Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
Welcome to The Pit Lane. We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
How do you rate A1GP?
Topic Started: Sep 19 2007, 12:48 PM (424 Views)
Red Andy
Member Avatar

Moderator
We've had two seasons of A1GP so far and are about to begin the third, so how do you feel that the series has done as a winter series, a testing ground for young (and not-so-young) talent and as a "World Cup" of motorsport?

Personally I think A1GP has been a great success. The fact that 22 nations turned out to the Silverstone test yesterday is a testament to the fact that, unlike several other series, it is easy enough to get an entry together and compete in the sport. It has also helped drivers such as Nico Hulkenburg get into the limelight; even though he's only been an F3 driver this year he's already well-known thanks to his efforts in A1GP.

One of the major criticisms of A1GP is the erratic driving, but I think that to some extent that has been ironed out in the latter half of last season. Yes, there are still some incidents, but that is true of every series, particularly those in the junior ranks of single seaters.

The other major criticism is the organisation of the series - the Beijing fiasco last year left an awful lot of oeuf sur les visages* of a lot of people. But even that hasn't taken anything away from what I find to be a tremendously exciting series. Roll on Zandvoort!

*Please excuse the awful linguistics. I was never very good at Spanish.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
stradlin24
Member Avatar
Team Boss
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Some of the organisation has been poor as you say but the racing has been excellent

I’m looking forward to the start of the new season
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Red Andy
Member Avatar

Moderator
Indeed, Stradlin. I didn't mention it in the OP but there is one other criticism of A1GP - that it's not F1. ;)
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
stradlin24
Member Avatar
Team Boss
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Yeah, but every form of motorsport that isn’t f1 has that problem!

But when people can overcome their snobbishness they see that there is much better forms of motorsport then f1

I actually watched the Belgium GP last Sunday and if anyone tells me that was exciting (apart from the first corner) then they must be very mad and very sad

Motorsport is about more then the first corner on the first lap and there is no better example of that then A1GP

Hopefully, this coming season will be better than ever with more countries having a chance of winning races
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
John
Team Boss
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
A1GP is fine... and quite entertaining to watch...

but the very nature of it being based on 'National teams' is flawed...

Being Irish I naturally support Team Ireland but they are never likely to win a race let alone the title...

Many competing nations are never going to stand a chance if they can only employ drivers from that country in question...

Give team Ireland a healthy budget and the chance to have 'the Hulk' drive form them and hey presto... Ireland win the title. <doh>
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The STIG
Driver
[ *  *  *  *  *  * ]
I have never seen a A1 GP race.

Therefore I can't comment.

PRehaps if they bothered to put it on proper television...
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
stradlin24
Member Avatar
Team Boss
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
is Sky Sports not proper television

prem footy, rugby league, cricket AND lots of motorsport

it's more proper then BBC and ITV
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The STIG
Driver
[ *  *  *  *  *  * ]
No it's not. BBC's outfit is far more professional than ITV or Sky's ever will be, But both the latter have more money. which is a shame. But when both ITV and Sky are short of equipment, where do they go to get it?

Any broadcast who would rather carry advertising than programming (i.e. any commercial operator) is not worth bothering with IMO.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Paul_Murtagh
Member Avatar
Chief Engineer
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
It is a highly entertaining series, and with no driver aids it allows the drivers to show their talents. Unfortunately there is a lack of it in most teams such as China, Lebanon, Pakistan, etc and this can affect the racing. And as had already been said the organisation at some levels has been poor such as the Beijing fiasco last season. And from the point of view of British and Irish fans it is a shame that Sky have the rights to show live coverage as this has affected the popularity of the series with the armchair fan.

But I feel that overall it has been a huge success and the attendances at races prove that it has been a popular series everywhere it has went.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
stradlin24
Member Avatar
Team Boss
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
i guess your right

the bbc just spend millions of pounds of the licence fee payers money to create new ways to advertise their own logo before a programme starts

perhaps if they spent less money on that they could bid for things like motorsport

Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The STIG
Driver
[ *  *  *  *  *  * ]
I think you may find that idents are not created by spending millions. The fact is that the commercial operators get more money from advertising - and use it to put into buying TV rights. But they don't spend out on buying an arsenal of equipment.

The BBC however, spend out on getting the best team, the best equipment, and making sure all their resources are at the cutting edge, even creating their own if nessasary. Unfortunatly once that's all done the budget they have left is rather slim, and they can only afford to buy the rights to some ponces kicking an inflated sheep's bladder around a muddy field. Or snooker, or something else that no one wants to watch.

The flip side is because of the BBC's Approach, they're in demand for equipment hire from just about everything else. Who do you think supplies most of the TV equipment for A1 GP and then doesn't get a sniff of the finished broadcast!?
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
stradlin24
Member Avatar
Team Boss
[ *  *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Well, all I know is that Sky Sports sport coverage is far superior to BBC’s sport coverage
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The STIG
Driver
[ *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Because they can afford to throw money at it.

I'd watch sport coverage on the BBC over anything anywhere else any day of the week.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Paul_Murtagh
Member Avatar
Chief Engineer
[ *  *  *  *  * ]
It could be the right time for the BBC to bid for the A1GP rights as they have lost the FA Cup and England Internationals, plus the Northern Ireland section has lost the Northern Ireland games, therefore they will now have the funds to bid for another sporting event and fill a substantial gap in their sporting package

However, whether they will have the funds to match or outbid Sky for these rights is another topic. Maybe they can make an agreement with BSkyB like they have with Eurosport for the MotoGP rights whereby they simultaniously broadcast the event live
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
The STIG
Driver
[ *  *  *  *  *  * ]
Sky won't stand for that! Their income will go down!

Sky is only intereted in making money. BBC is more interested in making good quality programs.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Go to Next Page
« Previous Topic · A1GP · Next Topic »
Add Reply