A New Era in Indian Motorsport...

[AndreaModa]

The i1 Super Series

This will be interesting to see what happens! Apparently they have drivers signed up already, all of whom are 'certified motorists' whilst the races are 'going to be brimming with split-second finishes and roaring crowds'!

[MinardiFan95]

Forget A10 and Superleague, this is going to be the new A1GP (at least in terms of rejectful drivers that were previously unheard of).

[DanielPT]

They have chosen the Radical SR3 as a race car... Interesting! I am looking forward to this!

[Phoenix]

The calendar is very short, but at least they have much more concrete plans and the webpage looks eons better than, say, A10 World Series

[Londoner]

Looks like we've got something to stave off some of the effects of F1 Deprivation this winter. This will be epic, no matter what happens!

[FMecha]

I expect Chandok and Karthikeyan racing there.

[WeirdKerr]

interesting they are proposing a super hatch series.... hope they use the Tata Nano.....

[Aerospeed]

Where is this going to be put on TV here in Canada....

[Londoner]

BUMP

Got this link off F1 Fanatic. The best thing about this series? The legendary Jean Alesi may be competing!

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/sport/inside_sport.asp?xfile=/data/formula1/2011/December/formula1_December17.xml&section=formula1

[Klon]

BUMP

Got this link off F1 Fanatic. The best thing about this series? The legendary Jean Alesi may be competing!

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/sport/inside_sport.asp?xfile=/data/formula1/2011/December/formula1_December17.xml&section=formula1

Why is Jean Alesi legendary whereas Heinz-Harald Frentzen is not? I mean I like Jean as much as the next guy, but still...

[jackanderton]

Or if that's the benchmark, legendary driver Felipe Massa.

[AndreaModa]

The news has also made it to Autosport: http://www.autosport.com/news/grapevine.php/id/96803

So the list of former F1 drivers currently reads:

Jacques Villeneuve
Giancarlo Fisichella
Jean Alesi
Tonio Liuzzi
Heinz-Harald Frentzen
Karun Chandhok
Mika Salo

Well, at least that explains where Chandhok and Liuzzi will end up in 2012!

[DanielPT]

The news has also made it to Autosport: http://www.autosport.com/news/grapevine.php/id/96803

So the list of former F1 drivers currently reads:

Jacques Villeneuve
Giancarlo Fisichella
Jean Alesi
Tonio Liuzzi
Heinz-Harald Frentzen
Karun Chandhok
Mika Salo

Well, at least that explains where Chandhok and Liuzzi will end up in 2012!

Tonio Liuzzi is still a current F1 driver. And will be until HRT announces its second driver and it is not him.

[Phoenix]

BUMP

Got this link off F1 Fanatic. The best thing about this series? The legendary Jean Alesi may be competing!

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/sport/inside_sport.asp?xfile=/data/formula1/2011/December/formula1_December17.xml&section=formula1

The interesting thing is that the series has managed to amass such a purse. I wonder what the benefits of the whole operation will be...

[golic_2004]

Armaan Ebrahim, Parthiva Sureshwaren, Neel Jani, Cyndie Allemann, and Pippa Mann are in the series!

[Captain Hammer]

The calendar doesn't look that fantastic. Sure, they're a little limited as to choice on where to go, but you'd think they would try and start and finish the series with a round in India. And if they can make it to Sepang, they can certainly make it to other circuits, like Istanbul. This is what the calendar should look like:

1) Buddh International
2) Istanbul
3) Bahrain
4) Dubai Autodrome
5) Yas Marina
6) Losail
7) Irungattukottai (if it's in any condition to hold races)
8) Sepang
9) Sentul
10) Buddh International

And if V8 Supercars get races up and running at Changi (in Singapore) and Clark Airfield (the Philippines), then there's another two circuits the series could visit. Although I suppose an expanded calendar is something for the i1 Series to aspire to - once the championship is up and running, then they can look at expanding the calendar.

