Taupo, New Zealand

A1GP World Cup of Motorsport heads to New Zealand for the first time in January 2007. The magnificent Lake Taupo provides the backdrop for what could be one of the most spectacular races of the season. A1 Team New Zealand, one of the most consistent teams of season one, will battle it out on home turf on what is essentially a brand new circuit.

A1 will be the largest international racing series to hit Taupo when the circus rolls into town in 2007. The new 3.5 km circuit, together with the brand new facilities and pit complex will be the perfect place for A1’s first race in New Zealand.

The first race after the December / January break, emotions will be running high as A1 kicks off the second half of the season in New Zealand. This is the point when championships hopes will come to the surface and the race for World Cup of Motorsport really hots up.

CIRCUIT HISTORY
The New Taupo Racetrack complex, built by MIT Development Ltd, takes over the original site used for the existing Taupo Car Club. The current 1.4km circuit will undergo a upgrading and lengthening, to create a 3.5 km international circuit. The new complex will feature hospitality suites, pit garages, media centre and race control centre. The larger complex will also include a motorsport business park and driver and training centre.

Part of the new circuit was officially opened on March 19 2006. The international circuit is the focus of the $12.5 million Taupo motorsport park which will be the perfect New Zealand home for A1. The track includes three track configurations, with two separate pit areas and start/finish lanes, to allow simultaneous use of two tracks. The international circuit will feature an 830 metre straight, which also doubles as a drag strip.

COUNTRY INFORMATION
New Zealand consists of two large islands, the North and South island and a number of smaller islands. The country is separated from Australia by the Tasman Sea which is some 2,000 km / 1,250 miles wide.

Elizabeth II is the Queen of New Zealand, but her position is such that while she may reign, she does not rule. Political power is held by the Prime Minister.

New Zealand is one of the most recently populated land masses, with the first settlers arriving between the 13th and 15th centuries. The first Europeans arrived in 1642, led by Abel Janszoon. The country was named by the Dutch after the Dutch province of Zeeland. Captain James Cook subsequently called the islands New Zealand. He made significant surveys of the territory in 1769 which also coincided with a significant period of European colonisation.

Concerned by the rising conflicts between settlers and the Maori and the subsequent exploitation of the latter, the British Colonial Office appointed James Busby as British Resident to New Zealand in 1832. Busby helped the movement towards the Declaration of Independence of New Zealand. This was signed by a number of Maori chiefs. King William IV of the United Kingdom was asked to be protector of the new state. Due to foreign pressure, the British later annexed New Zealand by Royal Proclamation in 1840. Disputes over land sales and sovereignty caused the New Zealand land wars in 1845 and 1872. Under fears that the discovery of gold would cause the South Island to form a separate colony, the capital was moved to Wellington in 1865.

New Zealand has been a sovereign constitutional monarchy within the Commonwealth Nations since 1931, by the Statute of Westminster. This basically granted the country full independence from the United Kingdom.

The New Zealand climate is mild, mostly cool to warm, with the temperature rarely falling below 32°F or above 86°F. Because of its long isolation from the rest of the world, like Australia, New Zealand has unique flora and fauna. About 80 per cent of flora occurs only in New Zealand.

The country has a population of 4.1 million, of which 70 per cent are of European decent.

LOCAL INFORMATION
Time zone: GMT + 13
Airport: Taupo, Auckland and Wellington Airports
Currency: New Zealand Dollar
Average January temperature: 66F
Average January rainfall: 2.8 inches

CIRCUIT INFORMATION

Location: Lake Taupo, North Island
Track length: 3.5 km / 2.17 miles
No. turns: TBC
No. laps: Sprint race: TBC
Feature race: TBC
Direction: Clockwise
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