Motorsport: Sheikh's New Formula Poised to Return Old Glories to Brands Hatch

It is 19 years since the British grand prix deserted Brands Hatch for good in favour of Silverstone, but this weekend a new high-profile single-seater formula will be seeking for the first time to revive the glamour and prestige of top-class motorsport at the famous circuit in Kent.

Over the past two decades the fabric of international motorsport outside the glittering world of formula one has worn sadly thin. A combination of formula one sucking dry most of the commercial sponsorship resources allied to a surfeit of so-called feeder formulae providing routes for wide-eyed young aspirants to make their way to the big time has unsettled the structure of the entire sport.

The new A1 Grand Prix series is a totally different formula designed as a stand-alone attraction. Based on national teams rather than individual drivers, it is being promoted as motorsport's World Cup by Sheikh Maktoum Hasher Maktoum Al Maktoum, a member of Dubai's ruling royal family and a committed motorsport aficionado who is the driving force behind the formation of the new series.

The concept of the new formula is dramatically different. Maktoum and his business associates have funded the manufacture of a fleet of Lola single-seaters powered by 550bhp 3.4-litre Zytek V8 engines. The rights to operate the cars have been franchised out to investors in the countries concerned where they will be operated at the races by various professional teams. The cars are maintained between races at the A1 GP headquarters at Silverstone and more than one driver can score points for their country.

Britain's entry is operated by Christian Horner's Arden team in partnership with John Surtees, and the rising star Robbie Kerr, the 2002 British F3 champion, will start the programme. Nelson Piquet junior is expected to turn out for Brazil, the former F1 driver Jos Verstappen for the Netherlands, Christian Jones, son of the 1980 world champion Alan, for Australia, and Tomas Enge for the Czech Republic.

The race format is spread over three days with free practice each Friday and qualifying on Saturdays. Each competitor will be permitted four single-lap runs and the aggregate of their two best times will decide the grid order for the opening sprint race on Sunday. The result of that race in turn will dictate the grid order for the 45-minute main race later that day.

At first glance the championship could be considered over-optimistic in the extreme, jostling as it apparently does in competition with countless other second-division single-seater formulae. Yet on close examination, the A1 GP series has features which make it subtly different, not least the fact that its calendar has a winter schedule that avoids clashing with formula one in terms of media attention.

There are signs that A1 GP has ruffled a few establishment feathers even before the first race. The fourth round of the series takes place in Australia at Sydney's Eastern Creek circuit, and Ron Walker, the promoter of the Australian grand prix at Melbourne, has claimed that A1 GP cannot use the term "grand prix" there and has hinted at possible legal action.

It remains to be seen whether A1 GP can act as a showcase for fresh racing talent, particularly since the signs are that this key role has been amply filled by the new GP2 series which has been a huge success in replacing formula 3000 on the programme at European grands prix. This class for Dallara single-seaters powered by four-litre Renault V8 engines has helped promote the careers of such drivers as Nico Rosberg, Heikki Kovalainen and the Ulsterman Adam Carroll. Further down the ladder, the formula three Euroseries, won at a canter this year by the McLaren protégé Lewis Hamilton, continues to provide a good starting point.

As a counterpoint to a youth culture, the Grand Prix Masters series, which starts at Johannesburg's Kyalami circuit on November 3, is offered as the equivalent of the Seniors Tour in tennis and golf. With a minimum age of 45 it will see Nigel Mansell take on such contemporaries as Alain Prost, Emerson Fittipaldi, Stefan Johansson and Jan Lammers.