I do admit that I thought it was a little crazy to model the series on the Indian Premier League, but if the championship is organised the right way, then I think they could have a real drawcard on their hands: team rivalries. Each team is a franchise, and each franchise is controlled by an individual city. There is a lot of potential here to create a new element to this. For example, each race event could be made up of three races. In the first two races, every driver who finishes scores points. The points are then added up to decide the grid of the third race. But here's the catch: only the team's Indian driver enters the third race. His grid position is decided by team's total points for the first two races, and the third and final race only awards points to the teams. By competing for the teams (and therefore the city), it establishes competition between groups of fans.

[dr-baker]

I do admit that I thought it was a little crazy to model the series on the Indian Premier League, but if the championship is organised the right way, then I think they could have a real drawcard on their hands: team rivalries. Each team is a franchise, and each franchise is controlled by an individual city. There is a lot of potential here to create a new element to this. For example, each race event could be made up of three races. In the first two races, every driver who finishes scores points. The points are then added up to decide the grid of the third race. But here's the catch: only the team's Indian driver enters the third race. His grid position is decided by team's total points for the first two races, and the third and final race only awards points to the teams. By competing for the teams (and therefore the city), it establishes competition between groups of fans.

To be honest, this idea doesn't sound too bad, Captain. I like it. Probably won't happen though. But a good idea, all the same.

[P_Friesacher]

I1 Supercar Series coordinator Robin Webb was pleased with the shakedown, and commented, [...]

Oh, no...

[Alianora La Canta]

The calendar doesn't look that fantastic. Sure, they're a little limited as to choice on where to go, but you'd think they would try and start and finish the series with a round in India. And if they can make it to Sepang, they can certainly make it to other circuits, like Istanbul. This is what the calendar should look like:

1) Buddh International
2) Istanbul
3) Bahrain
4) Dubai Autodrome
5) Yas Marina
6) Losail
7) Irungattukottai (if it's in any condition to hold races)
8) Sepang
9) Sentul
10) Buddh International

Irungattukottai was on the original list, but the FIA apparently insisted the SR3 could only be used at Grade II circuits or above. They can also only have 5 dates due to needing a compact calendar to attract the F1 crowd. One of the 5 dates had to be Buddh because it's the only Grade I or II circuit in India at the moment (Chennai is still a Grade III). Dubai was on the original list and was a Grade II but fell off the calendar when it got revised - I think it fell off due to delays getting other elements of the series sorted out.

So of the calendar suggestions, 5 are already present. Of the other 4, 2 of them (Sentul and Irungattukottai) do not, as far as I know, have a high enough circuit licence. The other 2 (Dubai and Istanbul) can fight over the slot that'll presumably be there next year when the organisers are a bit more organised.

Buddh would have been the finale but i1 is having to work around the track being repaired (or something like that - the word I heard was a little vague). Chennai had originally been the starting round had the grading thing not arisen, so the organisers seem to share at least some of Captain Hammer's thinking.

[golic_2004]

The calendar doesn't look that fantastic. Sure, they're a little limited as to choice on where to go, but you'd think they would try and start and finish the series with a round in India. And if they can make it to Sepang, they can certainly make it to other circuits, like Istanbul. This is what the calendar should look like:

1) Buddh International
2) Istanbul
3) Bahrain
4) Dubai Autodrome
5) Yas Marina
6) Losail
7) Irungattukottai (if it's in any condition to hold races)
8) Sepang
9) Sentul
10) Buddh International
11) Road America

And if V8 Supercars get races up and running at Changi (in Singapore) and Clark Airfield (the Philippines), then there's another two circuits the series could visit. Although I suppose an expanded calendar is something for the i1 Series to aspire to - once the championship is up and running, then they can look at expanding the calendar.

I do admit that I thought it was a little crazy to model the series on the Indian Premier League, but if the championship is organised the right way, then I think they could have a real drawcard on their hands: team rivalries. Each team is a franchise, and each franchise is controlled by an individual city. There is a lot of potential here to create a new element to this. For example, each race event could be made up of three races. In the first two races, every driver who finishes scores points. The points are then added up to decide the grid of the third race. But here's the catch: only the team's Indian driver enters the third race. His grid position is decided by team's total points for the first two races, and the third and final race only awards points to the teams. By competing for the teams (and therefore the city), it establishes competition between groups of fans.

fixed

[nome66]

This is what the calendar should look like:

