Crashes hit A1 Team Pakistan in Mexico
3/18/2008
KARACHI: Pakistan flopped miserably in the A1GP round in Mexico City this weekend, with the team retiring from both the Sprint and Feature races.
The promising pace shown by Pakistan driver Adam Khan failed to score any points after the team was involved in an incident on the final lap of the Feature race while lying 10th. The racing action kicked off on Sunday morning with the 20-minute Sprint race.
Adam lined up 15th for the traditional rolling start, but as the pack crawled around the final corner towards the start/finish line and the start of the race, the cars bunched together and Adam was caught out by the slowing German car ahead of him. Unable to avoid the collision, the Pakistan car hit Germany and was left stranded on the pit straight.
The incident stopped the race, allowing track officials to push the Pakistan car back to the pits while the remaining A1GP cars lined up for the restart. Carrying out the necessary repairs to the car on the grid, the A1 Team Pakistan mechanics did an impressive job to get the car ready for the restart.
As the cars filed round the final corner for the second Sprint race start, Adam made a good getaway and was fighting with season one champions, A1 Team France into the first corner. However, the team was hit by more bad luck when Adam was hit from behind by the Australian car, causing damage to the Pakistan car.
Forced to pit with handling problems, the team ruled out a rear puncture and Adam returned to the track. However, just one lap later, the rear suspension failed, forcing the team into retirement.
Hoping for better luck in the Feature race, Khan lined up 17th in front of an enthusiastic Mexican crowd. As the 22 A1GP cars revved their engines expectantly, the race lights failed and the start was aborted.
All 22 cars made it off the line when the race was restarted a few minutes later, as Adam fought with Brazil, France and Australia for position. Making up one place, the team lay 16th at the end of the first lap.
Following the retirement of Italy and an early pit stop by Australia, Adam was 14th by lap three, only to lose a position a lap later as Brazil found a way past. Emerging from the team’s first pit stop in 15th place, Adam was charging to catch the cars in front of him.
Adam continued to push hard until his second pit stop, when the Pakistan crew made a quick stop allowing Khan to return to the track in 12th place. A drive through penalty for A1 Team Malaysia and Switzerland put Pakistan in 10th place.
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