Asian Motor Sports

Drivers believe the new section of the Shanghai International Circuit could be a major talking point at this weekend’s penultimate A1GP event of the season.

A shorter, 2.9-mile (4.6km) alternative layout is being used for the World Cup of Motorsport’s second visit to the circuit, with drivers negotiating a new chicane after the twisty Turn 2-3 complex.

Cars then rejoin the main circuit afterwards at Turn 6 (called Turn 8 on the longer, 3.4-mile version).

Having walked the track in the build up to tomorrow’s first practice sessions, several drivers believe that faster lap times could be achieved by driving the car completely over the shallow kerbs at the fast chicane, a practice which is banned.

“I looked at it yesterday and there are three different ways you can approach the chicane,” A1 Team Canada’s Sean McIntosh told A1GP. “You will have to run over the kerbs to get a good time. You will have to attack them and maybe even be a bit ragged. It is something that if you do right you are going to gain loads of time and it would be easy to lose a lot if you don’t.”

Having two of the cars’ wheels on the wrong side of the white track boundary line is acceptable. However, as drivers continue to push, some fear that an advantage could be gained by having all four wheels the wrong side of the line, thereby effectively short-cutting the corner.

“The officials are going to have to be really strict on what people can do there,” said A1 Team Great Britain’s Robbie Kerr. “There are lots of things that drivers could do to gain an unfair advantage, shall we say.

“I’ve got a few ideas myself on how I’m going to be taking it. It is going to be interesting to watch what other people do on the TV, and I’ll be watching the rookie sessions to see what people are getting away with.”

Alex Yoong, who took Malaysia’s maiden A1GP victory on the longer layout last season, agrees.

Yoong said: “The kerbs at that corner look on the limit as to whether it will be quicker to put all four wheels across the white line. If we do that though the stewards will have a word with us – they’ll put cones there or something.

“But I’m a bit annoyed we’re using this layout in the first place – I’ve got a great set-up from last year!”

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