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A1GP: Finances forces the series to cancel season opener a week prior

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Khatir Soltani
From GMM

The A1GP series has cancelled its Surfers Paradise season opener, which had been scheduled to take place in Australia next weekend.

"I want to personally apologise to the people affected by this regrettable but unavoidable decision," said the financially embattled series' boss Tony Teixeira.

The race organisers, insisting they have been "badly let down by A1GP", will push ahead with the weekend with the domestic V8 Supercar series.

A1GP's problem relates to unpaid bills, including to the car and engine supplier Ferrari, but Teixeira vowed to re-pay the Surfers organisers' sanctioning fee and donate $50,000 to a charity of their choice.

He insisted the news does not mean A1's World Cup of Motorsport concept, launched in 2005, is now doomed.

"A1GP may be down, but I do not accept we are out," said Teixeira. The next round in the now 8-round 2009/2010 calendar is scheduled to take place in China next month.


Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
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