A1 Team Ireland was on sensational form in Mexico City this afternoon to win a thrilling Feature race, becoming the 15th nation to win an A1GP race.
It was a fantastic result for Portadown’s Adam Carroll in his debut A1GP season, and particularly well timed as the win comes just one day before Ireland celebrates St Patrick’s Day (17 March). The top three title contenders – Switzerland, New Zealand and France – all endured difficult afternoons and failed to score any points.
A green flag signaled the start of the action-packed 47-lap race in hot and sunny weather conditions (36 degrees Celcius), after the first start was aborted due to technical problems with the starting lights.
Twenty-five-year-old Carroll started the race from fifth on the grid and leapt up the order to second behind Switzerland’s Neel Jani, thanks to amazing work from the Irish team during the first compulsory pit stop on lap nine.
He held position until lap 34 when he pitted the emerald green car for the second time and rejoined the action as race leader after another sensational stop from the Irish crew. The crowds roared as Carroll, who was making his 14th race appearance for Ireland, crossed the line first to take his and the team’s first ever A1GP victory.
Great Britain’s Oliver Jarvis put in a brilliant performance to race from fourth on the grid to finish second, notching up a double-podium on his final outing for the British team this season and picking up more valuable championship points.
Jarvis also scored a bonus point for setting the fastest lap of the race and this weekend’s points haul moves GBR up to fourth in the title table behind France.
USA’s Jonathan Summerton, who scored his nation’s best ever result at Mexico City last year when he finished second in the Feature race, was once again on superb form, charging through the field from seventh on the grid to finish third and take the final podium position ahead of the Netherlands’ Jeroen Bleekemolen.
Pole-sitter Canada’s Robert Wickens got a good start but lost the lead to Switzerland on lap six and fell down the order to third during the first round of pit stops. By lap 31 Wickens was running in fifth place as GBR and USA managed to overtake the 19-year-old who had been battling with an over-heating car and clutch problem from the first lap. The Canadian racer, who said this was the hardest race he has ever driven, went on to cross the line in fifth position.
Having snuck through and taken the lead from Canada’s Robert Wickens on lap six, title leader Switzerland’s Neel Jani dominated the action until lap 34, when he came in for his second compulsory pit-stop at the same time as Ireland. Carroll took the lead from Jani, who was later hit with a drive-through penalty for ‘unsafe release’ from his second stop. Jani had ran alongside Carroll as the pair exited the pit lane. Jani eventually finished 19th, following a late collision with Pakistan’s Adam Khan.
New Zealand’s Jonny Reid, who was running in seventh for the first half of the race, ran wide at the chicane on lap 25 and brought out the safety car, allowing the pack to bunch up behind race leader Switzerland. Reid rejoined the action in 18th ahead of Mexico and finally crossed the line 12th.
Home nation A1 Team Mexico’s David Garza, who led the race for two laps during the second round of pit stops, scored his nation’s best ever home race result, making up eight places from the back of the grid to cross the line 14th.
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