THE CANADIAN PRESS
A1 Grand Prix has raced in obscurity since its inaugural season in 2005-06.
But that could change now that Ferrari, the celebrated Italian sports car maker, has signed a six-year deal to supply engines, technological savvy and its brand name to the open-wheel series that likens itself to a World Cup of motor racing.
"We invited Ferrari to two events last season and they were impressed by the quality of the competition and the attendance," Pete da Silva, CEO of A1GP, said Friday.
The Ferrari-powered cars, expected to have 650 horsepower, will be ready for the 2008-09 season. Ferrari will also be involved in a new chassis design.
They will replace the 550-horsepower Zytec engines and Lola chassis used in the first three seasons by A1GP, which has teams from 22 countries that, although privately owned, race under their national flags.
The second race of the 2007-08 season is this weekend in Brno, Czech Republic, with James Hinchcliffe of Markham, Ont., driving for A1 Team Canada.
"To be associated with a brand like Ferrari is really going to elevate A1GP to the next level, not only in terms of the racing on offer, but also with regards to the commercial side of the series," Hinchcliffe said in a statement.
"Ferrari is such an iconic brand, especially for Canadians having watched the legendary Gilles Villeneuve establish himself behind the wheel of a Ferrari."
Ferrari will also provide cars for a planned A2GP, a regional feeder series with somewhat less powerful cars.
Da Silva said Ferrari was attracted by the circuit’s broad international scope, particularly in the emerging economies of Asia and eastern Europe where there is a growing market for high-end sports cars.
The series dropped from 12 to 10 races this season, but two events are in China, with others in Malaysia, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and Mexico as well as European races in Zandvoort, Nertherlands, Brno and the season finale at Brands Hatch in England.
Da Silva said Canada is on a "strategic list" of potential sites for future races.
"We’re having discussions with some partners to steer us in the right direction," he said. "We would like to have a race in Canada." .
A1GP may also give Ferrari its own single spec series (all cars with identical engines and bodies), like Formula BMW and Formula Renault, from which to develop drivers and crew for its powerful Formula One team.
To date, A1GP has not drawn much attention, particularly in North America, although da Silva said attendance is strong at the races and the television market is growing.
The Ferrari announcement this week marked one of the few times the major international media gave the series more than a brief mention, but several team managers said they feel that is about to change.
A1GP does not expect to compete with F1, but hopes to grow by playing on national pride and rivalries and developing the sport in new countries.
Da Silva said some countries currently don’t have a single driver licensed for top-level racing, let alone qualified engineers to work on their car.
The series was founded in 2004 in Dubai by Sheikh Maktoum Hasher al Maktoum with partner Tony Texeira with an eye to giving each team an equal chance to win.
Team owners pay a US$2-million fee per season to enter and then have about another $2 million in operating costs. The cars are owned by A1GP, but each team has its own crews to tweak them for races.
The Canadian team, owned by Wade Cherwayko, has one victory so far — in 2005-06 in Indonesia with Sean McIntosh of Maple Ridge, B.C., in the drivers’ seat.
After one race this season, South Africa leads the championship ahead of Britain, France and Mexico. Canada has yet to earn a point.
Each race weekend includes a 20-minute sprint race off a rolling start and a 70-minute feature race from a standing start.