Sporting Weekend: A1GP in Regent Street

By London_Duncan Last edited 191 months ago
Sporting Weekend: A1GP in Regent Street
A1GPGB02.jpg

There may not be a London Grand Prix just yet, but for the second time in five years the capital is playing host to some of the world's most glamorous pieces of motor sport hardware. If Formula 1 is the Champions League of single-seater car racing then A1GP is the World Cup as teams representing 22 nations as far flung as Mexico, India, South Africa, New Zealand and, naturally, Great Britain, battle it out for supremacy over a ten event calendar. Brands Hatch in Kent is hosting an actual race next weekend, the finale of this year's series, promising the thrills and spills associated with such high octane endeavour, but this Sunday the cars will form a grid along Lower Regent Street and passers-by will have the chance to get very close indeed both to the machines and the drivers who race them, not to mention former F1 champions Emerson Fittipaldi and Alan Jones, representing the national teams of Brazil and Australia respectively.

The event is set to be given the green light by the roar of an A1GP engine at 11am and then go though until 5pm with the Tyre Change Challenge likely to be the most popular of the interactive competitions on offer. There's also big screen presentations and food and crafts from the competing nations as well as activities for children and the chance to eye up that Ferrari 599 GTB you've always promised yourself with the safety cars also putting in an appearance.

Of course Lower Regent Street is not without its own catering establishments and shops with many offering 10% off regular prices for the occasion. A comprehensive looking list of the business taking part can be found on Regent Street's own website.

Formula 1 fans who don't want to miss the coinciding Spanish Grand Prix could do worse than watching the action from the Circuit de Catalunya on TV while simultaneously participating in the live blog hosted by our friends over at F1Fanatic before nipping out to catch end of the free A1GP roadshow and some discounted nosh. With showers forecast, though, you may want to have one of those voluminous grid umbrellas handy.

Picture of this year's British entry via al green's Flickr stream.

Last Updated 25 April 2008