1) Buddh International
2) Istanbul
3) Bahrain
4) Dubai Autodrome
5) Yas Marina(night race)
6) Losail(night race)
7) Irungattukottai (if it's in any condition to hold races)
8) Sepang
9) Sentul
10) Jakarta
11) Baltimore(coupled into the IndyCar weekend)
12) Buddh International

Double fixed

[P_Friesacher]

This is what the calendar should look like:

1) Buddh International
2) Istanbul
3) Bahrain
4) Dubai Autodrome
5) Yas Marina(twilight race)
6) Losail(night race)
7) Irungattukottai (in any condition)
8) Sepang
9) Sentul = Jakarta
10) Lippo Village
11) Baltimore(coupled into the IndyCar weekend)
12) Buddh International
14) Shainghai Tianma
15) DTM-Shaghai circuits of 2004 and 2010 (double-header)
13) Kazakhstan Motorcity
15) Chengdu
16) Beijing Goldenport
17) Reem Intl. Circuit, Saudi Arabia
18) Superleague Formula Beijing Olympic Parc Circuit (night race)

Double fixed

triple fixed

[dr-baker]

This is what the calendar should look like:

01/04/2006 - Taking racing to the people wherever they may be is the key to the second series of i1 Grand Prix, starting at the i1 Grand Prix of Nations, Circuit Park Zandvoort, Netherlands at the start of October. And so is breaking new ground as the i1GP circus sets its sights on a series of venues that have never been used for motor racing before.

Many of these new venues will require specific regulations to draw the most from the 550bhp racers. For the Venice street race, crew catering will serve only Cornettos. For the hill climb in Tibet, half the field will start the course from the bottom, the other half from the top. For the night race in Lapland, huskies are to be used in place of scooters for moving items around the paddock. Cars will arrive flatpacked for the Ikea Cup race in Narnia, so extra time will be required for their assembly. Sniffer dogs will be used in place of marshals for the race in Baghdad to find any explosives in the cargo. Should any freight issues arise from the event in the Falklands, the event will be moved to Ascension Island. No one with hairy ears will start the races in Middle Earth until their ears have been plucked. Finally, fireproof overalls will be replaced by water wings for the Bikini Atoll extravaganza.

So, remember, i1 Grand Prix takes you places you've never been before.

i1 GRAND PRIX SERIES TWO DATES

29 September-1 October i1 Grand Prix of Nations, Circuit Park Zandvoort, Netherlands
13-15 October Venice street race (this replaces the round at Laguna Seca)
27-29 October Tibetan hill climb
3-5 November Kabul
24-26 December Lapland (night race)
5-7 January Narnia (for the Ikea Cup)
19-21 January i1 Grand Prix of Nations, USA - to be held in Baghdad (or Teheran)
26-28 January Canvey Island
12-14 February The Latvian round - to be held on the Isle of Dog (innit!)
26-28 February Falkland Islands
23-25 March Middle Earth 'the Ring'
6-8 April Bikini Atoll
20-22 April South Central LA (drive-by penalties will be enforced)

Date of release: April 1, 2006, Shanghai, China

Double fixed

triple fixed

Totally UNfixed.

[nome66]

This is what the calendar should look like:

1) Buddh International
2) Istanbul
3) Bahrain
4) Dubai Autodrome
5) Yas Marina(twilight race)
6) Losail(night race)
7) Irungattukottai (in any condition)
8) Sepang
9) Sentul = Jakarta
10) Lippo Village
11) Baltimore(coupled into the IndyCar weekend)
12) Buddh International
14) Shainghai Tianma
15) DTM-Shaghai circuits of 2004 and 2010 (double-header)
13) Kazakhstan Motorcity
15) Chengdu
16) Beijing Goldenport
17) Reem Intl. Circuit, Saudi Arabia
18) Superleague Formula Beijing Olympic Parc Circuit (night race)

Double fixed

triple fixed

this jakarta

[P_Friesacher]

That's the one that is called "Lippo Village" in my calendar.
In any case: They should go there. According to wikipedia track construction cost $150 Mio. - and yet it has never seen an international race. (As far as I am aware).
Edit: It seems to be in some state of disrepair now.
Also, I fogot the Ordos Intl. Circuit and the elusive Seoul sreet circuit, that Superleague Formula said they wanted to race on this season.