New Middle East series for ex-A1GP cars

The Formula Acceleration 1 series that ran for old A1GP cars last year is the subject of an attempted revival as a Middle-East Trophy.

The Dutch ISRA organization is planning a three-round series to run over January and February 2016 on three of the region's premier circuits, selected from Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai and Qatar.

Three half-hour-plus-one-lap races are planned for each round - with the third being run to a reversed-grid format - following 50 minutes of free practice and two 20-minute qualifying sessions. None of the races will feature mandatory pitstops.

The Acceleration 1 cars will continue to be the Lola-Zytek B05/52 that formed the foundation of the inaugural - and only - running of the series in 2014. Five double-header rounds were run, with Dutchman Nigel Melker claiming the title from ex-Formula 2 champion Mirko Bortolotti. Plans for the series to merge with the similar Auto GP class in 2015 failed to come to fruition.

The ISRA states that 'the FA1 Middle-East Trophy offers an ideal chance for professional teams and drivers to work together while waiting for their main 2016 campaigns to begin.'

Originally on Autosport.com