classifications
PDF Booklet

The 2007–08 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Zhuhai, China was an A1 Grand Prix race held on December 16, 2007 at the Zhuhai International Circuit, China. It was the fourth meeting in the 2007-08 A1 Grand Prix season.

Pre-race

After suffering injuries in a sportscar racing accident in the United States, Tomas Enge is back to drive the A1 Team Czech Republic car.^[1] Erik Janis who drove since the first round in Zandvoort, this season, will be rookie driver.

Qualifications

India and Narain Karthikeyan score the team's best-ever grid slot with a 3rd position in the Main Race.^[2]

Sprint race qualifications Pos Team Time Gap 1 Germany 1'23.203 - 2 Switzerland 1'23.425 +0.222 3 Ireland 1'23.675 +0.472 4 China 1'23.784 +0.581 5 Great Britain 1'23.850 +0.647 6 Czech Republic 1'23.921 +0.718 7 France 1'23.928 +0.725 8 Netherlands 1'23.965 +0.762 9 India 1'23.972 +0.769 10 Canada 1'24.029 +0.826 11 USA 1'24.104 +0.901 12 Brazil 1'24.141 +0.938 13 New Zealand 1'24.141 +0.938 14 South Africa 1'24.207 +1.004 15 Portugal 1'24.263 +1.060 16 Italy 1'24.307 +1.104 17 Malaysia 1'24.391 +1.188 18 Australia 1'24.770 +1.567 19 Indonesia 1'24.893 +1.690 20 Lebanon 1'24.915 +1.712 21 Pakistan 1'24.958 +1.755 22 Mexico 1'25.246 +2.043

Main race qualifications Pos Team Time Gap 1 Switzerland 1'23.465 - 2 Great Britain 1'23.650 +0.185 3 India 1'23.767 +0.302 4 France 1'23.784 +0.319 5 Germany 1'23.890 +0.425 6 China 1'23.930 +0.465 7 USA 1'23.992 +0.527 8 Malaysia 1'24.036 +0.571 9 South Africa 1'24.100 +0.635 10 New Zealand 1'24.114 +0.649 11 Canada 1'24.149 +0.684 12 Portugal 1'24.250 +0.785 13 Ireland 1'24.294 +0.829 14 Brazil 1'24.328 +0.863 15 Lebanon 1'24.328 +0.863 16 Czech Republic 1'24.350 +0.885 17 Pakistan 1'24.378 +0.913 18 Netherlands 1'24.460 +0.995 19 Australia 1'24.538 +1.073 20 Indonesia 1'24.667 +1.202 21 Italy 1'24.810 +1.345 22 Mexico 1'24.886 +1.421

Sprint race

The start make it through but Australia, South Africa, Lebanon and Brazil and Malaysia are all involved in a multi-car crash in turn 5, lap 1 and the Safety car is out.^[3] Brazil and South Africa collide and result the Lebanon is out, Malaysia and South Africa retire in the pit and Brazil loses a lap.
Safety car is in on lap 4 and the order is Germany, Switzerland, Ireland, China, Czech Republic and Great Britain. Switzerland come near Germany ; China is pushing Ireland hard. In lap 8, Neel Jani (Switzerland) sets the fastest lap and in lap 11 Cong Fu Cheng (China) passes Adam Carroll (Ireland) for 3rd. Ireland fights back until crossing the line.
New Zealand and Canada fight for 10th since Safety car is on and in lap 11, the two cars touch. Canada spins down to 15th. The same lap, Portugal crash at the final turn.
Germany wins its first race of the season in front of Switzerland, China, Ireland, Czech Republic, Great Britain, India, France, Netherlands and New Zealand. A1 Team China and Cong Fu Cheng enjoy their success in their home race.

Pos	Team	Driver	Laps	Time	Grid	Points
1	Germany	Michael Ammermüller	13	20'31.432	1	15
2	Switzerland	Neel Jani	13	+ 0.601	2	12+1
3	China	Cong Fu Cheng	13	+4.632	4	10
4	Ireland	Adam Carroll	13	+6.707	3	8
5	Czech Republic	Tomas Enge	13	+7.386	6	6
6	Great Britain	Oliver Jarvis	13	+7.865	5	5
7	India	Narain Karthikeyan	13	+8.661	9	4
8	France	Loïc Duval	13	+9.033	7	3
9	Netherlands	Jeroen Bleekemolen	13	+9.650	8	2
10	New Zealand	Jonny Reid	13	+12.992	13	1
11	Italy	Edoardo Piscopo	13	+14.709	16
12	USA	Jonathan Summerton	13	+16.895	11
13	Australia	Ian Dyk	13	+17.169	18
14	Pakistan	Adam Langley-Khan	13	+20.944	21
15	Canada	Robert Wickens	13	+21.784	10
16	Mexico	David Garza Perez	13	+23.388	22
17	Indonesia	Satrio Hermanto	13	+23.792	19
18	Brazil	Sérgio Jimenez	12	+1 Lap	12
19	Portugal	João Urbano	10	+3 Laps	15
Ret	South Africa	Adrian Zaugg	1	Damage	14
Ret	Malaysia	Alex Yoong	1	Damage	17
Ret	Lebanon	Chris Alajajian	0	Collision	20

