2006–07 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, Beijing, China

Last updated
2006-07 A1GP of China
Race Details
Race 3 of 11 in the 2006-07 A1 Grand Prix season
DateNovember 12, 2006
Location Beijing International Streetcircuit
Beijing, China
WeatherClear, 12°C
Qualifying
Pole Flag of the Netherlands.svg The Netherlands (Jeroen Bleekemolen)
Time1:00.093 (no pole time1, no pole time2)
Sprint Race
1st Flag of the Netherlands.svg The Netherlands (Jeroen Bleekemolen)
2nd Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico (Salvador Durán)
3rd Flag of Italy.svg Italy (Enrico Toccacelo)
Main Race
1st Flag of Italy.svg Italy (Enrico Toccacelo)
2nd Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain (Oliver Jarvis)
3rd Flag of Australia.svg Australia (Karl Reindler)
Fast Lap
FL Flag of Canada.svg Canada (James Hinchcliffe)
Time58.107, (Lap 39 of Feature Race)
Official Classifications

The 2006-07 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, China was an A1 Grand Prix race, held on November 12, 2006 at Beijing International Streetcircuit, Beijing, China. It was the third race in the 2006-07 A1 Grand Prix season and the first and the only meeting held at the circuit.

Contents

Due to various safety concerns, the circuit was shortened, and the races started behind the safety car, with the Sprint Race was run mostly behind the safety car. These incidents led to questions about the management and organization of both the event and A1GP in general, eventually leading to series' collapse in 2009. Following the incident and the track's lack of funding, the first Chinese race of the season was moved to Zhuhai International Circuit for the 2007-08 season.

Report

Layout of the Beijing International Streetcircuit Beijing International Streetcircuit.PNG
Layout of the Beijing International Streetcircuit

Practice

The first day of practice was canceled because of safety concerns, as the hairpin at the end of the backstraight was too tight for the cars to negotiate safely due to a 180 degree left turn – resulting in cars were running wide and stopping mid-corner. A revised track layout was devised for an extended Saturday practice session, creating a wider hairpin halfway up the straight, bypassing most of the old straight. [1]

Qualifying

More problems arose in qualifying, when manhole covers on the roads were coming undone due to the racing cars' high downforce and low center of gravity. Grid positions were decided based on practice times, resulting in A1 Team Netherlands driver Jeroen Bleekemolen taking pole position for the Sprint race. Some advertising banners also came loose around the circuit.

Races

Both races started behind the safety car as the first corner was deemed unsafe.

More than half the race was held under the safety car, as South Africa's Adrian Zaugg spun and stalled his car and blocked half of the track. Bleekemolen won the race for the Netherlands, with Salvador Durán of Mexico and A1 Team Italy's Enrico Toccacelo in second and third.

Toccacelo won the feature race, with Britain's Oliver Jarvis second and Australia's Karl Reindler a surprise third after James Hinchcliffe crashed out on the final lap. The feature race was shortened from 67 laps to 63 due to time constraints. [2]

Results

Qualification

Qualification was cancelled due to track problems. Accordingly, the grid was set from the times set in the 25 minutes of the morning practice session (Practice 3) before it was red-flagged, under article 144 of the Sporting Regulations.

PosTeamDriverLapsQuickest TimeGap
1 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Jeroen Bleekemolen 161:00.093--
2 Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico Salvador Durán 111:00.583+ 0.490
3 Flag of Italy.svg Italy Enrico Toccacelo 141:00.942+ 0.849
4 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada James Hinchcliffe 111:01.103+ 1.010
5 Flag of Germany.svg Germany Nico Hülkenberg 111:01.275+ 1.182
6 Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil Raphael Matos 181:01.306+ 1.213
7 Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa Adrian Zaugg 111:01.361+ 1.268
8 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain Oliver Jarvis 191:01.404+ 1.311
9 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic Tomáš Enge 211:01.555+ 1.462
10 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland Neel Jani 111:01.711+ 1.618
11 Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland Michael Devaney 121:02.810+ 2.717
12 Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand Matt Halliday 111:02.852+ 2.759
13 Flag of the United States.svg USA Philip Giebler 111:02.916+ 2.823
14 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia Karl Reindler 101:02.999+ 2.906
15 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Congfu Cheng 161:03.275+ 3.182
16 Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia Alex Yoong 81:04.246+ 4.153
17 Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore Christian Murchison 61:05.897+ 5.804
18 Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia Ananda Mikola 91:06.038+ 5.945
19 Flag of India.svg India Armaan Ebrahim 141:06.056+ 5.963
20 Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon Basil Shaaban 141:06.389+ 6.296
21 Flag of France.svg France Nicolas Lapierre 31:09.662+ 9.569
22 Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan Nur B. Ali 131:10.263+ 10.170

Sprint Race results

The Sprint Race took place on Sunday, November 12, 2006.