Main race

Just before the race, it was announced that the second pit stop window will be between laps 25 and 33.^[4] The race start at 15:00, local time. At the first turn, Ireland and Brazil collide and are delayed. Germany ran wide and lost a lot of places. Malaysia stranded out of the track after a collision with New Zealand and the Safety car is out in this first lap. Brazil, with smoke coming out of the car, Canada and Australia comes into pits meanwhile Edoardo Piscopo (Italy) his pulled off onto the side of the circuit.
Robert Wickens retire is car in pit because of mechanical failure the lap before the Safety car is in, on lap 5. Several fight in the next laps. New Zealand has passed China and then USA for 6th. The first pit stop window is open on lap 8 and the current standing is Great Britain, Switzerland with the current fastest lap, India, France, South Africa, New Zealand, China and USA.
Narain Karthikeyan(India), Loïc Duval (France) and Oliver Jarvis (Great Britain) comes in pit. Neel Jani (Switzerland) still out for one more lap during the long pit stop of the British driver. The Netherlands damage the suspension and retire on lap 9. After most of the racers have made their first compulsory stop, Switzerland lead the race. Portugal stack up India, France, Great Britain and South Africa until it goes off on lap 14. The next lap, South Africa passes Great Britain for 5th. In lap 16, after Portugal pit, Switzerland lead from India, New Zealand, France, South Africa and Great Britain.
Australia is back on track after losing 3 laps in garage. France receive a drive-through penalty for clipping USA's left-rear airline as it left the pit box. Loïc Duval return on track on 15th. Chris Alajajian (Lebanon) clips a kerb, spin and lost a lot of time in lap 18. Lap 19, Adam Carroll (Ireland) pull into the pits and Satrio Hermanto (Indonesia) retire into the gravel. France is on a charge, is now 10th and take the fastest lap in lap 21.
The second pit stop window is now open on lap 25. Switzerland have a problem with the right rear tyre and bring the car to the pits but it lost time to take the wheel off. India is now leading. After a slow stop for Great Britain and India, Oliver Jarvis (Great Britain) make the fastest lap on lap 29. China is going to be given a drive-through penalty for speeding in the pits. Now, the standing is India front of New Zealand, South Africa, Germany, Great Britain, Switzerland and France.
Germany and Great Britain are pushing South Africa until the finish line. Cong Fu Cheng (China) is fighting with Jonathan Summerton (USA) since lap 37 and passes in lap 40 when USA has gone wide across the grass. Jonny Reid (New Zealand) is now close from Narain Karthikeyan (India). India wins and score the team's first ever win in A1GP,^[5] it is the 14th nation to take a win. The final standing is India, New Zealand, South Africa, Germany, Great Britain with fastest lap, Switzerland, France, Czech Republic, China and USA.

Pos	Team	Driver	Laps	Time	Grid	Points
1	India	Narain Karthikeyan	45	1:08'30.759	3	15
2	New Zealand	Jonny Reid	45	+0.502	10	12
3	South Africa	Adrian Zaugg	45	+4.128	9	10
4	Germany	Michael Ammermüller	45	+4.907	5	8
5	Great Britain	Oliver Jarvis	45	+5.267	2	6+1
6	Switzerland	Neel Jani	45	+14.516	1	5
7	France	Loïc Duval	45	+18.572	4	4
8	Czech Republic	Tomas Enge	45	+27.140	16	3
9	China	Cong Fu Cheng	45	+27.579	6	2
10	USA	Jonathan Summerton	45	+33.388	7	1
11	Mexico	David Garza Perez	45	+49.353	22
12	Portugal	João Urbano	45	+1'03.831	12
13	Lebanon	Chris Alajajian	44	+1 Lap	15
14	Pakistan	Adam Langley-Khan	44	+1 Lap	17
15	Australia	Ian Dyk	42	+3 Laps	19
Ret	Ireland	Adam Carroll	27	Collision	13
Ret	Indonesia	Satrio Hermanto	19	Accident	20
Ret	Netherlands	Jeroen Bleekemolen	9	Suspension	18
Ret	Canada	Robert Wickens	3	Accident	11
Ret	Italy	Edoardo Piscopo	1	Damage	21
Ret	Brazil	Sérgio Jimenez	1	Damage	14
Ret	Malaysia	Ashswin Subbiah	0	Collision	8

After-race

After the first win of the A1 Team India in A1 Grand Prix this weekend, on feature race, Dr. Manmohan Singh, the nation's Prime Minister congratulate Narain Karthikeyan and the team.^[6] In January 2008, just before the next round, in Taupo, New Zealand, Narain Karthikeyan meets Indian President, Pratibha Patil who congratulate him and the team's achievements in Zuhai.^[7]

Notes

• It was the 26th race weekend (52 starts).
• It was the first venue in Zhuhai International Circuit, the fourth in China (including Shanghai and Beijing venues)
• It was the first race for David Garza Perez^[8] and Edoardo Piscopo.^[9]
• It was the first race weekend for Gonçalo Araújo,^[10] Clemente Faria Jr,^[11] Alexandre Imperatori,^[12] Niall Quinn,^[13] David Garza Perez^[8] and Danny Watts.^[14]
• Records:
  • India won its first race.^[5]
  • Switzerland scored 6 poles position.
  • Lebanon participate on 26 rounds (52 starts) without won points since their first Grand Prix.
  • Alex Yoong participate on 25 races (48 starts).
  • Neel Jani won 218 points.

References

External links

• Germany wins the Sprint race
• Sprint race: lap-by-lap
• Sprint Race Results
• First win for A1 Team India
• Feature race: lap-by-lap
• Feature Race Results