PosTeamDriverLapsTimePoints
1 Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Jeroen Bleekemolen 1520'28.4206
2 Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico Salvador Durán 15+ 1.4645
3 Flag of Italy.svg Italy Enrico Toccacelo 15+ 2.3114
4 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada James Hinchcliffe 15+ 3.3753
5 Flag of Germany.svg Germany Nico Hülkenberg 15+ 3.9432
6 Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil Raphael Matos 15+ 4.4001
7 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain Oliver Jarvis 15+ 7.377
8 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic Tomáš Enge 15+ 8.397
9 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland Neel Jani 15+ 8.849
10 Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand Matt Halliday 15+ 9.265
11 Flag of the United States.svg USA Philip Giebler 15+ 10.422
12 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia Karl Reindler 15+ 11.920
13 Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Congfu Cheng 15+ 13.216
14 Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia Alex Yoong 15+ 17.027
15 Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia Ananda Mikola 15+ 18.479
16 Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore Christian Murchison 15+ 20.659
17 Flag of France.svg France Nicolas Lapierre 15+ 20.802
18 Flag of India.svg India Armaan Ebrahim 15+ 22.253
19 Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon Basil Shaaban 15+ 22.783
20 Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland Michael Devaney 15+ 23.247
21 Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan Nur B. Ali 15+ 47.541
DNF Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa Adrian Zaugg 2+ 13 laps

Feature Race results

The Feature Race took place on Sunday, November 12, 2006. The race was initially scheduled for 67 laps, but was shortened by five laps. [2]

PosTeamDriverLapsTimePoints
1 Flag of Italy.svg Italy Enrico Toccacelo 631.10.15.91910
2 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Great Britain Oliver Jarvis 63+ 4.5089
3 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Australia Karl Reindler 63+ 5.9178
4 Flag of France.svg France Nicolas Lapierre 63+ 12.9007
5 Flag of South Africa.svg South Africa Adrian Zaugg 63+ 13.2786
6 Flag of the Czech Republic.svg Czech Republic Tomáš Enge 63+ 13.6845
7 Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil Raphael Matos 63+ 14.8394
8 Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore Christian Murchison 63+ 16.4863
9 Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand Matt Halliday 63+ 17.0052
10 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Canada James Hinchcliffe 62+ 1 Lap1
11 Flag of India.svg India Armaan Ebrahim 62+ 1 Lap
12 Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia Alex Yoong 61+ 2 Laps
13 Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon Basil Shaaban 61+ 2 Laps
DNF Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands Jeroen Bleekemolen 53+ 10 Laps
DNF Flag of Germany.svg Germany Nico Hülkenberg 53+ 10 Laps
DNF Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia Ananda Mikola 36+ 27 Laps
DNF Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China Congfu Cheng 28+ 35 Laps
DNF Flag of the United States.svg USA Philip Giebler 21+ 42 Laps
DNF Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland Neel Jani 20+ 43 Laps
DNF Flag of Mexico.svg Mexico Salvador Durán 14+ 49 Laps
DNF Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland Michael Devaney 3+ 60 Laps
DNF Flag of Pakistan.svg Pakistan Nur B. Ali 1+ 62 Laps

Similar problems in China

Similar problems have occurred before in China. The 2004 DTM race around the streets of Pudong in Shanghai was hampered by crashes due to manhole covers becoming undone; the 2005 Chinese Grand Prix on the Shanghai International Circuit was interrupted when the safety car had to be deployed when a water runoff drain became open. The same problem also occurred in the Australian V8 Supercars race on the same circuit a few months before.

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References

  1. Freeman, Glenn (10 November 2006). "Beijing circuit shortened". Autosport.
  2. 1 2 "11/12/2006 race: Beijing Feature (A1GP)". Racing-Reference.info. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
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